MEERUT: In seeking legend Hastinapur, the capital of Kauravas in the epic ‘Mahabharata’, an Indian Archaeological Survey (ASI) will begin excavation on the site, about 40 km from Meerut – the first major project in 70 years.
The plan is to look for new evidence to grow the ‘mahabharata’ in history and preserve previous findings.
“Until now, the focus is to preserve the mound area exposed and provide facelifts to old temples.
A little landscape too.
We will see excavation after September, when the rainy season ends,” Archaeologists from the new Meerut circle made from ASI, Brajsunder Gadnayak , to Ti.
“Hastinapur is between five sites whose development has been proposed by the center.” Budget 2020 has identified Hastinapur, along with Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Sivasagar (Assam), Dholavira (Gujarat) and Adichallanur (Tamil Nadu), which will be changed as “iconic” sites.
The first excavation in Hastinapur returned to 1952, when Archaeologist Prof.
BB Lal concluded that the “Mahabharata period” around 900 BC and the city was washed away by the flooding ganga.
LAL, which is known for its “discovery” 12 pillars of the temple under the Babi Mosque which coincided with the revival of RAM Janmabhomi’s request in 1990 and provided an interpretive framework for the Ayodhya excavation team designated by the court, was a strong believer in epic historicity and myths religion.
“There are no concrete developments that occur after that,” Dr.
KK Sharma, Associate Professor History in Multiimal Modi College in Modinagar, said.
Then, in 2006, the discovery of the ancient cemeteries in Sinauli, about 90 km from Hastinapur, and from a bronze of the “horse war trail” in 2018 catalyzed the theory that the findings came from “Mahabharata Period” – because Chariots mentioned epic – and pushed back the period itself up to 2000 BC.
Sharma is part of the excavation of Sinauli 2006.
In August last year, pottery from the 3rd century SMC was found in hastinapur mound after the rain that was unrelenting.
“The design is synonymous with findings in Ahichchhatra, an ancient mound in Bareilly Tehulaly,” Sharma said.
Ahichchhatra has been mentioned in ‘Mahabharata’ as the capital city of North Panchala.
In fact, it was pottery from the “Mahabharata site” such as Hastinapur, Mathura, Kurukshetra and Kampilya believed to be evidence that connected them all.
When the Meerut ASI circle was made in January this year, officials said the new circle would focus on Hastinapur.
On Saturday, Director Joint ASI Dr.
Sanjay Manjul and Director of Regional Aarti visited Hastinapur.
On Monday, breast milk officials began camping in Pandava mound, where epic said the Pandavas were alive.
Two sites there have been marked for kick-off expeditions.
Can Hastinapur reveal a bigger secret than Sinauli? Gadnayak said, “Only time will tell.”