Secrets of Sinauli is a documentary about the excavation conducted by the Archeological Survey of India at the village of Sinauli, 66 kilometers from Delhi, and the unbelievable discoveries made in that excavation. For ages, British and left-leaning Indian historians have been preaching the bizarre Aryan Invasion theory and how it shaped the geopolitical and social structure of the Indian subcontinent. They went to the extent of saying that our history and culture were nothing more than what we were handed down from these invaders and it was them who introduced us, primitive beings, to things as simple as a horse, wheel, and chariots. The discoveries made at Sinauli have ultimately for once and for all demolished all those claims and landed a resounding slap on the faces of all those who have been preaching such an outrageous and demeaning theory of the genesis of the oldest civilization in the history of mankind.
The documentary is produced by Neeraj Pandey and is hosted by Manoj Bajpayee who brings his own brand of charismatic and dramatic presentation to the story that to start with was always intriguing and investing. We learn through the documentary the entire chain of events that led to the discovery of the burial sites at Sinauli and how after the initial hullabaloo, the excavation laid dormant till 2016 when it was restarted. It was during this resurgence of the work that one earth-shattering revelation after another presented itself to the excavators.
While the story is gripping from the get-go, the manner in which the documentary is presented elevates its appeal to a whole new level. The discoveries made at the site are peeled off layer after layer in the most dramatic, enigmatic, and cinematic fashion. This approach goes on to not only create a very dramatic rendition of the tale but also evokes in the viewer a sense of wonder, awe and thrill. In my case, I got goosebumps in the portion where we gradually learn that the mortal remains that were found at the sight almost certainly belonged to warriors. The manner in which this revelation is made will put many thrillers to shame. If that was not enough, the next biggest revelation is that about the women of the time. They were apparently warriors as well and fought side by side with the men and in death were given the exact same honor and ritualistic burial that their men counterparts received.
The women were buried right where the men were and were infact buried with their weapons. This was a mark of respect for the glorious and selfless warrior’s life that they must have lived. The animated renditions of key elements of the discoveries are created with such panache and are complimented with such an uplifting score that it is bound to evoke a sense of pride and wonder in any Indian who has even a little interest in the subject. As the story progresses, the revelations get more and more intense. The documentary makers are able to get interviews from men like R.S. Bhist, K.N. Dixit, B.B. Lal, and B.R. Mani who are stalwarts in the Archeological field and command unquestionable authority in the discipline. This not only adds a lot of credence to what the film tries to go for but also helps in presenting the facts in a manner that makes sense and is believable by providing accounts and interpretations of the men involved in the discoveries and with the necessary knowledge.
I just loved how they explained the discoveries of the chariots and destroy a long-held belief about horses being brought to India by foreign invaders. The experts prove with sound logic and explanations that horses were very much a part of ancient India and had been so well before documented history came into being. As per them, the discovery of the chariots was just another proof in a heap of proofs that point to the fact that the clan that inhabited Sinauli was just one of the many warrior clans of India that was advanced in its technology and fierce in its practices.
Woke Historians like Ruchika Sharma have blamed the Archeological Survey of India for painting the discoveries made in India in a predominantly Hindutva light (refer: https://theprint.in/india/governance/asi-finds-corpses-chariots-at-contemporary-harappan-site-royalty-angle-being-explored/66363/). The discoveries at Sinauli couldn’t have arrived at a better time as it just goes on to show that even if the facts are presented as they are, they are bound to point to a very Vedic way of life and history of the country as it invariably was of that very descent. We can try as much as we can to run away from our past, but the history of the country will always catch up with us. Every footstep that we take today will only reveal the glorious ancestry that we descend from.
These are monumental discoveries but no one is talking about them. I had never heard of them even though the discoveries were made as early as 2006. Neeraj Pandey has definitely done a great service to the country by bringing the discoveries of Sinauli to the masses. He has not only presented the story in a manner that will render it understandable to the most naïve of viewers but has also made a fantastic film that will most definitely popularize the story in the pop-culture. It is also guaranteed that whoever will watch this documentary will not only be enamored by our glorious past but will most definitely start believing a little more in the great epics that over the years have started being dismissed as myth by strata of so-called pseudo-intellectuals and woke liberals.
I have always believed the great Epics like The Ramayana and The Mahabharata to be true and the discoveries at Sinauli only re-affirmed my beliefs. This might just be the tip of the iceberg of a large cache of proofs spread across this vast land that still waiting in the bosom of Mother Earth to be discovered by men. One must not forget that Sinauli was one of the 5 villages that Vasudev Shree Krishna asked for the Pandavas when he was trying to barter peace between the Pandavas and the Kauravas in order to avoid an imminent battle of Kurukshetra. These discoveries point to the fact that these may just be the remnants of war or culture that was a part of the epic Mahabharata. The Secret of Sinauli is a documentary that every India must watch.
