History lesson in Sopara

Updated on: 05 April,2022 09:27 AM IST | Mumbai
Ayushi Khandelwal | ayushi.khandelwal@mid-day.com

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Sopara relics

Long before Bombay was a commercial and shipping epicentre, the town of Nalasopara to its north was an important trading base that attracted merchants from Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome. It was also known as a centre for Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism.

Dr Shehernaz Nalwalla

The Mumbai Research Centre, Asiatic Society of Mumbai, has been conducting walks, lecture series, talks and heritage study tours for a while now. This week, they have organised Gatha Soparachi — The story of the first Urbs Prima in Indis. The walk hopes to offer insight into how archaeological exploration is conducted, and hopes to educate its participants about the area’s ancient history and its heritage sites, after which the group will also get a taste of the local cuisine.

Votive stupa

Dr Shehernaz Nalwalla, vice president, Asiatic Society of Mumbai, and chairperson of Mumbai Research Centre, says, “Research on the ancient history of Sopara has been going on for years. Bhagwanlal Indraji [archaeologist and member of the Royal Asiatic Society’s Bombay branch] discovered Sopara relics that are referred to as treasures. We aim to get Mumbaikars interested in the history of the region. During the lockdown, we had organised several online sessions about Sopara that were well appreciated; now that lockdown restrictions have been lifted, we decided to follow these talks with a detailed walk. Our tour leaders, Monish Shah and Siddarth Kale, will curate the walk.”

15th century Surya