The Vedic civilization is one of the world’s oldest recognised civilizations. A range of archaeological pieces of evidence found across the globe prove that the influence of the Vedic culture and traditions extend across the world and is not limited to the geography of the Indian subcontinent. These discoveries have been recorded in various international publications such as Long Missing Links by Aiyangar and History of Rome by C.J. Smith.

Archaeologists have discovered various artefacts in the lands of modern Italy, Greece and Rome depicting scenes from the popular chapter of Indian ancient history Ramayana, such as the exile of Lord Ram; the fight between vanar chiefs Vaali and Sugreeva over Tara whom both claim as their wife; and capturing the royal sacrificial horse, Ashwamedha Yagya by Luv and Kush, sons of Lord Ram. In the Italian version, the sons are described as brothers Remus and Ramulus, the latter-day variations of the Vedic name Ram. In addition to this, drawings of three wives of aged King Dashrath — Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra, sharing the divine fertility potion in the desire for illustrious sons have also been found.

These discoveries are no mere coincidences as Ramayana is a historical fact and not some mythological folklore. The Inner World has detailed archaeological, geographical, botanical, literary and astronomical pieces of evidence proving the same in a previous issue.

Along with Ramayana, the ancient European societies were also followers of Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu as is evident from photographs. At a museum in Athens, Greece (Corinth), a mosaic dating back to the second century AD depicts the childhood of Lord Krishna, playing his flute surrounded by cows. This is a very common depiction of him prevalent even today in India. Further, the dressing style of the Roman and Italian rulers also indicate the prevalence of Vaishnavism in society. The followers of this tradition wear a V-shaped tilak on the forehead as seen in the photographs of the Roman consul, Pompey the Great (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus) and various other Egyptian monarchs.

There have been other sculptures found in Egypt like those depicting bull worship as still practised in India, a deity of Lord Shiva (one of the lords from the Trinity, other two being Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu) in the form of shivling have been preserved in the Etruscan Museum at the Vatican, Rome, dating around second century BC. The ancient Italian texts described shivling as the “meteoric stones mounted on carved pedestals”. Moreover, the cover page of a sixteen-century book The Cosmos and its Mathematical Study by the Persian author Mohamed-al-Tusi has the portrayal of Lord Brahma sitting on a hexagonal platform, holding a scripture, an axe, drum, incense sticks, lotus bud and a mouse. The book is shelved in the Egyptian National Library, Cairo.

These pieces of evidence prove beyond doubt that the extent of this Spanish gent was peddling cures preying on women’s emotions and desire to look young and glowing edic influence was not limited to the contemporary Indian land.