Shroud of Turin, an Indian connection and ‘Race 2’
How all these people, flora and fauna, coalesced into a piece of linen at a time when travel was harder, but borders and nationalisms were softer, is a tale greater than any based on parochialism. And perhaps even ‘Race 2’
A running segment on Goodness Gracious Me — a sketch comedy show on the BBC in the 1990s that exaggerated stereotypes about NRIs — featured an Indian Uncle telling his son that, in essence, everything was Indian. In 2026, the discovery that the Shroud of Turin contains about 38 per cent of trace DNA from Indians may well fuel WhatsApp Uncles’ main character syndrome. And conspiracy theorists familiar with the plot of Race 2 (2013) are calling the film prophetic because the film revolves around the theft of the Shroud. A closer look, however, reveals a more fascinating story.
For believers, Jesus was wrapped in the Shroud of Turin after his crucifixion. Historically, though, the linen cloth was first documented in a French church in the 14th century. There have been many debates about its “authenticity”. The “Indian” imprints were found through DNA testing in a study led by Italian scientist Gianni Barcaccia. It said that the Shroud contains traces of “centuries of social, cultural, and ecological engagement”, including from the Mediterranean region and the Americas.
Ancient Indians were known to trade in textiles, and the cloth may well have originated in the Subcontinent. But the obsession with origins can distract from the larger, more heartening story. A bit of cloth, certainly centuries old, carries in its microscopic folds a story of contact and trade that is both tangible and transcendent. How all these people, flora and fauna, coalesced into a piece of linen at a time when travel was harder, but borders and nationalisms were softer, is a tale greater than any based on parochialism. And perhaps even Race 2.
