DHOLAVIRA :- (A Harappan City)

 News:- Dholavira, the archaeological site of a Harappan-era city, received the UNESCO world heritage site tag. 

DHOLAVIRA :- (A Harappan City)

• The City of Dholavira located in Khadir island of the Rann of Kutch (Gujarat) belonged to the mature Harappan phase.

• It was excavated by R.S Bisht in 1985.

• It demonstrates a highly organised system of town planning with perfected proportions, street-pattern and an efficient water conservation system that supported life for more than 1200 years (3000 BCE to 1800 BCE) against harsh hot arid climate.

• The water conservation methods of Dholavira are unique and measures as one of the most efficient systems of the ancient world.

• The presence of a three-tier zonation comprising of a distinct upper (citadel, bailey) and middle (having a distinct street-pattern, large scale enclosure and a ceremonial ground) towns enclosed by a lower town (with narrower streets, smaller enclosures and industrial area) – distinguishes the city of Dholavira from other metropolises of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

• While Dholavira became the fourth site from Gujarat and 40th from India to make the list, it is the first site of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) in India to get the tag.

• The IVC acropolis is located on a hillock near present-day Dholavira village in Kutch district, from which it gets its name.

Distinct features :- 

• After Mohen-jo-Daro, Ganweriwala and Harappa in Pakistan and Rakhigarhi in Haryana of India, Dholavira is the fifth largest metropolis of IVC.

• The site has a fortified citadel, a middle town and a lower town with walls made of sandstone or limestone instead of mud bricks in many other Harappan sites.

• Some of the unique features of the Dholavira site are a cascading series of water reservoirs, outer fortification, two multi-purpose grounds one of which was used for festivities and as a marketplace nine gates with unique designs, and funerary architecture featuring tumulus hemispherical structures like the Buddhist Stupas.

• While unlike graves at other IVC sites, no mortal remains of humans have been discovered at Dholavira.

• Remains of a copper smelter indicate of Harappans, who lived in Dholavira, knew metallurgy.