Dholavira

Context

• The Prime Minister office has shared an article about the Prime Minister’s vision for the important archaeological sites. Dholavira was accorded UNESCO’s world heritage site status recently.

About

• Dholavira is an example of a proto-historic Bronze Age urban settlement pertaining to the Harappan Civilization.
• It bears evidence of a multi-cultural and stratified society during the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE.
• It is the first site of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) in India to get the tag.
• Dholavira and the Ramappa Temple were included in the list during the 44th session of the UNESCO’s World Heritage
• Gujarat now has four world heritage sites —

1. Dholavira,
2. Champaner near Pavagadh,
3. Rani ki Vav in Patan and the
4. Historic city of Ahmedabad

Distinct features of Dholavira

• 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.
• A series of water reservoirs, outer fortification, two multi-purpose grounds, nine gates with unique designs, hemispherical structures like the Buddhist Stupas— as some of the unique features of the Dholavira site.
• Dholavira cites the origin of the Buddhist Stupas.
• 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.
• Traders of Dholavira used to source copper ore from present-day Rajasthan and Oman and UAE and export finished products.
• It was also a hub of manufacturing jewellery made of shells and semi-precious stones, like agate and used to export timber.
• Beads peculiar to the Harappan workmanship have been found in the royal graves of Mesopotamia, indicating Dholavira used to trade with the Mesopotamians.

Decline of Dholavira

• Its decline coincided with the collapse of Mesopotamia, indicating the integration of economies.
• Harappans, who were maritime people, lost a huge market, affecting the local mining, manufacturing, marketing and export businesses once Mesopotamia fell.
• From 2000 BC, Dholavira entered a phase of severe aridity due to climate change and rivers like Saraswati drying up.
• Because of a drought-like situation, people started migrating toward the Ganges valley or towards south Gujarat and further beyond in Maharashtra.
• In those times, the Great Rann of Kutch, which surrounds the Khadir island on which Dholavira is located, used to be navigable, but the sea receded gradually and the Rann became a mudflat.

Other Harappan sites in Gujarat

• Lothal, on the bank of Sabarmati river of Ahmedabad district, is another prominent site of IVC in Gujarat.
• It was excavated between 1955 and 1960 and was discovered to be an important port city of the ancient civilisation, with structures made of mud bricks.
• From a graveyard in Lothal, 21 human skeletons were found.
• Foundries for making copperware were also discovered.
• Ornaments made of semi-precious stones, gold etc. were also found from the site.
• Rangpur on the bank of Bhadar river was the first Harappan site in Gujarat to be excavated.
• Rojdi, Prabhas, Lakhabaval in Jamnagar, and Deshalpar in Bhuj are among other Harappan sites in the state.

World Heritage Sites in India

• A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
• World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance.
• India has 40 world heritage sites that include 32 Cultural properties, 7 Natural properties and 1 mixed site.
• India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world.

Cultural (32)

1. Agra Fort (1983)
2. Ajanta Caves (1983)
3. Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (2016)
4. Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
5. Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)
6. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)
7. Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
8. Elephanta Caves (1987)
9. Ellora Caves (1983)
10. Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
11. Great Living Chola Temples (1987,2004)
12. Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
13. Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
14. Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
15. Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2013)
16. Historic City of Ahmadabad (2017)
17. Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)
18. Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019)
19. Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
20. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)
21. Mountain Railways of India (1999,2005,2008)
22. Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
23. Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (2014)
24. Red Fort Complex (2007)
25. Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
26. Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)
27. Taj Mahal (1983)
28. The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (2016)
29. The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)
30. Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018)
31. Rudreswara Temple of Telangana (2021)
32. Dholavira in Gujarat (2021)

Natural (7)

1. Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014)
2. Kaziranga National Park (1985)
3. Keoladeo National Park (1985)
4. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
5. Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988,2005)
6. Sundarbans National Park (1987)
7. Western Ghats (2012)

Mixed (1)

1. Khangchendzonga National Park (2016)

World Heritage Sites across the world

• The World Heritage List comprises 1121 properties of Outstanding Universal Value.
• Natural sites represent about 23% of this list, including 39 mixed (both cultural and natural) sites and 213 natural sites.
• Apart from India, countries like Italy, Spain, Germany, China and France also have 40 such sites each.
• China is home to largest number of UNESCO world heritage sites in the world. It has 55 world heritage sites.

Benefits of a World Heritage Site designation

• It brings international attention to the need for the preservation and conservation of the site.
• It brings tourism to the site, with its accompanying economic benefits to the host country and local area.
• It can provide funds for restoration, preservation, and training. For example, in 2001, the Taliban destroyed two 6th century, 150-ft. statues of Buddha carved into the mountainside in the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan. The site has received more than $4 million from UNESCO to help with reconstruction and to hire a sculptor to re-carve some of the damaged stone.
• It promotes national and local pride in the natural and man-made wonders of the country.
• It promotes close ties with the United Nations system and the prestige and support it provides.
• It provides access to global project management resources.
• It facilitates creating partnerships between government, the private sector, and NGOs to achieve conservation goals.
• Once declared, the site becomes protected under Geneva convention against destruction during a war.

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