Foreigners in ancient India

Foreigners in the Ajanta Paintings by Prof M K Dhavalikar of Deccan College, Poona University, was an important paper. 'The paintings of the Vakataka Gupta age depict, in several panels, men and women who, from their physiognomy and dress, appear to be of foreign origin. Sometimes we find them in the palace employed as royal bodyguards and chambermaids or as merchants offering presents to Indian Kings. They also appear as pious devotees listening, with rapt attention, to the sermon of the 'Enlightened One' or engrossed in dalliance with their companions. There should be little doubt that these foreigners were there in India during the age, or else it would not have been possible for the master-artists of Ajanta to portray them so realistically in the paintings", Dhavalikar stated. The Poona-based historian referred to the pace-setting research of Ralph and Grisley as also of Raja Rajendralal Mitra who established strongly that beef-eating was quite common in ancient India.

All shall give and take, mingle and be mingled in, none shall depart dejected from the shore of the sea of Bharata's "Great Humanity" ! Small wonder, the BJP leaders- let alone the hardcore RSS elements - do not refer to Tagore, his poems and essays.