Kolkata-based author Debashree Chakraborty writes a novel about the 19 years of life of Jesus, which, according to some contemporary texts, he spent traveling extensively in the Middle East, Sindhu region and India
[Author’s Note: In the Old Testament of the Bible, there is no information about the life of Jesus for 19 years. There are some contemporary texts where eyewitnesses have stated that he traveled extensively in the Middle East and crossed the Sindhu region to enter India. Through this novel, I have tried to portray the diary of a profound spiritual journey of his life in the initial and final chapters. Foreign powers have tried to erase the history of our continent, Asia. That is why, when Notovitch returned from Hemis in Ladakh and mentioned that ancient text over 2000 years old, Max Müller sent people to Hemis to destroy that ancient manuscript. The mysterious manuscript is also mentioned in the book by Swami Abhedananda about Kashmir and Tibet. What was it that caused Max Müller so much concern over this manuscript? It is noteworthy that love cannot come into the life of the son of God, and he cannot have any children. Even the Gospels attributed to him have been confined to the secret, dark chambers of the Pope’s city, with words implanted into his mouth according to their wishes. In his name, imperialistic aggression is being carried out across the world. His only daughter, Sara, has not been recognized. His entire existence has been imprisoned. There lies an unknown chapter of his life hidden throughout the Middle East, the Sindhu region, and India. I have brought forth this history through this novel. “An Unknown Life” is in no way a novel imitating “Jesus lived in India.” This novel provides detailed descriptions of his presence across the vast land from Israel to India, not just his own, but also the mysterious narratives of many people associated with him. Was Jesus truly the founder of Christianity? If not, why must he still bear the burden of the “Roman Cross”? Is there ever to be a possibility of his release? All answers are coming. Debashree Chakraborty]
An Unknown Life
(France, Time: 2022)
That morning, Omkari practically collapsed upon returning to her shelter. She was unable to understand at what point in time she was, or whether the people around her were present or past. This house, everything around her, felt like Vedantic illusion to her. It all felt like Maya, all her imagination. Everything she was seeing would vanish in moments. Thinking all this, everything seemed to fade into darkness.
When she regained consciousness, she saw Ali in the dim light of the room. Ali had been staring at her intently for a long time. Omkari sat up on the bed, adjusted her shawl, and said, “Ali, I had a very strange experience today. You are my fellow traveler, and I think I should share that experience with you. Because I barely made it back today, and if such an event repeats, I might die of a heart attack! Will you listen to me?”
There was a great deal of emotion in Omkari’s voice, a great deal of desperation. Ali could feel Omkari’s inner self, and without thinking twice, he said, “Omkari, please tell me, I am listening.” Omkari slowly began to tell Ali everything from the previous night until that morning. Omkari felt a strange excitement building within Ali. After hearing everything, Ali said, “Omkari, I am a Pakistani by birth. My father, Azizul Haque, was a journalist. My mother is Spanish. My mother’s father lived in Rennes-le-Château for many years with a French writer friend for special reasons.”
Okay, here’s the translation of the text you provided:
“-For special reasons?
-Yes, for special reasons. My mother’s father was an archaeologist. It is said that in the past, many people used to come to Rennes-le-Château on pilgrimage from Spain. My mother’s father and his French writer friend found some archaeological evidence from Spain and the areas around Rennes-le-Château in France, which forced them to stay in this village to help advance their own research. Then one day, my grandfather and his friend decided that they would move to America. But America did not grant them visas because they were allegedly working for an international spy organization.
-Spy organization, what do you mean?
-I don’t know the name of that organization! After this incident, he called my father, Azizul Haque, to Rennes-le-Château. After coming here, he gave my father a document wrapped in leather and told him to take it to someone in Germany. My father wrote about this to my mother in a letter. My mother lived with my father in Karachi after their marriage. A few days after receiving this letter, my mother received news that my father had died in Milan after falling from the Paris-Geneva Express. He was traveling from Paris to Geneva. But nothing was found next to the body. Omkari, a few days after my father’s death, the hanging bodies of my grandfather and his friend were found in this Rennes-le-Château. Everyone knows very well that none of these deaths were natural. But the police or administration took no action. After the death of my grandfather’s friend, his daughter, Elizabeth, began living permanently in Rennes-le-Château. I am convinced that, like me, she is looking for the mystery of her father’s murder and must have learned something.
-Ali, is that why you have come to Rennes-le-Château?
-Yes, that’s why I came here. I don’t want to talk to Elizabeth directly. It would be great if you could talk to her first. I mean, you talk first, and then maybe I’ll talk.”
That afternoon, the driver brought all the food to the house, so they didn’t have to go anywhere outside. After lunch, Omkari rested for a while and then set out again on the paths of the village. She was really enjoying walking through the surroundings surrounded by dense forest, with birdsong drifting in from all around. Ali was leading Omkari, showing her that outside Rennes-le-Château, within the forest, there were several thousand-year-old structures. Looking at them, they seemed like places of worship. They had climbed high up a hill, leaving the village below. Ali said, “As soon as I came here, I had a look at the house.”
