The tree lined, four-lane Paseo
de la Reforma Avenue is a pretty picture in the light of the winter sun. Gentle rays cajole its way past branches and
kisses the sidewalk as we walk past black and white photographs. Photos of moustachioed men - Emil Zapata,
Pancho Villa et al - adorning bullet belts and striking determined poses are
put up on the fence to commemorate the centenary of the Mexican revolution.
The verdant Reforma Avenue and
the temperate clime take me back to pleasant memories of pointless walks in
Bangalore’s Cubbon Park. This morning though, there is a destination we are
walking to – Museo Nacional de Antropologia, the National Museum of
Anthropology. Our purposeful walk is
halted by the sight of a familiar name on the street sign. A huge grin appears
on my face as the museum resides on Calzada Gandhi – Gandhi Road. The
appearance in the heart of Mexico City of this most common road sign in India
is a brief moment of joy and an obvious photo op.
The most visited museum in this
city with over 150 museums is an impressive building. A large umbrella like
structure greets you once you make past the turnstiles. The umbrella stands at
the top of a large courtyard and the rooms containing the exhibits surrounds
the courtyard. The ground floor of the museum has exhibits from the glory days
of Mexico’s famed civilizations – Aztec, Mayan, Olmec, Toltec etc. The
prescient accuracy of the Mayan calendar, the intricate works on stone, the
numerous rituals - the ground floor exhibits are illuminating history lessons. My
ignorance of the greatness of these civilizations aids my imagination take
trips back in history. But these flights of imagination crash land in the first
floor.
The first floor exhibits are a
present day mirror of the past. Photos, handicrafts, wardrobe and other
artefacts showcase the stark present day existence of these Native American
civilizations. The white man brought with them a new language, a new religion
and a near complete destruction of written records of the past and death to the
native way of life.
PA speakers announce that it’s
nearing closing time and we exit with the multitude. A familiar figure of a ‘half naked’
bespectacled old man with a walking stick stands at one end of the road. Ironical
that on a road named in tribute to the idea of non-violence stands a monument
showcasing the violent end of civilizations. Peace.
Mexico City, Mexico, December 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment