8 January_2017_ Org_Pramod ji pages:Organiser Dummy.qxd 12/29/2016 6:57 PM Page 1 IntangIble Indraprastha-II 1. Painted Grey Wares found during excavation from Purana Quila 2. Machchlishahr copper Plate Inscription kept in Lucknow Buried Deep, Still Evident For believers Indraprastha needs no evidence; for skeptics there are plenty of archaeological evidences like Inscriptions, found in Delhi and North India, Gazetteer of India (1912) which confirm Purana Quila is nothing but Ancient Indraprastha n Neera Misra with the Mahabharata times. Black Polished Ware (NBPW) periods, “Archaeologically the material culture the last one dating back to the 7th–8th he Archaeological Survey of of this Period is known as the PGW century BCE. The trial trench further India (ASI) was established in (Painted Grey Ware) culture after the revealed that below the NBPW levels T1861. Alexander Cunningham, very distinctive ceramic industry of there lay the remains of the PGW Surveyor General ASI 1862-65, was the times.” The PGW is the earliest Culture, of which, however, not much one of the earliest archaeologists to common pottery that connects all the could be exposed because of the super- survey the region of Delhi. He details Mahabharata sites, like Hastinapura, imposed structures. Prof BB Lal in the ASI’s early reports Mathura, Kurukshetra, etc. opines: “However, to the south of the ‘Indraprastha, the city of Yudhishtra, Indraprastha too beckoned the Purana Qila, between it and the was built along the bank of river archaeologists, and when they dug Humayun’s Tomb, the open area Jaumna’ and ‘the name of Indraprastha deep down for most ancient human brought forth a lot of the Painted Grey is still preserved in that of Indrapat, a civilisation and culture at ancient Ware. It was here that the earliest set- small fort which is also known by the Delhi, they got that one answer. tlement began, going back to more name of Purana Quila or the old fort’. Yudhisthira’s state and capital than ca. 1000 BCE. From there the set- Cunningham must have concluded this Indraprastha was here, and remains tlement shifted a little to the north, to after a proper study of related factors here, as the first planned city at NCR. the area now enclosed by Purana of this area. Some Mughal period Have you ever been to the Purana Qila.”. The PGW is characteristic pot- books also record Purana Quila as Qila? The standing structures there are tery of the Mahabharata times. ‘Indrapat Quila. located on an ancient mound, which is From 1969-72 the Excavation Post Independence, decades ago, several meters higher than the sur- Branch of the ASI undertook a full- archaeologists started quest for rounding ground-level, say that of the scale excavation at Purana Quila. ‘Dwapar era Itihas’ of Mahabharata Mathura Road. This ancient mound is During this excavations also, the cities and places. Most prominent is concealed by the fortification-wall that archaeologists encountered evidence the work of Prof BB Lal, who, in was built on old base first by of material culture belonging to peri- 1950-52, undertook his journey of Humayun and later by Sher Shah Suri. ods Rajput, Gupta, Kushan, Shunga, search. Digging his own trails of exca- In 1954-55, trial excavation by Prof etc, similar to result of 1954-55. “This vations at significant cities and places BB Lal here, alongside the passage was sufficient to confirm the local tra- mentioned in Mahabharata he con- leading down to Water Gate in the ditions about the antiquity and conti- ducted excavations first at Hastinapur. eastern fortification wall revealed, nuity of urban settlements in Delhi, at The Period II findings brought from the top downwards, structures least at the site of Purana Qila.” Again Hastinapur, and his work into the ascribable respectively to the Rajput, during 2001-2002 scientific clearance limelight, because of its association Gupta, Kushan, Shunga and Northern was undertaken towards the eastern 24 Organiser n January 8, 2017 8 January_2017_ Org_Pramod ji pages:Organiser Dummy.qxd 12/29/2016 6:57 PM Page 2 archaeology fringe of Humayan’s Tomb, and the lowest levels yielded rolled sherds of Painted Grey Ware clearly indicating existence of PGW settlement in close