It is still dark. The sun, groggy-eyed as it squints through the heavens punctuated by a sole star.

I am on my way from Hoi An to My Son Sanctuary—the temple ruins of an ancient Hindu kingdom which called this part of Vietnam home for 1,600 years. You may ask, but why so early? Because some places are best seen at sunrise. When it is just them, you, and the centuries of silence in-between. This silence then starts talking, regaling stories. Some voraciously. Some hinted at with a smile. Don’t you agree? 😊

An hour later, walking through the site’s lush green meadows, I pass scores of my country-folks. Perplexed, I am about to stop one of them and ask the reason, when a large placard explains their presence. They are archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India carrying out restoration work in association with the Vietnamese government. It makes sense. Who else could understand the remnants of a millennia-old Hindu kingdom better, even if it wore a different mantle on a foreign ground.

My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, is one of the most important ancient religious sites in south-east Asia. Continue reading →