Jashn Hai Zindagi

There are some places that make you stop and look.

A weathered stone carving. An ancient gateway. A temple standing quietly amidst the remains of a once-thriving settlement. A rock painting created thousands of years ago. Or perhaps just a tree that has been part of a sacred landscape for generations.

The more time I have spent exploring India’s heritage, the more I have felt that these places are not only about history. They also have something to do with how we look, how we listen and how we pay attention.

This thought was one of the reasons for creating this Bhopal Heritage Video Series.

Over 12 videos and more than 4.5 hours of content, this series takes us on a journey through the heritage landscape of Central India, travelling roughly 150 km around Bhopal and exploring some remarkable historical and archaeological sites along the way.

The journey is led by an experienced archaeologist and historian, who brings together history, archaeology, architecture and stories from the places we visit, helping us look beyond what is immediately visible.

The journey

The region around Bhopal has an incredible diversity of heritage.

There are prehistoric rock shelters and paintings at Bhimbetka. There is the magnificent Buddhist heritage of Sanchi, with its stupas, toranas, monasteries and sacred spaces. There are ancient temples and architectural remains at places such as Mala Devi Temple and Ashapuri.

The Heliodorus Pillar takes us into the fascinating world of ancient cultural connections, while the Hindola Toran gives us another glimpse into the architectural and artistic traditions of Central India.

At Sanchi, we also spend time looking more closely at the Stupa complex and the Bodhi Tree, exploring not just what we see today but some of the stories, ideas and traditions that have shaped this landscape over centuries.

Each place has its own story.

And yet, when you travel through these landscapes, you begin to notice connections between them. Ideas travel. Art evolves. Cultures meet. Buildings rise and fall. Some things survive, while others slowly disappear.

Perhaps that is what makes exploring heritage so interesting.

More than history

This series is not intended to be a conventional travel guide or a collection of historical facts.

Of course, there is plenty to learn about the history, architecture, archaeology and cultural traditions associated with these places. But while making these videos, I found myself increasingly interested in something else.

What does it mean to really look at a place?

To notice the details in a carving.

To understand why a structure was built in a particular way.

To imagine the people who stood in the same space hundreds or thousands of years ago.

To sit quietly and experience a place before reaching for the camera.

These simple acts can change the way we experience heritage.

Heritage and attention

At Samanvaya, we often talk about attention.

We live in a world where our attention is constantly being pulled in different directions. Heritage offers an interesting contrast to this.

An ancient monument does not demand that we hurry.

A stone carving does not need a notification.

A centuries-old tree does not compete for our attention.

We have to bring our attention to it.

And when we do, the experience can become much richer.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons I enjoy exploring heritage. It gives us an opportunity to slow down, observe and become curious.

The journey outward can sometimes become a journey inward as well.

A journey through Central India

The 12 films in this series vary considerably in length. Some are short explorations of around six minutes, while others go much deeper into a particular site and its history.

Together, the 12 films offer more than four and a half hours of guided exploration, led by an archaeologist and historian with deep knowledge of the region and its heritage.

If you enjoy Indian history, archaeology, ancient architecture, Buddhism, temples, art and culture, or simply discovering places that have stories to tell, I hope you will enjoy the journey.

And perhaps, while exploring these places with us, you will find yourself doing something very simple.

Pausing.

Looking a little more closely.

And paying attention.

Watch the complete series

Link for accessing separate episodes > playlist