Rendevous with Rakhigarhi

A brush with The Harappan period

On 24 March, 2014, a group of seven history students and one very interested Commerce student travelled to the rocky village of Rakhigarhi, located one hundred and sixty - seven kilometers away from south Delhi. We were curious to see the ancient Harappan ruin that excavators from the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) have recently discovered there. We arrived at School at six thirty in the morning, a little groggy but definitely in the spirit of a field trip. Most of us were carrying cameras to capture the spectacle and the artefacts found. Promptly at seven, we started for our destination in a comfortable bus.

After having a hearty meal at a dhaba all along, we arrived at Rakhigarhi at one thirty in the afternoon. There, we were greeted by one Mr. Wazir Chand, a conservationist who has worked with a number of eminent archaeologists, including the famous Dr. Bisht.

The fact that someone as experienced in the field as he, would be our guide only added, as time told us, to the enriching experience we were about to have. First, he led us to a place where researchers from the Deccan College had set up camp. The treasure there was truly a feast for our eyes; these included pieces of broken pottery, ornaments ( bangles and beads from a necklace), toy figurines, objects used in daily life (like paperweights), and most importantly, a Harappan seal, the size of a thumbprint. The seal was broken and only half of it had been found and showed writings in the Harappan script and a strange curved line, jutting upwards. This, researchers believe was a part of a unicorns horn . They said that they had reasons to believe that the lower half of the seal held a graphic of a unicorn.

After we had chatted with the research scientists to our satisfaction, we moved to some Harappan mounds that had been excavated and were now protected by the ASI, namely Mounds #1, #2, and #4. It turned out to be an amazing experience during which we saw several nteresting things. For example, we saw a structure with the Hindu swastika, as well as the Muslim holy number, 786. When we asked a local inhabitant about the structure, he told us that it was a mosque and not a temple. The reason for the swastika is unknown and its very presence seems bewildering.

We also saw an ancient Harappan living quarter, complete with a kitchen, an ancient choola, intact walls showing the sun-baked Harappan bricks we had studied much about. Even a drainage system ! After we had clicked numerous photographs Mr. Wazir Chand took us home where he had set up a museum which displayed ancient Harappan artifacts that he, ( ( someone who had lived in Rakhigarhi throughout his life) , had collected over the years. His son gave us a detailed account of all the objects present there.

As the time ticked we realised that Mr. Wazir Chand, was not only very knowledgeable; he could also read minds! As we made our way down the hill the archaeologists had labeled Mound #2, we couldnt help but think about getting a chance to do some excavation on our own - or, in the very least, see some artefacts actually lying in any of the mounds, waiting to be spotted! At that very moment, Mr. Chand, as if on cue, bent down to pick up, what he later told us, was a piece of pottery from the Mature Harappan period. Even as we were living our dream, we couldnt believe that archaeologists who had been diligent enough to locate a seal the size of a thumbprint had missed out on an artefact so much more substantial in size! That was when Mr. Chand told us that the archaeologists only took the least disfigured and rare items; they left the rest just as they were. He also told us that there should be a ton of such rejects lying around. No sooner had he finished saying so, than we took to our knees, scanning the ground for any ancient artefact lying nearby. Our 'finds' included pottery, bangles, hunting tools. To touch, hold and feel, articles once used by people nearly five thousand years ago, was an enchanting experience. We got a feel of excavation as perhaps even a career option. Something which had somehow not considered till now-archeology. As we bid our knowledgeable guide a goodbye, he warmly exclaimed Come back soon! We smiled to ourselves, for, at the bottom of our hearts, we got the feeling that we would be coming back here sooner than he expected - such was the impact this trip had made on us.

-Vikramaditya Bhatnagar, 12 C