Harappan relics found in Haryana village

Chandigarh, April 12 (IANS) Relics believed to be associated with the ancient Harappan civilisation have been dug out from a village in Haryana by archaeological experts from Cambridge and the Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

Extensive excavations at the ancient Tida Bud Teela, a mound spread out over 400 sq m area, in Khalsa Bohla village in Karnal district, 160 km from here, have led to the relics.

'The relics include pottery, bones, mud wall, grain store and red-coloured utensils, which are believed to have been used by people belonging to the Harappan era,' Arun Pandey, the excavation team leader, told IANS.

He said the relics were found in the first few days of excavation that saw digging up to a depth of four metres. These have been sent for carbon-dating and other examination to know their exact period and whether these belong to the Harappan period.

The excavation was initiated March 28 and would continue till April 16. A London-based historian, Patrick, is helping the excavation team. The team is planning to dig up to 40 metres.

He said during the excavation, the relics of late Harappa period have been found.

Pandey said the survey of this mound was done in 1975 by the Haryana Archaeology department. He said the excavation was being carried out carefully so that no damage was caused to any historical object.

Residents of the village, which has a population of about 3,000 people, are very excited. They say the historical findings will give a new identity to their village.

Khalsa Bohla headman Gurmeet Singh said the village is located in the area where the historic battle of Mahabharata was fought between the Pandava and Kaurava armies of Hindu epics.

Raghubir Singh, a village resident, said: 'The Teeda Bud Teela could be 5,000 years old and related to the Harappan civilization. Elders have told us that during ancient times, this place was occupied by a 'Sheesha Bazar' (glass market) which got destroyed due to some natural disaster.'

Though the present-day settlers in the village and adjoining areas have agriculture as their mainstay, the mound has not been affected over the years. The village itself is now a developed one.

Haryana has prominent Harappan era heritage sites at Thanesar near Kurukshetra and Banawali near Fatehabad town.

While the Banawali site dates to the period of 2500-1450 B.C., the Thanesar mounds date back to the late Harappan era and the visit of Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang in the seventh century.

There are over a dozen other sites where excavations have been carried out in Haryana in the last over five decades.

(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)