Kashi: Secret of the Black Temple (Harappa Series)

by Vineet Bajpai

  ‘That is quite a revelation, Baba. Who would expect these genocidal scoundrels to be believers in God?’

  The matthadheesh shook his head in disagreement.

  ‘I did not say they believe in God, Vidyut. I said they believe in the existence of God, just as they actively seek ethereal assistance from the Devil himself. Since the beginning of time, both good and evil have played a role in the balance of the cosmos. The continuity of life and love on the planet are indicators that the forces of virtuosity are more potent than those that want to transform the world into a dark realm. But this battle is eternal, Vidyut. And the order thinks they can turn the tide in their favor.’

  Vidyut was trying to grasp what Dwarka Shastri was explaining. But an everlasting struggle between good and evil, between Gods and demons…this was too much to accept just like that.

  Before Vidyut could ask for a more detailed explanation, something startled everyone in the verandah, right from Purohit ji to the youngsters serving their teachers. Something seemed to rumble underneath the floor. It was like a muffled roar emanating from the heart of the earth. Everyone froze as they heard and felt the inexplicable quake that lasted only a second or two. It seemed as if something gigantic just moved right below the matth’s precinct. They looked at each other, baffled and nervous. Vidyut noticed that his Baba was unfazed.

  Dwarka Shastri could see the curious anxiety on his great grandson’s face. He also looked at Purohit ji, who was nearly pale with fear.

  ‘Keep calm, both of you…all of you,’ snapped the matthadheesh, as if he wanted to hush up what had just happened.

  ‘When a great Dev-Raakshasa yuddha or a war between Gods and demons is about to unleash itself, the forces of both darkness and of light step in to take their places in the womb of prithvi.’

  ‘The most mystical and frightening aspect of the secret brotherhood of the New World Order is their deep and intense understanding of the spiritual realm. Like I mentioned before, they consist of some of the most intelligent men in the world. Geniuses, you might say. Yet, unlike the common perception of geniuses who most people think would be logical atheists, the members of the brotherhood are deeply entrenched into the otherworldly forces, both good and evil, that impact our planet.’

  ‘That is quite a revelation, Baba. Who would expect these genocidal scoundrels to be believers in God?’

  The matthadheesh shook his head in disagreement.

  ‘I did not say they believe in God, Vidyut. I said they believe in the existence of God, just as they actively seek ethereal assistance from the Devil himself. Since the beginning of time, both good and evil have played a role in the balance of the cosmos. The continuity of life and love on the planet are indicators that the forces of virtuosity are more potent than those that want to transform the world into a dark realm. But this battle is eternal, Vidyut. And the order thinks they can turn the tide in their favor.’

  Vidyut was trying to grasp what Dwarka Shastri was explaining. But an everlasting struggle between good and evil, between Gods and demons…this was too much to accept just like that.

  Before Vidyut could ask for a more detailed explanation, something startled everyone in the verandah, right from Purohit ji to the youngsters serving their teachers. Something seemed to rumble underneath the floor. It was like a muffled roar emanating from the heart of the earth. Everyone froze as they heard and felt the inexplicable quake that lasted only a second or two. It seemed as if something gigantic just moved right below the matth’s precinct. They looked at each other, baffled and nervous. Vidyut noticed that his Baba was unfazed.

  Dwarka Shastri could see the curious anxiety on his great grandson’s face. He also looked at Purohit ji, who was nearly pale with fear.

  ‘Keep calm, both of you…all of you,’ snapped the matthadheesh, as if he wanted to hush up what had just happened.

  ‘When a great Dev-Raakshasa yuddha or a war between Gods and demons is about to unleash itself, the forces of both darkness and of light step in to take their places in the womb of prithvi.’

  ‘When the Great Ark finally survived pralay, a celestial fish-man called Matsya passed on an ancient secret to Satyavrata Manu. A prophesy, a world-event related to our times or Kaliyuga as we call it. Vivasvan Pujari was one of the guardians of this secret, which Matsya then passed on to Satyavrata Manu and his bloodline – us.’

