JESUS CHRIST LIVED IN BIHAR FOR SIX YEARS

JESUS CHRIST LIVED IN BIHAR FOR SIX YEARS

28-DEC-ENG 11

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------'Jesus Christ lived in Rajgir, Bihar for 6 years.' Although there is no mention of this in the Bible, the main religious text of Christians, historians believe that Jesus Christ came to India and stayed for a considerable period. Mohammad Tufail Ahmed Khan Suri is a historian and a member of the Archaeological Survey of India. He has provided several pieces of evidence that mention Jesus Christ's visit to India.

What is the evidence?: Mohammad Tufail Ahmed Khan Suri, citing several books, says that Jesus Christ visited India. During this time, he also stayed in Rajgir. Mohammad Tufail refers to a Hindi-Urdu book, 'Agar Ab Nahin Jaage To' (If You Don't Wake Up Now), written by the Indian Islamic scholar and author Syed Abdullah Tariq, and an English book, 'No End and Never'.

E.S. Abdullah Tariq has mentioned in both books that 'Hazrat Isa Alaihis Salam (Jesus Christ)' first came to Kashmir and Ladakh in India. "Russian and English researchers have also mentioned this." - Mohd. Tufail Ahmed Khan Suri, Historian

Mohd. Tufail Ahmed Khan Suri has read several texts that mention Jesus Christ's connection to India.  The Hindi magazine 'Kadambini', in its March 1973 issue, published 'The Unknown Life of Jesus', written by Acharya Rajneesh (Osho). In it, he wrote that Jesus (Isa) stayed in a Buddhist monastery in Kashmir. He was 30 years old at the time. However, a French writer wrote that 'no one knows what Jesus did for 30 years, or where he stayed,' but according to a legend, he was in Kashmir.

Historian Mohd. Tufail says that the Russian journalist and traveler Nicholas Notovitch (1858-1916) came to India. During his travels, he went to Ladakh, where he fell ill. He stayed in the famous Hemis monastery in Ladakh. While there, he studied several Buddhist texts. In his travelogue, he writes that these Buddhist texts contained information about Jesus Christ's teachings and his travels.

"Nicholas Notovitch himself wrote a book, 'The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ', which provides information about his travels to Ladakh and other countries of the East." "In it, he said that Jesus Christ had traveled through the high mountains of Ladakh, crossing the snowy paths to reach Pahalgam in Kashmir." - Mohd. Tufail Ahmed Khan Suri, Historian

Jesus' connection with Pahalgam: Citing Nicholas Notovitch's book, Mohd. Tufail says that Jesus Christ lived in Kashmir for a long time. He took care of sheep and goats in Pahalgam. Several signs of Jesus have been found here. It is believed that after Jesus' stay, this village came to be known as Pahalgam (village of shepherds). Jesus Christ also stopped and preached in Aishmuqam while traveling from Srinagar.

Mohd. Tufail says that Nicholas Notovitch further writes in his book that when he went to Tibet, he found an ancient manuscript written on palm leaves in the Hemis Buddhist monastery. When he went to a cave, the lama (spiritual teacher) there told him about an angel, whose name we respectfully call Jesus. The lama also had an ancient manuscript, which contained much information about Jesus. Nicholas Notovitch somehow managed to see and copy the text of that manuscript.

Chapter 14, page 55 of Nicholas Notovitch's book describes that Jesus Christ came to India and attained enlightenment. This was when groups of merchants used to come from Jerusalem (the capital of Israel). Jerusalem is a city of great importance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Nicholas Notovitch writes that Jesus was also a merchant.

Mohd. Tufail says that Nicholas Notovitch's book also states that Jesus Christ had affection for all people. He loved everyone, including the Vaishyas and Shudras. He also stayed in Jagannath Puri. When the priests of the Jagannath Temple learned that Jesus also met with Shudras, they became angry. When Jesus came to know about this... They left the Jagannath Temple and went to Rajagriha (the old name of Rajgir).

"After living in Rajgir for six years, they reached Tibet via Nepal. Jesus Christ traveled for 16 years, returning to his country via Iran. At that time, he was between 13 and 29 years old." - Mohd. Tufail Ahmed Khan Suri, Historian

According to Mohd. Tufail, the place in Rajgir where Jesus Christ stayed is now the site of a Catholic church. However, the priests there deny this. Father Anup of the church in Sohsarai, Rajgir, who is preparing for Christmas Day, says that there is no evidence in the Bible that Jesus Christ ever came to India.

"There is no evidence anywhere in India or Bihar that Lord Jesus ever came here. Some people are spreading such misconceptions. It is not mentioned in the Bible either." - Anup, Father, Sohsarai Church

Father Anup says that the Bible, the main religious text of Christians, does not mention Jesus Christ coming to India or Rajgir between the ages of 13 and 29. According to Janardan Upadhyay, an expert on religious affairs in Rajgir, Jesus Christ never came to India or Rajgir.

"Thomas, a follower of Jesus Christ, came to India. Jesus Christ is considered God in Christianity, the Son of God and the savior of humanity. He was born in Bethlehem. This day is also considered the greatest day of the year." - Janardan Upadhyay, Expert on Religious Affairs.