vicinity. Here, two points may be noted. Humayun’s wife could not have chosen any random location for his burial place, knowing well his desire and fight to conqueror Indraprastha. Secondly, even senior archaeologists of ASI are perturbed by the digging and ‘plastered renovations’ at the very base of Humayun’s Tomb, for plans of underground interpretation centre here??? Indraprastha is getting dug deeper, with little sensitivity towards its antiquities. Recently, in 2013-14 Purana Quila areas were further excavated, which reinforces the earlier discoveries, Sarban (Raisina Hills) Nagari Inscription, 1384 (1327 AD), Vikram Samvat, Delhi including that of the PGW. Archaeology confirms Purana Quila is north India, give data on status of miles South of Delhi, now in the area Ancient Indraprastha. The foregoing ancient Indraprastha. Gazetteer of of Raisina Road. evidence clearly establishes that the India (1912) provides information of Another interesting evidence of Purana Qila represents Indraprastha of Indraprastha and Tilpat. “The exis- Indraprastha comes from the Mahabharata times. But our ‘extra tence of a highway is also suggested Machchlishahr Copper-plate intelligent liberals’ habitually brand all by the discovery (March 23, 1966) of a Inscription, now at Lucknow State who promote history of ancient Bharat minor rock edict of Asoka in South Museum. This inscription informs us as radicals. Yes, there are some ques- Delhi at a site almost in alignment that Candradeva was the ‘protector of tions about dating of the period, but as with other ancient sites in the vicinity the holy places, Kasi, Kusika, and all sciences are ever evolving study stretching from Purana Quila to Tilpat. Indrasthaniyaka. Kasi is, of course tools, this aspect too will get sorted. Two 13th century stone inscriptions, Varanasi; Kasika is probably Dr BR Mani had conducted excava- now kept at Site Museum Purana Kanyakubja or Kanauj; Uttarakosala is tions at several areas of ancient Delhi Quila, affirm areas and status of Ayodhya; and Indrastaniyaka is and established the antiquity of Indraprastha. Indraprastha or ancient Delhi. It is Mehrauli area, going back to ancient Line 15 of Naraina Inscription in dated (Vikram) Samvat 1253/ Sunday, Lalkot and Yoginipura, where the Nagari Script states ‘In the western 6 January, 1197. Yogmaya temple survives. His book direction of Indraprastha there is vil- The widespread finding of PGW at Delhi: The Threshold of the Orient lage called Nadayana.’ Dated Samvat ancient sites, the Inscriptions from far acknowledges: “The occurrence of late year 1384 (August A.D 1327), this ver- apart Naraina to Raisina Road, and Harappan pottery and Painted Grey sified inscription was found at the vil- continuity of ancient names like Raj Ware at Mandoli, Bhorgarh, Salimgarh lage of Naraina, seven miles south- Ghat, Ashram, Nigambodh, etc, all and Dhansa including late and degen- west of Delhi, recording the construc- lead to the fact that Indraprastha was erate Siswal Ware Culture and PGW at tion of a well, on the northern side of the name of the territory developed Khera-Kalan and Badli-ki-Sarai and the village Nadayana said to be situat- and controlled by Pandavas, and the discovery of late Harappan and ed in the portion (bhaga) of (the divi- Purana Quila was the centre of their Painted Grey Ware site of Kharkhari sion) Indraprastha. Second is the widespread Kingdom, that also includ- Nahar village near Najafgarh push Sarban Nagari Inscription (Samvat ed Tilpat, Baghpat, Sonipat and back the history of Delhi to the proto- year 1384, / February A.D. 1328), doc- Panipat. Indraprastha was the name of historic period.” umenting “In this village of Saravala their capital city state. Showcasing and For believers it is obvious, but for in the partigana of Indraprastha, may preserving ancient Indraprastha is the sceptics we present hard facts. this well and its builder with his family first step towards getting its due status Inscriptions aptly reveal the past. live for a long time. It was found in the as ‘World Heritage City’ also. Some, found in parts of Delhi and village of Sarban, which was then five (The writer is chairperson of Draupadi Dream Trust) January 8, 2017 n Organiser 25.