  ‘Wow! Did you say Matsya again, Baba? Are you talking about the Matsya avatar of Lord Vishnu? Are you saying the mythological story of Manu and Matsya is actually true??’

  Dwarka Shastri chuckled.

  ‘Is the story of Jesus Christ true, Vidyut? And of Prophet Mohammad? Of Siddhartha Gautama or the Buddha? If we believe in all of them, why is it so hard for us to believe in the existence of Lord Rama, Krishna or Matsya?’

  Vidyut nodded, almost apologetically at having asked the silly question, that too to someone who had devoted his entire life in protecting the prophecy of Matsya.

  The matthadheesh could see through Vidyut. He knew his great grandson had not asked the question out of doubt or skepticism. It was pure curiosity to confirm the truth. He smiled and spoke again, this time to ease Vidyut.

  ‘Who can say if Matsya was an avatar or a man? Even when the Lord descends on earth, He comes in the form of a man, whether it was Rama or Krishna or Buddha. When He comes as a holy messenger, He comes as a prophet in the form of a man. When He comes as the son of God, He is still a human being, who loves, bleeds and feels pain. The Gods and men are not as different as we think they are, Vidyut.

  And this is precisely what the New World Order wants to exploit.’

  The Marshes of Aryavarta, 1699 BCE

  DEADLIEST WEAPON ACROSS ALL OF THE KNOWN WORLD

  ‘It has to be someplace secluded, where no one can see us.’

  Prachanda had passed on detailed information to Manu and Dhruv about the ongoing conspiracy the daityas and scores of bandit tribes were hatching against the Great Ark. He also made it abundantly clear to Manu that if Nara-Munda succeeded in his design, he would amass such a mammoth army of savage, bloodthirsty fighters that it would become more or less impossible to stop them.

  Apart from offering his own asura contingent to join in the defense of the Ark in exchange for a seat for each of his men and their families, Prachanda took Manu to the side and spoke with evident discretion.

  ‘If the daityas and the bandit warlords combine forces and attack the Ark, it will perhaps be your life’s greatest battle, O son of Surya. Even after the Harappan army behind you along with the mighty fish-folk, even after my own warriors fighting under your banner – we will still be outnumbered five to one.’

  Satyavrata was listening pensively. For all their depravity, the daityas and the wild bandits were fearsome warriors. Given the odds that Prachanda was describing, saving the Ark from falling in the vile hands of the barbarians would be extremely hard. And if the Great Ark was lost, there was little doubt in Manu’s mind that all the residents of the giant vessel would be either butchered or enslaved by the savages.

  ‘What do you advise, O great king Prachanda? How can this battle be won? For it must be won!’

  Prachanda smiled.

  ‘Not all is lost, Satyavrata. There is a reason why I asked to speak with you in private. You see, it was not just a message that I carried from your father.

  I also bring with me the deadliest weapon across all of the known world.’

  There were twelve people who stood around the heavy, bejeweled copper trunk. Manu had specially invited the holy Saptarishi. Besides them there was Satarupa, Somdutt, Dhruv, Prachanda and the priest-king Satyavrata Manu himself.

  The trunk was beautifully designed, embedded with the most precious and ornate gems available across Aryavarta. From its sparkling condition, it was clear that the asuras had taken great care in delivering this precious cargo. Prachanda had spared no effort in offering the respect this divine consignment commanded.

  ‘The terrifying scene is stil
l fresh in my mind, and it will forever remain etched on my soul. The fierce night when Vivasvan Pujari singlehandedly fought a whole battery of elite asura soldiers. The monstrous skies, the gruesome killing of the Saptarishi, the curse of the Blood River, the prophecy of the dying sages, the celestial blue light and the final battle…it was all too ghastly, too haunting…’

  The asura king suddenly appeared to be in deep duress. Manu could see him break into a cold sweat as the erstwhile lieutenant of the great Sura attempted to recall and narrate that horror of a night. Clearly, the night of the blue fire had left a permanent scar on Prachanda’s mind and spirit.

  Manu stepped forward and put a reassuring hand on Prachanda’s shoulder.

