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From revolution to religion and meditation

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SRI AUROBINDO (1872-1950) lived in Baroda between 1893 and 1906. During this period, he was an official in the Gaekwad’s government, a professor of English, and the Vice Principal of Baroda College, now the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

Map at Aurobindo Ashram in Baroda

Today, Aurobindo is best known as a spiritual leader, who spent much of his life in Pondicherry. However, before this he was a keen supporter of ridding India of its domination by the British. During his term as Vice Principal, he began taking an active interest in the growing independence movement.

In 1906, he shifted to Calcutta to become the first principal of National College (now Jadavpur University), which was founded to provide national education to Indian youth. He resigned in 1907 because of his increased involvement in anti-British activities.

In May 1908, Aurobindo was imprisoned for a year because he was suspected of having been involved in the fatal Alipore Bomb case. He was acquitted. During his imprisonment, his interests began to move from revolution to religion. He began practising yoga, and thinking about spiritual matters.

After his release, the British security services kept him under observation despite the fact that his active involvement in nationalist activities was waning. By 1910, he had fled to Pondicherry, which was then a French colony and out of reach of the British authorities. From then on, his activities as a spiritual leader, for which he is best known, took off.

The house where he lived in Baroda between 1900 and 1906 stands surrounded by well tended gardens. It is now known as an Aurobindo ashram. People who believe in him visit the place to meditate and enjoy its peaceful atmosphere.

At the end of one of the gardens, there is a stage. Behind the stage, there is a large map on a wall. It shows the outlines of British India before it became divided into Bangladesh, Burma, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. I do not know when this map was drawn, but it is interesting that it does not depict modern India alone.

As we wandered around the place, I wondered how many of its visitors seeking spiritual solace consider Aurobindo’s earlier less peaceful approach to life.

What! Why? Is there no Calcutta on the map?

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VINCENZO MARIA CORONELLI (1650-1718) who was most likely born in Venice (Italy) was not only a Franciscan friar but also a cartographer. Recently, I spotted one of his maps hanging in a frame in a friend’s home. It is a beautiful work of art, bearing the title (translated from French): “Maritime route from Brest to Siam and from Siam to Brest”. It was made between 1685 and 1686, based on information provided to Coronelli by six Jesuit priests sent out to the Indies by the King of France. Coronelli, based in The Republic of Venice, drew the map.

I was particularly interested to see what of modern India is represented on the map. On the coast of “Guzararatte ou Cambaje” (i.e. Gujarat or Cambay), the Island of Diu, then a Portuguese settlement, is marked, as are “Surate” (Surat) and “Bombaim” and “Chaul” (also  Portuguese settlements). Further south, Goa is marked, and yet further south along the west coast, we can see Calicut and Cochin. On the east coast of India, we can see “Fort S. Thomé” and “Mahapur”, being old names for a place immediately south of Chennai and Mahabalipuram respectively.

The map becomes more interesting when you look at the “Bouches du Gange” (the mouths of the Ganges). Coronelli draws a complex collection of island’s that depict  the Ganges delta, but where one would expect to find Calcutta (Kolkata) on modern maps, there is only a small inset town plan of a place called “Louvo”. This is not a place in India but in modern Thailand (once known as ‘Siam’): its modern name is Lopburi.

The reason that Calcutta is not marked on Coronelli’s map is simple: the place with that name did not exist when the Jesuit priests reported back to Coronelli. Had they made their survey only a little later, they would have been able to report its existence because in August 1686 Job Charnock (c1630-c1692/3) established a trading post (‘factory’) on the River Hooghly, and that became known as Calcutta.  I have visited his grave and mausoleum in central Kolkata.