DHOLAVIRA

Unearthing a Precious Legacy from Antiquity

The pitiless, unblinking gaze of a summer sun rests on the baked mud of the walled city of Dholavira, one of the five Indus Valley Civilization period cities that have come to light in India. Silence resounds through this UNESCO-acclaimed World Heritage Site, as the punishing heat drives away even the dedicated history buff.  In the harsh light of the noon-day sun the citadel, houses, and the streets of this archaeological find are an uninviting slice of Indian antiquity.

Come October, as the receding heat and balmy breezes herald the autumn and approaching winter months, the tourists are back on the arid Khadir Bet (island) surrounded by salty marshlands of the Great Rann. Excitedly they set out to explore what is one of one of the best-preserved urban settlements from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE in Southeast Asia. 

With the annual Rann Utsav presently in full swing in Gujarat till to 25th Feb 2024, it’s a good time to take an excursion to Dholavira from Dhordo. Guided tours to the site can be availed through several outfitters.

Around c. 3000 BCE Dholavira was just a small fortified township in the arid reaches of the Rann, but by c. 2600 BCE it had metamorphosed into a muscled bustling hub for trade and commerce with faraway places in Mesopotamia and Oman.

Dholavira, nestled in the embrace of the seasonal Mansar in the north and Manhar in the south, two precious water resources for the arid desert city, is locally known as Kotada Timba. It was continuously inhabited for almost 1,500 years and would have witnessed ‘the entire trajectory of the rise and fall of this early civilization of humankind’ as cited by UNESCO. The site, spanning from pre-Harappan to post-Harappan stages, adds considerably to our know-how of Harappan Civilization as a whole.

Discovered in 1968, the site has yielded a formidably guarded impregnable citadel with four entry gates; a multi-purpose open ground for community gatherings; a walled middle town, and east of it the lower town. Other finds include a stepped stadium, a marketplace, a workshop for the manufacture of beads, a cemetery (interesting for its sepulchral architecture), and a string of reservoirs that supported the city’s water harvesting ecosystem. Dholavira remains a discovery of continuous interest to archaeologists who have already excitedly conducted 14 seasonal digs out here since the early 90s, to unearth more of its treasures.

The site has also bountifully yielded classical Harappan elements such as pottery, seals, weights, beads, items of gold, silver, copper, ivory, shell, faience, steatite, clay, and stones.

Amongst the things that stand out at the site is the existence of one of the world’s earliest and best-planned water conservation systems. As opposed to seen in other Harrapan sites the walls here are made of sandstone and limestone rather than mud bricks, reflecting the level of sophistication in its construction activities. The sophisticated life is mirrored here not only in its monumental structures but also in the aesthetic architecture.

Also evidenced at the site is the exploitation of natural resources for nearly 1,500 years, manufacture, metallurgy, trade, commerce, and relations with regional neighbours. Evidence has surfaced of its trade links with other cities in the Harappan Civilization as well as with faraway places in Mesopotamia and the Oman peninsula. 

What has generated a lot of academic commotion is the discovery of the ‘ Dholavira Signboard’ cited as possibly the oldest signboard in the world, indicated by 10 symbols inscribed in the Indus script on the northern gate.

It appears Dholavira started going into decline around c.2100 BCE. After being deserted briefly it was resettled around c.1450 BCE but not on such a grand scale as before.  All activity appeared to have now been relegated to the citadel and the southern edges of the middle town only. The cultural transformation of the site was evidenced by finds such as new ceramic traditions of Sind, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and far-off regions in the north. A century later the settlement was abandoned again by what archaeologists defined as the late Harappans of Stage VI of Dholavira. The next wave of settlers, (Stage VII) appears to have forgotten the classical Harappan fabrics, shapes, and designs.

Presently, as ascertained by the ASI, of the city three corners with partially eroded towers but fully intact inner corners have been confirmed by the excavation. They have also revealed 17 gates, embedded in the fortification walls.

A scenic drive through the Rann can be now enjoyed on the spanking new 30 km long Road to Heaven connects Khavda to Dholavira.  This is part of the 278 km long national highway from Ghaduli to Santalpur passes through the Rann of Kutch.  Part of the road was readied in time for the G20 Summit.

 ACCOMMODATION

Dholavira Tourism Resort and Khadir Bet Rann Resort Dholavira on the Dholavira-Janan Road; other options are Praveg Resort Dholavira, Dholavira Homestay and Ram Rann Resort

ACCESS

Air:  Rudra Mata Airport in Bhuj is 250km away.

Rail: You can board the Kutch Express from Mumbai, via Ahmedabad and up to Gandhinagar, from there, you can reach your destination by road. Alternatively, you could also stop at Ahmedabad and then catch a train or a taxi to Bhuj. Once in Bhuj, it is easy to reach Dhorda the gateway for the Rann Utsav and excursions to Dholavira.

Road: Dholavira is 250 km from Bhuj and is reached via Bhachau and Rapar. A bus leaves from Bhuj at 14:00 and arrives at Dholavira at 20:30. It leaves at 05:00 the next morning and returns to Bhuj by 11:30. It is also possible to rent a vehicle.