  ‘It’s alright, O mighty Prachanda. It is all in the past. We are here now and we have a daunting journey ahead of us. We need your experience, your wisdom and your valor, O great king.’

  Prachanda gave a hint of a nod to Manu, acknowledging the support. He continued to unravel the tale behind the powerful weapon he was about to demonstrate.

  ‘Vivasvan Pujari was undoubtedly the greatest warrior of all time. We had fought him before, only to be summarily vanquished. I then witnessed him dive into the heart of the Harappan encampment at the mountains of brick and bronze. It was the most daring offensive one can imagine. The precision with which he shot multiple arrows at the same instant is something unthinkable for anyone who was not there to witness it in person,’ said Prachanda.

  ‘I am his disciple, O Prachanda. No one has seen the Surya’s skill with the bow closer than I have,’ said Dhruv, beaming with pride.

  By now it was hard for Manu to hold back his tears. He yearned for his father’s love, for his blessings. Hearing about his valor and dexterity filled Manu with pride. He was honored, blessed to be the great Vivasvan Pujari’s son.

  Prachanda continued.

  ‘But on the night of the blue fire, the Surya was wounded and broken. And not just physically. He was going through insufferable guilt and unbearable agony. In this condition when he was starkly outnumbered and surrounded by fifty of the finest asura warriors, I was convinced that he would be overpowered and killed.

  And then something happened.’

  Prachanda looked like he was transported back in time. From the large window in the chamber they had assembled in, his eyes were looking far into the stormy horizon.

  Banaras, 2017

  THE FINAL SOLUTION

  ‘The prophecy that Matsya shared with Manu had been protected for millennia, buried deep in the underbellies of a series of Black Temples that were built and guarded with the sole objective of keeping the secret safe. It is something that the universe had foretold, and yet something that needed to be protected against the dark forces of evil,’ said Dwarka Shastri.

  Vidyut could sense he was finally coming closer to the secret of the Black Temple. He could see the anxiety on his Baba’s face grow with every minute.

  ‘Keeping the secret safe turned out to be a lot harder than anyone could have imagined. It led to centuries of nightmarish intrigue, bloodshed, wars and assassinations. The secret brotherhood discovered the divine purpose and the unstoppable power of the Black Temple soon after the demise of Constantine the Great. As I told you, the brotherhood has deep insight into the spiritual realm. Their black magicians, exorcists and demon-worshippers were soon alarmed with what was coming. They knew if the New World Order was to ever become a reality, they had to seek and destroy what lay buried in the heart of the Black Temple.

  And then began the deadly war between the New World Order and the bloodline of Vivasvan Pujari and Satyavrata Manu. It was during these centuries of lethal intrigue and violence that our forefather, Pundit Bhairava Shastri, laid the foundation of the Dev-Raakshasa matth in the year 1253 AD – in order to establish a sacred stronghold for the guardians of the Black Temple.’

  Dwarka Shastri continued to connect the dots for Vidyut, who was now desperately thirsty for the truth…the whole truth.

  It was now that Purohit ji leaned forward and spoke with utmost respect, ‘Gurudev, it is time we initiated Vidyut into the secret of the Black Temple, don’t you think? He is the chosen One, gurudev.’

  Vidyut’s heartbeat stopped as he turned to look at his Baba’s reaction at this suggestion. Something he had waited for, for so many days of unbearable delay, was now about to unmask itself.

  Dwarka Shastri nodded and said just one word.

  ‘Tomorrow.’

  ‘It was an unbelievable turn of events when Harappa – where the entire saga started – was revisited by the East India Company in the early 19th century. One of the most influential companies of the world with a standing army even larger than that of the British crown, the East India Company was infiltrated by the secret brotherhood. Their objective was dual. First, they went in, blew up portions of the ancient ruins in their attempt to locate what they thought was the very first Black Temple. It was only later that they discovered that the Black Temple was not any one shrine even at the time of Harappa, but a whole series of them. And it was then that they understood why we had been building a new Black Temple every couple of centuries. It was in order to keep the forces of darkness at bay.

