The Rozabal Line

The Rozabal Line by newbie Ashwin Sanghi is what could be called intelligent fiction. The book should be read not because of great literary flourishes but because of the incredible manner in which various nuggets of history and theology have been stitched together to create a story of epic proportions.

In recent years there has been considerable speculation that Jesus may indeed have spent his "missing years" (the unaccounted years between the ages of 12 and 30) in India. What Ashwin Sanghi does is to take this single nugget and tie it into several other little factoids. For example, the fact that one of the lost tribes of Israel may have settled in Kashmir; the fact that St. Thomas remained one of the closest friends of Jesus and settled down in India; the fact that the wise men searching for Jesus were very similar to Buddhist monks searching for the reincarnation of a Dalai Lama; the fact that Mary Magadalene may have had connections with Maghada, the ancient empire of Ashoka.

All of the above factual narrative follows in parallel to a fictional track. The premise here is that if Jesus did indeed settle down in India post-crucifixion then it could be possible that his future generations could be Kashmiri Islamists. That hypothesis is explored further through a group of terrorists whose final fates closely resemble those of Jesus and his 12 apostles.

For many, The Rozabal Line, will seem a trifle complicated. So, if you happen to be a Da Vinci Code fan, this may not necessarily be the book for you. But if you liked The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, a much more scholarly piece of fiction, the you would love Rozabal.

This was one of the best books that I've read in a long long time. Even though the author claims that it is a work of fiction, there is so much material that he has packed into this 373 page paperback. For all practical purposes, Sanghi, convinces you that Jesus did indeed survive the crucifixion, that he traveled to India and that he is quite possibly the man who lies buried at the tomb in Rozabal (Srinagar). His style of writing is unique, interspersing history and fiction in short snippets along with scientific evidence to lend credibility to some of the fascinating claims. I plan to read The Rozabal Line once again because I was unable to absorb everything that this book had to offer. For someone interested in revisionist mythology, this is the book.

This book for many reasons can compete with the Dan Brown novels. Jesus Christ coming to India is a topic which is much discussed and will continue to be for decades to come. The book is not a peremptory "fullstop" on the discussions but it does a lot to put India in a premier position in history. For, we the common people, still do not know what documents lie hidden within the Vatican Library. but Ashwin Sanghi does a wonderful job in tracing Jesus's footsteps to India. The history is well-researched and there are citations for the arguments that the reader might find debatable.
In this context I might also add that the people reading this book should also watch the documentary "The Lost tribes of Israel" by Simcha Jacobovici. The book is a wonderful read, hardly ever drags and sustains the thrill till the end. The descriptions are vivid and hardly seems a debut novel. Another thing that the book does is to preempt the prestige and historical position for India, and that too within a Christian framework. To take the Christian religion and say that India was the root of it all is a brave statement. The author does it with Panache. The "past-life recollections" of the characters might seem a little exaggerated, though. But moreover the book scores high on a "thriller meter".

I found the book quite interesting and entertaining...yet at parts the book seemed a bit boring and too complicated for predictable portions. quite a lot awesome in phases though. Overall quite a recommendable book and specially Mr. Sanghi has come out with another magnificent novel in Chanakya's chant which is truly lovable

The Rosable myth was created by Gulam Ahmad Qadiani to justify his claim that he is a reborn Christ. If at all Christ died here in Kashmir that was 2000 years before. There is no historical record regarding this. How come that a grve in Kashmir suddenly get identified with the Christ. The grave in Rosabal is certainly not in Muslim fashion.It is said to be grave of some Yuse Asif as per the local tradition. But is that the evidence of Jesus having been buried here. In fact,Mirza had absolutely no idea of the grave,till one Molvi Abdullah with whom he was staying during his sojourn in Kashmirtold him about the tradition. It was a wonderful opportunity for him to build upon this myth to claim his Christhood. The Mirza after declaring himself as Mahdi was in a tight spot.Mahdi had to be followed by Christ as per Islamic traditions. They have to be contemporaries. Later Molvi Abdullah exposed him in a pamphlet titled " A Leaping Fire in Khanyar" Khanyar is the place where the tomb is located.