The news has been distributed on the network for several years: a sculptural image of a person on a bicycle has been spreading in the Indian temple, and this allegedly confirms that this mode of transport has existed for thousands of years. We decided to check the reliability of such messages.
Users of social networks talk about an amazing find ("VKontakte","Classmates" Facebook*, Instagram*, Tiktok) and the platform blog ("Picabu","Zen"). Some publications specify that we are talking about the temple of Panchavarnasvami, others only indicate that the bas -relief was found in India. The text of the posts is practically identical in content, although it differs in formulations. At the same time, photographs of two completely different bas -reliefs are given as illustrations.
The first device, similar to a modern bicycle, in 1817 Developed German inventor Karl von Drez. It was much more primitive than the current models did not have a steering mechanism and pedals, but in order to set it in motion, a person had to push his feet from the ground. Over the next half a century, inventors from different countries Created And they improved similar designs, until by the 1860s the bicycle did not acquire a look similar to the modern one. However, according to viral posts with photographs of bas -reliefs, bicycles, as we know them, were known to humanity many centuries before the invention of the Draz.
Using the reverse search for the image in Google Images, “verified” found the first of two viral photos in the image base Wikimedia Commons. The description of it states that the picture was taken not at all in India, but in the temple of Maduva Karang on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Photos of bas -relief Meet on Pagesdedicated to this temple, in many tourist sites.
Although Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, most of the population of Bali Confess Hinduism, so the temples of this island are easy to confuse with Indian ones. However, in viral publications, the age of the structure is significantly exaggerated - it was Elented At the end of the XIX century, when Indonesia was the Netherlands colony. Bicycles had already existed and were quite common by that time, so in this sense there is nothing sensational in such a bas -relief.
One of versions, the cyclist depicted on the wall of the temple is a Dutch artist Weinand Nyvenkap. He is for the first time I visited Bali in 1898, and over the next 40 years he came another five times, having spent a total of several years on the island. Researchers They believethat the bas -relief was created in 1904, so it really could be Nyvenack.
As for the second image found in viral posts about the alleged technological achievements of the ancient Indians, then it really captured The bas -relief of the Indian temple is Panchavarnasvami. Unlike Maduva Karang, its history really has more than a thousand years - however, the exact year of its construction is unknown.
Visitors paid attention to the mysterious bicycle on the wall of the temple earlier. So, an Indian ophthalmologist named Kalikovan in 1980 I noticed An unusual bas -relief was already interested in them that he conducted his own research. The amateur historian came to the conclusion that the image was added to the wall during the reconstruction in the 1920s. His conclusions Confirm And professional scientists. In their opinion, there is nothing surprising in such a bas -relief, since the decorative elements of the temples changed over time, and specifically this, most likely, refers to the period when India was British colony (1858–1947). By the way, the study of the mysterious bas -relief was so fascinated that in the next few decades he began to study the history and other temples of this region of India, gathering a group of like -minded people.
Viral publications that the bicycle was known to residents of India many centuries ago, not only ordinary Internet users believe. June 3, 2020, on World Bicycle Day, Indian Minister of Culture Prahlad Singh Patel Shared A picture of a bas -relief on Twitter (now - X), doubting that this vehicle was invented by Europeans only 200 years ago. Later, the politician deleted his post.
Thus, none of the two viral images proves that the bicycle was invented in India about 2000 years ago. The bas -relief in one of the pictures is located on the wall of the temple in Indonesia, which was built at the end of the 19th century, after the invention of the bicycle. The second photo was really taken in an Indian temple erected more than 1000 years ago. But the researchers agree that this decor element was added much later - most likely, during the reconstruction of the temple at the beginning of the 20th century.
*Russian authorities They think Meta Platforms Inc., which owns social networks Instagram and Facebook, an extremist organization, its activities and symbolism in Russia are prohibited.
Photo on the cover: social networks
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