“How did you get the address?”
“It was written in Abbu’s (father’s) diary. Abbu came to this house to meet my grandfather, after all. Omkari, we’ve arrived. I’ll stay in the forest, take a look at the structures here. Give me a missed call when you’re done, and I’ll come.”
After ringing the doorbell for quite a while, an old woman came and opened the door. Omkari folded her hands in a ‘Namaste’ and said, “I have come from India. I went to Paris to see the Louvre, and that’s when I learned about this place. It is said that an unknown chapter of history is hidden within the ancient architecture here, and I have come here to search for that chapter. I saw lights on at your house up here, so I hurried over to introduce myself.”
The people here are extremely hospitable, so Omkari didn’t have any problems. The woman folded her hands in a ‘Namaste’ like Indians and said, “I am Elizabeth. Like you, I came here in search of its history and ended up staying, never returning. And I have great respect for Indian civilization and culture. Please come in. Being in the forest, it gets very dark from the afternoon onwards, so we have to keep the lights on in the house. Let me make some coffee; we can talk while we drink it.”
Taking a sip of coffee, the woman said, “This region was once inhabited by pagans. You will find many temples from the time of those pagans in the forest.”
“Oh really!”
“Yes, it’s indeed surprising. A long time ago, when Christianity or Islam didn’t exist, pagans lived in all these regions. Pagans used to come to this region from far and wide to learn some secret, mysterious knowledge. There are many more secrets hidden in this region.”
Omkari knows very well how to extract information from someone. She is very skilled in this matter. That day, Omkari began telling Elizabeth various incidents, including the disappearance of Mahaprabhu, various mysterious temples and architecture in India, and the disappearance of people who came there in search of mysteries. After hearing stories of how she had to face danger while investigating the disappearance of Mahaprabhu, Omkari created a completely separate place in Elizabeth’s mind. She started seeing a different version of herself in Omkari. Having lived alone for a long time, she doesn’t really talk to anyone. After so long, she was overwhelmed to find someone she connected with. Elizabeth said to Omkari, “Omkari, there is some treasure hidden here, which a group of unknown people are protecting, while another group has attacked here age after age in search of it. When the Romans were completely wiping out the pagans of this region, ten unknown…”
…soldiers appeared, whose leadership drove the Romans out of this region with a group of soldiers. Many people from Germany and its surrounding areas supposedly came to this region for mining work over the ages. But Omkari, you’ll be surprised to know that after the Roman invasion, there were no minerals left in this region. But still, people from Germany and the surrounding areas used to come here and stay.
“Why? What did they come for?”
“They are all unknown. From my research, what I have come to know is that they used to come and stay here to protect some treasure from the past. Many secret killings have taken place here. It has been happening for ages.”
“Secret killings?”
“Hmm, my father and his friend were murdered.”
“Your father was murdered? Why, did he find out something?”
“He and his friend had found out a lot. Realizing their danger, they had sent their collected information to someone through a person. The person who was sent with it was murdered on the way.”
“How did you understand that he was murdered?”
“Because he later died from the train he was traveling on, and nothing he was carrying with him was ever found. And that’s not all. A few years ago, three writers researched this region for a long time and wrote a book. There was a red snake symbol on the cover of the book. There were some strange symbolic languages in this book. For example, say…”
“The fragrance that floats towards me from the one I want to free is the fragrance that impregnates a tomb. Some call her the Queen. She is extremely benevolent; all of you who suffer, go to her, and she will give you rest. To others, she is Magdalene, that famous vase. Another name for her is Notre Dame des Cross.”
“Omkari, the pagans worshiped the Mother Goddess; many consider her to be that Mother Goddess of the pagans. Many cathedrals in France are dedicated to Lady Magdalene. There is also a cathedral in Rennes-le-Château named after her, which is dedicated to her. Saunière, who consecrated the church… the writers of Le Serpent Rouge had a very bad end. All three of them were murdered and hanged.”
“Who actually was this Lady Magdalene? And what is the mystery of this red snake?”
“You don’t know Lady Magdalene? She is the real one. And the red snake is a symbol of lineage!”
“Lineage!”
“Yes. My father used to say that the story of Jesus and Magdalene is like the ancient legends of rivers, who were not meant to flow together.”
“Who was she?”
