________________
in 1967-68. However Mr. R.S. Bisht and his team did a planned large-scale work almost after 2 decades.
Situated in the northwest corner of Khadir, the largest island, surrounded from all sides by Rann of Kutch, Dholavira is a small village. The site of the mounds is 1 km northwest to village. The mounds have two seasonal water torrents Mansar and Manhar.
There are three principal divisions of which two are protected by strong rectangular fortification faced with stone masonry. These three mounds are known as the Citadel, the upper town and the lower town. The excavation has also showed different layers of sediments indicating different periods of human dwelling and it is believed that the earliest sediments show evidence of a preharrapan settlement.63
15
The Citadel has very characteristic fortification. There are signs that the fortification was damaged during the mature harrapan phase by a major earth quake and later reconstructed making it a 6 meters thick wall. 64
There are four Gates, note worthy being the east and the north gates. The east gate consists of a staircase, a sunken passage way, an elevated chamber and a high front terrace.The unique feature is the arrangement of neatly cut and highly polished lime stone blocks at the far ends and equally polished and beautifully moulded pillar base, of a shape of a damaru (bi-conical shape), placed on two polished stone blocks. Such work has not been seen in any other harrapan site.
There is a large water reservoir behind the north gate with a 24 meters long and 70 meters wide inlet channels to carry the rainwater. The other remains are, parts of domestic structure, workshops of lapidaries and shell workers, big drains smaller house drains. A circular house, discovered, differs from the usual rectangular houses.
The early mature harrapan deposits have yielded huge collection of potteries and other antiquities in form of seals, sealing, weights, a variety of beads bangles and other ornamental pieces of gold, copper, lead, semi precious stones, shell or clay. Other objects of clay include cakes, ball marbles, caste frames, Shell bangles, ladles, spoons, inlay pieces; rings and objects most characteristic of a harrapan site,65
Visit to Dholavira is a feast by itself, especially when the excavation work is in progress. I had, on two occasions, visited the site when Mr. Bisht and his team were excavating this marvelous site and had seen all these finds but of all the finds the most breathe taking were
63
64
65
2
Footprints of 5000 yrs old harrapan man on the mud close to the well. The discoverers found footprints of a man wearing sabots like foot ware and walking besides a buffalo.
The deep well built with stone and showing that it was dug three to four times to make it deeper. There are water channels, which carry the water to four bathtubs. A big stone over the rim of the well is cut in the center by the friction of the ropes with which the harrapan women pulled up the pails of water.
R. S. Bisht, Puratatva no 20
R. S. Bisht, Puratatva no 20
R. S. Bisht, Puratatva vol. 20
Jain Education International
A Birds Eye View of different sites, excavated in Kutch.
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jalnelibrar