  Second, by this time the East India Company had decided to annex the entire Indian sub-continent. Masters of the craft of managing mass human psyche, the Overlords of the brotherhood decided to first annex the minds of the Indian natives. And revelation of Harappa’s superiority over the West at its time was going to be a major impediment in their way to subjugate the entire populace. The rest is history. Creation of the fake Aryan invasion theory, propagating it via schooling systems that the British themselves established and finally recruiting so-called historians to write and rewrite the Aryan invasion theory so many times that it began looking like the truth. A truth that had no witnesses, no record and no evidence.

  Recruiting both Western and Indian historians, archaeologists and anthropologists was not their only method of brainwashing the entire planet about the supremacy of some European ‘Aryans’ who came riding in like conquerors into India. Their methods also involved eliminating those who had unearthed the truth and refused to budge. Captain Wayne Ashbrook was one such blood-sacrifice made by the New World Order.’

  ‘Who was Captain Ashbrook, Baba?’

  ‘A righteous Englishman who wanted to bring the truth of Harappa to the fore. He was an honest officer, and the guardians of the Black Temple tracked him for a long time. Eventually we handed him original scriptures hand-written by indigenous rishis of the early-Vedic period, well before the propounded timing of the supposed Aryan invasion. He researched deeper and was going to publicly debunk the Aryans-were-outsiders theory. That was, of course, something the Order could not allow. Captain Ashbrook was brutally murdered on the streets of Calcutta.’

  ‘Baba, just for my clarity, may I please highlight the chain of events so far? Please correct me if I am wrong. It is important I get the chronology right.’

  ‘Yes, of course, Vidyut,’ replied the grandmaster. ‘Let’s hear you outline the violent journey of the brotherhood and the Black Temple.’

  Vidyut took a deep breath and smiled at his Baba.

  ‘Okay, here goes. It all started back in Harappa, when our great ancestor Vivasvan Pujari was betrayed and framed by his friend and brother-in-law Pundit Chandradhar and his wife Priyamvada.

  As Vivasvan Pujari escaped from captivity in the Rain of Blood and joined forces with the demon-king Sura to wrest his vengeance, his mortally wounded son Manu escaped from the battlefield with the help of Pundit Somdutt.

  On one end the Surya of Harappa crushed the forces of the metropolis at the mountains of brick and bronze, and on the other his son Manu met the magnificent fish-man, Matsya, for the first time.

  As Vivasvan Pujari discovered that his son was alive and witnessed the inhuman murdering of the Saptarishi, he fought the asuras and killed their cruel king Sura in the process. During this time, the burning sages an
d the Blood River cursed not just our bloodline, but the entire human race with endless violence and suffering. The sages instructed Vivasvan Pujari to send the Ratna-Maru to Manu.

  In the meantime, Matsya took Manu to the Black Temple in the mountains. There he informed Manu about the impending deluge, about pralay. He also told Manu that his father, the Surya of Harappa, was a guardian of the Black Temple. And that Manu would take on the mantle thereafter.

  Vivasvan Pujari perished in the great deluge and Manu was commanded by Matsya to construct a mammoth boat to protect mankind from the cataclysmic cleansing. Ever since then our bloodline has been the guardian of the Black Temple’s secret.

  Then in the year 325 AD, the Roman emperor Constantine envisioned and commissioned a New World Order, where he wanted to establish a one-world government, a one-world religion and a world without infighting and strife amongst humans. Our great ancestor Advait Shastri counselled him against it.

  The New World Order quickly morphed into a tyrannical and merciless brotherhood that distorted Constantine’s vision and began working towards a world and society they controlled in an absolute sense. The Knights Templar were the first successful experiment of the Order, where they propped up a formidable force when they wanted and struck it down pitilessly as they pleased.

  Slowly but surely the Order spread its tentacles across the globe and its members were some of the world’s most accomplished men and women. They are the hidden force behind some of mankind’s most transformational events – the French Revolution, formation of the Soviet Union, the Great Depression, the Third Reich, the Cold War, the Arab Spring and even 9/11. They control the world through their phenomenal influence over banking institutions, defense manufacturers, politics, pharmaceuticals, oil, media, terrorism, technology and more.