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CHALLENGING WEST

HOLGER KERSTEN TRIES TO PROVE IN A VERY


COMPREHENSIVE
AND LOGICAL MANNER THAT JESUS VISITED
INDIA. BY ABHISHEK MISHRA

IN REVIEW: JESUS LIVED IN INDIA by Holger


Kirsten ; Penguin India ;
Pages 264 ;Rs.299.
Right from beginning , especially in the east there remained a
controversial discussion

that in the early years of Christian era Jesus travelled to


Kashmir along with his m-

-other. To support this view and put them strongly, the


author in this book tried to

give all sorts of examples from history of various cultures


of the Middle-East, South

Asia, Europe and NW-India. Kirsten has also quoted from


religious books of Iran and

Afghanistan and also puranas of hindu civilisation. He also


mentions about his years
long research in this issue along with a fellow professor of
Kashmir University . This

book has a fire-power to change the history and culture of


western nations, especi-

-ally those who follow christainity but as himself mentioned


by the author , these

nations are very reluctant or not at all interested in this


subject matter.

INCIDENCE OF MAGI
The author in this book tries to stress the early linkages
between Buddhism and

Christainity. Having his stay in Tibet, the author has gone


through many old manu-

-scripts in the monastries showing similarity with buddhism


and early christainity.

In one of the manuscripts it is mentioned that from Tibet,


three intelligent men w-

-ent to the west, to seek somebody, who will be Christ with


magical powers. The au-

-thor further mentions that in Judaism also,there is a story


that three wise persons

“Magi’s” came from east to Jerusalem, said to parents of


Jesus that they have a ch-

-ild in the form of Christ and a propagator of a new


religion. So, by this the author

Tries to link the birth of christainity and earliest forecasting


with regards to Jesus

with Magis who were actually Tibetan monks.

SHROUD SECRET
The author in this book also tried hard to show that, the
shroud which is supposed
to be of Jesus kept in Rome is not actually of Jesus.
Although, the scientific param-

-eters on the basis of which he proved it is beyond doubt.


But the supressing of su-

-bject matter by the clergy in Rome and western nations is


vehemently criticised by

the author himself and also he puts a doubt on the


sanctity of the shroud.The au-

-thor takes the help of the blood stains of the shroud and
by the way it was carri-

-ed and kept at various including Paris in past puts a


sceptical view on the sanctity

of the shroud .In the book he criticises the American


analysers and researchers for

suppressing the issue.

PEOPLE, PLACES AND ROUTES


In the book author mentions about the places and the route
traced by St.Thomas

and later by Jesus Christ himself. The book takes into


account of the old silk route

,which Jesus along with his mother traced for India,


probably at the time of Kusha-

-na empire, which was a Buddhist empire, so again linkages


between Buddhism an-

-d christainity is prominent . Personally, tracing the same


route , the author menti-

-ons that the people in the border region of Iran and


Afghanistan thinks “Yuz Asaf”

as one of the Christ of Islam before Muhammad ,this proves


beyond doubt that si-

-nce time immemorial people of Iran and Afghanistan were


aquainted with Jesus.
One of the puranas in hindu mythology also mentions about
“Isa-Masih”. The “sto-

-ne of Mariam” and “the Yuz Asaf dargah” in the vicinity of


Srinagar are more pro-

-ves beyond doubt quoted by the author.

THE STUDY IN KASHMIR


Kersten and his fellow professor from Kashmir University
studied hard in Kashmir

and adjoining areas to reveal the secret that whether Jesus


travelled to India or not.

On the basis of their studies they were certain that the


dargah of Yuz Asaf is the

cemetery of Jesus Christ. They seeked permission from


Kashmir government to study

the base of the shrine but after intial acceptance the


Farrukh Abdullah government

denied the mission, may be due to political compulsions or


may be the issue will c-

-ulminate into religious colours . Anthropologically, it is one of


the view that Kashmi-

-ris are one of lost tribes of Israel among the seventyone.


So, it supports the cause

of author also.

CRITICISM
Although, the book is excellent in many ways but it poses
some problems also. In

the beginning, Kersten tries to defend Notovich’s claim


about Jesus manuscripts in

Hemis monastery .Yet at no time can anyone translate Pali


writing ever verified by

them.
The book at first glimpse seems to have been
shaking the beliefs of christa-

-inity but at last the logical conclusion is that Kersten has


tried to give a rectificat-

-ion to bible.

CONCLUSION
As this book deals with history and revealing of secret of
one of the dominant reli-

-gion of the world , this issue has always remained in


doldrums. History itself is glo-

-omy at every step but at the same time it also tries to


clear the mist. As the boo-

-k deals with a very sensitive issue and the consequences if


true may lead to volat-

-ile reverberations ,hence , suppressed by the west. But the


book has found a larger

acceptance in authors own country i.e Germany because a


large chunk of populati-

-on is non-conformist .The authors views can be summarised


as:

Donot think I am spinning yarns,

getup and prove things otherwise!

All ecclesiastical history is a,

mishmash of coercion & error.

--Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe

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