“To know Lady Magdalene, you have to know the context of her arrival, the history of the people of that time, their way of life, everything, then you will know her. The Bible identifies her as a mysterious woman. This woman is such a revolutionary character in history, who never received the respect she deserved. This woman was so full of personality that a group was afraid of her influence and power, so perhaps her own successors tried to erase her from the pages of history. This woman was the closest person to Jesus. In that sense, she was the true creator of Christianity. According to the New Testament of the Bible, this woman was the first and foremost witness to Jesus’ “Resurrection,” that is, his return after death. The foundation of Christianity is the Bible and the Gospel written by Jesus’ four main followers. To date, 94 Gospels have been found, but among these, the Church has recognized four Gospels. Nothing is recognized unless the Church permits it. The ones whose Gospels have been recognized by the Church are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And those whose Gospels have not been recognized by the Church are the Gospels of Thomas, Peter, Judas, Mary, and James. On the third day after his death, Jesus rose to life. This event, the Resurrection, is the main foundation of Christianity. The main and only witness to this event was Mary Magdalene. She told everyone about this event. That day, through her preaching, she elevated Jesus to the place of God. Without her, Jesus Christ, known as the Son of God, would not have been born, and the origin of this Christianity would not have been possible.”
“Elizabeth, you were talking about the context of Lady Magdalene’s arrival. What was that context?”
“Omkari, I am talking about the time two thousand years ago, when the Roman Empire ruled over a vast region including the whole of Europe and its surroundings. The place we understand as Israel today was also under Roman rule. But people became rebellious to break free from this rule. At this time, the children of wealthy families in Israel used to go to Rome for education. There, they saw that the Romans had imposed so many restrictions on them, but the people of their own country enjoyed a lot of freedom. There were no such restrictions on them. All these highly educated people returned to the country and invigorated the freedom movement. The fish market of Galilee was famous. People from different parts of Israel used to travel here as buyers and sellers. The spark of the freedom movement started spreading from the market of Galilee. The freedom movement reached such a stage that at one point it shook the foundation of the Roman Empire. At that time, Roman soldiers began to indiscriminately kill the rebels of Galilee. There was a village of fishermen in Galilee. The name of that village was Magdala. The soldiers reached that village. The families of this village fled and took refuge in the caves of Mount Arbel. The remaining rebels were caught by the soldiers again. They were crucified and hung on the outskirts of the village. Those who took refuge in Mount Arbel could not stay well for long. Roman soldiers surrounded this mountain and waited at its base. After seventy-six days, when all the food and water were gone, some rebel families tried to come down and were speared to death. The last surviving family jumped off the mountain and committed suicide. Omkari, my father went to Israel in search of this mysterious woman, to the ‘National Library of Israel.’ This library is better known as the ‘Jewish National and University Library.'”
“Located in the ‘Givat Ram’ campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, this library preserves Jewish heritage throughout the world. More than five hundred thousand manuscripts and books are preserved here. It contains all the documents of Hebrew history. In 1932, an ancient document written by Josephus was found during the renovation of an ancient church in Jerusalem. But most of this document has been destroyed in two thousand years. What could be deciphered from this document is: In the last family that was alive inside the cave of Mount Arbel, there were seven sons. Their father pushed them off the mountain first, then jumped and committed suicide himself. My father and his friend went to this mountain. They saw all those caves. On the walls of these caves, there are still accounts of suffering written by people’s own hands two thousand years ago. Among them, the names of Mary, John, and Peter are written. Mary Magdalene was born in this village of Magdala. Mary was the child of a wealthy fishing family. Many Marys came into Jesus’ life. His mother and sister’s names were also Mary. At that time, married women used their husband’s name, and unmarried women used their father’s and village’s name. Therefore, to distinguish this particular Mary, her village name was used next to her name. Dr. Esther de Boer has been working on Lady Magdalene for a long time. She had a very good relationship with my father. She told my father that Luke’s Gospel supposedly states that Mary had a congenital disease. And that is, she would sometimes have a terrible fever, her teeth would clench, and foam would come out of her mouth. Mary’s brother was friends with Jesus. Secret meetings of freedom-seeking rebels were held at the Meris’ house. Jesus would go there. There he would try to heal the sick Mary. Because he was skilled in the art of healing people with herbal medicine. In this way, when he completely healed Mary, from that moment on, they both became deeply attracted to each other. To advance Jesus’ movement, a large amount of money was needed, which this Mary Magdalene donated. But she has been erased from everywhere.”
“That day, it was late at night talking at Elizabeth’s house. Ali didn’t have to be called from the house. Ali was hiding in a bush in this terrible cold. Seeing Omkari coming, he came out, then they quickly started walking towards their base.” (Continues)
Click here for Part-1, Part 2, Part-3, Part-4, Part-5, Part-6, Part-7, Part-8, Part-9, Part-10, Part-11, Part-12, Part-13, Part-14, Part-15, Part-16, Part-17, Part-18, Part-19, Part-20,
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Debasree Chakraborti is a renowned novel writer of Bengali language. Based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, she has done Master’s in Modern History from the Kolkata University, and authored some thirty books, mostly the novels, with historical perspective and themes. Her novel is ‘Maharaja Dahir’ that covers the history of Sindh from 662, the year of first attack on Sindh by the Arab armies till date, was published last year and translated by Nasir Aijaz into Sindhi language.
