AHMEDABAD: Dholavira, a Harappan-era metropolis in the Kutch region of Gujarat, earned the coveted Unesco World Heritage Site (WHS) tag on Tuesday, ending an eight-year wait. Dholavira becomes the fourth WHS in Gujarat after Champaner, Rani ki Vav in Patan, and the historic city of Ahmedabad.
This is the second WHS honour for India in less than a week — Ramappa Temple in Telangana’s Warangal was granted the status on July 25.
The first representation for Dholavira’s inscription was made in 2014 by the Government of India.
The ancient town, found in 1967 and excavated in 1989-90 for the first time, is the second biggest Harappan site after Rakhigarhi in India. It was inhabited for about 1,200 years starting 3000 BCE, said experts.
Joy erupted among archaeologists, historians, and academics in Gujarat and India after the formal announcement of Dholavira’s new title was made at about 3.30pm during the ongoing 44th session of Unesco’s World Heritage Committee.
Experts said that after Mohenjodaro in Pakistan, Dholavira is the second Harappan site to get the tag in south Asia and the first from India.
“Absolutely delighted by this news. Dholavira was an important urban centre and is one of our most important linkages with our past,” PM Narendra Modi tweeted soon after the news broke. “It is a must visit, especially for those interested in history, culture and archaeology.”
The PM also mentioned that he had visited Dholavira during his student days and was mesmerized by the place. “As CM of Gujarat, I had the opportunity to work on aspects relating to heritage conservation and restoration in Dholavira,” he tweeted. “Our team also worked to create tourism-friendly infrastructure there.”
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani termed it a proud moment for Gujarat. Union culture minister G Kishan Reddy tweeted that Dholavira is the 40th ‘treasure’ of India to be given the Unesco WHS inscription. “Today is a proud day for India, especially for the people of Gujarat,” he tweeted.
Dr R S Bisht, former deputy superintending archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India, who led the excavation team in 1989-90 at Dholavira, said that he was delighted with the news. “The town is truly a World Heritage Site and a window to the past,” he said. “We have learnt so much about the Harappan civilization from the site, and continue to do so.”
