Iconic Sites

WHY IN NEWS?

The government has identified five archaeological sites to be developed into iconic sites and it has proposed to set an institute for training manpower in museology and archeology.

ABOUT ICONIC SITES

• The Budget proposed to develop five archaeological sites as iconic sites with onsite museums. These include Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, Shivsagar in Assam, Dholavira in Gujarat and Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu.
• Adichanallur is an archaeological site in Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, India that has been the site of a number of very important archaeological finds.
• Korkai, the capital of the Early Pandyan Kingdom, is located about 15 km from Adichanallur. Carbon dating of samples excavated in 2004 from the Adichanallur site has revealed that they belonged to the period between 905 BC and 696 BC.
• In 2005, around 169 clay urns containing human skeletons were unearthed that date back to at-least 3,800 years. In 2018, research on skeletons remains were dated at Manipur University to 1500 BC (+ or - 700 years).
• Sivasagar, once the capital of the Ahom rulers, has over 500 historical sites, including the famous Rangghar, several dols like the Shiva dol, huge tanks like the Shivsagar in the heart of the town, Karengghar and the famous burial ground at Charaideo (currently under newly-declared Charaideo district).
• Rakhigarhi is the largest Harappan site in the Indian subcontinent.
• Other large sites of Harappan civilization on Indian sub-continent are Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Ganveriwala in Pakistan and Dholavira (Gujarat) in India.
• At Rakhigarhi, the excavations are being done to trace its beginnings and to study its gradual evolution from 6000 BCE (Pre-Harappan phase) to 2500 BCE.
• The site was excavated by Amarendra Nath of ASI.
• Excavations at Hastinapur reportedly began in 1950-52 on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India and the items found included arrows, spearheads, shafts, tongs, hooks, axes and knives, amounting to about 135 iron objects. But that is not all. Located in Meerut district, Hastinapur interestingly marks a confluence of religions and is home to several places of worship.
• Shri Digamber Jain Bada Mandir is one of the oldest temples at the site, among others like Jambudweep Jain temple, Shwetambar Jain temple, Prachin Digambar Jain Temple and Astapad Jain Temple, mentions the official site of UP Tourism.
• Dholavira is an archaeological site at Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District, in the state of Gujarat in western India, which has taken its name from a modern-day village 1 kilometre (south of it. This village is 165 km (103 mi) from Radhanpur.
• Also known locally as Kotada timba, the site contains ruins of an ancient Indus Valley Civilization/Harappan city. Dholavira’s location is on the Tropic of Cancer. It is one of the five largest Harappan sites and most prominent archaeological sites in India belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization.
• It is also considered as having been the grandest of cities of its time. It is located on Khadir Bet Island in the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in the Great Rann of Kutch. The 47 ha (120 acres) quadrangular city lay between two seasonal streams, the Mansar in the north and Manhar in the south. The site was occupied from c.2650 BCE, declining slowly after about 2100 BCE. It was briefly abandoned then reoccupied until c.1450 BCE

Prelims Question

Q. Among the following pairs of Iconic sites and respective states which among the following is incorrect pair:
a)Hastinapur : Uttar Pradesh
b)Rakhigarhi : Rajasthan
c)Dholavira : Gujarath
d)Shivasagar : Assam

Answer to the Prelims Question