Title: The original ancient holy book – Tapi Mahapuran
Description: A series of Sanskrit verses translated into Gujarati establishing historical significance and spiritual importance of Tapi river and the surrounding regions since the time of Mahabharata. The grey marked text contains the description of Ashwathama walking through the Bilmarg to Asirgarh Fort from the banks of river Tapi in the city of Burhanpur. This is also the same text that Mr. Hoshang Havaldar mentions in his interview with Forgotten Immortals.
Attributed to: Harihar Publication, Tower Road, Surat, Gujarat, India
Source: Book
Ascribed Date: Unknown
Language: Sanskrit and Gujarati
Identifier/Keywords: Ashwathama, Gujarati, tapi, Mahapuran, bilmarg, burhanpur,
Title: Story of Ashwathama by Ghanshyam Malviya
Description: Ghnashyam Malviya wrote the story of Ashwathama as it came to him before sleep. He wrote this down lying in bed imagining Ashwathama and the narrative of his visit to Asirgarh fort. At times, the text legibly documents the history of the region while other places the text becomes absurdly illegible. He mentions a peculiar caves inside the Asirgarh fort called ‘Pandava Caves’ – he claims that it is named so because Pandavas once lived there during their journey through the Satpura mountain range. Some parts of the story are fictionalized it seems.
Ghanshyam Malviya is a 77 year old retired private school principal from Burhanpur. He works part time as a guide for tourists who travel to Asirgarh fort for historical research. He has generously provided this text as part of the Forgotten Immortals Archive.
Attributed to: Ghanshyam Malviya
Ascribed Date: 2019
Source: Paper with Text in blue ink
Dimensions: Original – 11 in. x 8 in. Replica – 4 ft. x 3ft.
Language: Hindi
Identifier/Keywords: Ashwathama, ghanshyam, malviya, story, written, word, text, narration
Title: Pandava Caves
Description: This is the Pandava Caves that Ghanshyam Malviya writes about in his narration of Ashwathama and Asirgarh Fort. Locals believe that Pandavas once lived here in this very caves while they were roaming in the forest for 11 years according to the story of Mahabharata.
It is also necessary to note that such claims of Pandavas having lived in caves is made at numerous locations across the Indian subcontinent. Since the episode of Vana-Vasa ( Exile into Forest) is part of Mahbharata and the forest of Khandwa, just north of the Asirgrarh fort is also mentioned in Mahabharata. This led to the assumption of this particular caves being the ones in which Padavas once lived.
Source: Digital Photograph
Identifier/keywords: Pandava, Caves, asirgarh, fort,
Title: Interview with Mr. Hoshang Havaldar
Description: In this interview, Mr. Havaldar narrates the stories he has heard about Ashwathama sighting and his own experience finding the unusual flower in Asirgarh Fort near Burhanpur. He also establishes the relationship of Burhanpur, Tapi river and Ashwathama. He mentions the writings in Tapi Mahapuran about Ashwathama visiting Gupteshwar Mahadev temple in Burhanpur and then walking through the secret passage into the Asireshwar temple in Asirgarh Fort.
Attributed to: Mr. Hoshang Havaldar
Attributed Date: 2019
Format: .mov
Language: Hindi with English Subtitles
Identifier/Keywords: Hoshang, havaldar, interview, witness, gupteshwar, mahadev, asirgarh, fort, tapi, mahapuran,
Forgotten Immortals of India 