Chapter 3 Idol in the sleeves

After wandering through the ancient ruins of Sarkap, a foreign couple came out and approached a local youth in a blanket. He looked around cautiously like a thief and then took out a small Buddha from his blanket and presented it to the foreign couple. They moved on without being affected. The young man took another statue out of the blanket with his other hand and showed it to them but they kept moving towards their horse cart. He recovered at least six or seven statues from his blanket and tried to sell it to them. But the foreign couple probably knew that these thousands of years old statues had actually come into being only a couple of days ago with the skillful hands of the local youth. That's why, looking satisfied, they rode on their ride and set off for the ancient school of Julian.

I had come from Islamabad with my younger brother Major Mubashir and my family to see the ruins of Taxila and its surroundings. The first stop was the Taxila Museum, which was thought to be an English country house when you looked at it from the outside, but when you enter the magnificent building built of local stone, you encounter Lord Buddha instead of meeting an English lord. Gandhara era statues, utensils, ornaments, tools, a complete look of a complete civilization. Gulzar Sahib, the curator of the museum, would welcome every visitor like a guest and entrust them to good mannered guides. As the jewelry room was about to close, my wife insisted on seeing them first. Because, according to her, the rest were just broken pots and useless idols. The dazzling jewelry of Gandhara era impressed the women immensely. Rather, the design of the heavy wrist bracelet was exactly what is now called the "lion face bracelet". These bracelets had the face of a lion and all the ornaments were of pure gold. I used to think that in those days husbands would treat their wives with gifts of stone or bone bracelets or necklaces etc. and live a peaceful life but now I have learned that even in that era women ridiculed their husbands saying that, oh, look at this Kalmoi priest whose wrists are full of gold bracelets and just look at my bare arms.... My daughter Aini was leaning on a showcase. I asked, "What are you looking at my dear?" "Abu, look how many lovely earrings there are and so many. Please buy me one." Aini recently pierced her ear with great interest and I promised her that I will like to buy earrings for her after she decides the design..... I told her that many thousands of years ago little girls wore these earrings so they were just for show now. She said, "Abu, if there are earrings, they should be worn. They are just lying here and Abu, what were the names of the girls who wore these earrings.... I explained to her with great difficulty that I could not give you these earrings. The journey began from the Taxila Museum to the ruins of the Julian seminary. Small fields, semi-rocky ground and hills.... There is a saying that when Chandra Gupta Moriya was expelled from Magadha, he reached Taxila in search of wisdom. One day he saw a man. He watered a tree and left.

The next day the same man returned and cut the roots of the same tree with an ax. When Chandra Gupta asked the reason, he said that one day when I passed under this tree, my turban came down after being stuck in it's branches. Now I keep it alive and take revenge at the same time.... Chandra Gupta took him along back to Guldha and, with the help of his advice, regained his lost throne.... His name was Chanakya. Also called Chanak and which is the first name in the chapter of cunning rulership and cunning etiquettes. Under which tree did Chandra Gupta Moria and Chanakya first meet, no one knows.

The ruins of the Julian seminary are located on a high hill and it takes the courage of a climber and the bravery of a tourist to get there. Especially when the children refuse to walk at every step and say that Abu we'll only go up there if you'll buy us ice cream after reaching the top otherwise you go and see your ruins by yourself.... Just as a person is amazed when he reaches a high peak, similarly, when I entered the ruins of Julian I fell into a trance for a few moments. I never imagined that these ruins would be so vast and terrifying. The Pathan guide kept moving forward.

"Sir, at that time it was the largest school in the whole subcontinent. Buddhist monks used to come here to get knowledge of their religion. From Afghanistan, China and countries whose names are now obliterated. Through the statues carved in these pillars, they were introduced to the teachings of Buddhism. This is the assembly hall where the lectures were held and these are the rooms in which the students used to stay.

If these high mounds are to be dug up, then different parts of this seminary can be recovered. I have met Mr. Marshall and Mr. Wheeler (well known archaeologist). They keep coming here..."

"Abu -- Abu..." My son Samir was standing by an idol. "Look, there's a hole in it's navel. And it is written on the board that if a man puts his finger in this hole and thinks about any of his desires, it will be fulfilled...." He began to move his finger in the hole.

"Son do not bother the idols... Take out your finger... But what wish have you thought of?"

"I am hungry"... He said. "And Abu they have put on a board somewhere in these ruins. On which is written 'Dining room'.... Let's go there?"

We came to a small ruin that once used to be a dining room for Buddhist monks, and we sat on rocks and ate burgers, sandwiches and chips... Who knows what the Buddhist monks used to eat here?

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Note:

Texila is an old city located in the upper part of the country. It is one of the city where remains of the ancient civilizations were found.