The hunt for Soma
Soma (Amrita), it is said, grants immortality to those who seek. Mentioned in the Rig Veda, this mysterious elixir finds its roots in the Bactrian civilization around 2500BC (present-day Turkmenistan). The discovery of a temple complex (Gonur Tepe) uncovered evidence of Ephedra and Cannabis being used towards spiritual processes. Around 1500BC this precursor to Soma traveled along two paths; one leading to Iran where it becomes the basis of Zoroastrianism and comes to be known as "Hoama" while the other traveled to the Indus valley with the Aryans of the Vedic age to be called Soma. It is believed that this migration was a result of a war that is described in the Puranas as a battle between the Devas and the Asuras for Amrita. Though in the Vedic literature the Devas win against the Asuras, the Avesta version of the story in Iran is the exact opposite. The Vedic literature outlines the preparation of Soma which has inspired many to speculate about the composition of t
