Harappan City Dholavira in Gujarat Enters UNESCO’S World Heritage List
Harappan City Dholavira in Gujarat is inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Harappan City Dholavira in Gujarat is inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Celebrating the news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Dholavira was an important urban centre and is one of our most important linkages with our past. It’s a must visit, especially for those interested in history, culture and archaeology.”
Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Development of North Eastern Region G Kishan Reddy tweeted, “It gives immense pride to share with my fellow Indians that Dholavira is now the 40th treasure in India to be given @UNESCO World Heritage tag. Another feather in India's cap as we now enter the Super-99 club for World Heritage Site inscriptions.”
Dholavira which is situated 250 km from Bhuj is among the five largest cities of Indus Valley Civilisation. The city is located on one of the islands in the Rann of Kutch.
The heritage city comprises of two parts; a walled city and a cemetery to its west. It is spread over 100 acres and has two seasonal streams Mansar and Manhar.
The advanced town planning, architecture, and water management system are some of the prominent features of this civilization and prove that architects had advanced engineering skills.
The city consisted of a citadel, Middle town and lower town.
According to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, it is “one of the most remarkable and well-preserved urban settlements in South Asia dating from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE”.
“Discovered in 1968, the site is set apart by its unique characteristics, such as its water management system, multi-layered defensive mechanisms, extensive use of stone in construction and special burial structures,” it further stated.
Artefacts such as terracotta figurines, beautiful seals and decorative motifs discovered in this site hint that the population lived an urban lifestyle.
The cemetery consisted of personal articles which indicated that the people of Dholavira believed in life after death.
Two open air stadiums are the prominent remains of this heritage site.
There are now a total of 40 heritage sites in India that are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.