Dholavira - 1970

This was my second visit to Kutch. I had gone  there earlier with my Husband who was a popular Cardiologist for teaching in India. Later on a new Technology called Echocardiography started and he was the first person to introduce that in Mumbai. He invited the famous doctor from Norway, who was the pioneer in inventing this technology after 2nd World war. He was inspired while walking along the beach looking at broken ships. This new  Technology transformed the practice of making diagnosis in Cardiology all over the World.

In my second visit to Kutch, we went to Dholavira, long before it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The journey through the stark, white landscape of the Rann of Kutch felt like travelling back in time, and the silence around the ancient ruins left a deep impression on me. 

One of my cousin who was an Eduction minister in Gujarat government was going to visit Dholavira, and he knew that myself and my sibling including my husband are very fond of visiting interesting places all over India. So he asked us to join him for Dholavira. We met him in town. Next day we drove to go to  Dholavira.

Arrangements were made for us to stay  along with him at a public school with hostel for us to spend for one night stay. Next day by car we went along the empty road and stopped at one school for rest and continued right upto Dholavira. Accompanied with some experts we went around and were mystified and enjoyed. On return journey we again stopped at the same school for lunch. Children performed some program for us. After this he went back straight to Ahmedabad and we went back to the capital city - next day we flew back to Mumbai.

Dholavira's location is on the Tropic of Cancer. Dholavira is one of the most remarkable archaeological sites of the Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Civilization), located in the Kutch district of Gujarat, India.

Here are some key points about it:

• 🏺 Location: Dholavira lies on Khadir Bet, an island surrounded by the seasonal Rann of Kutch, in the westernmost part of India.

• 🕰️ Period: It was occupied from around 3000 BCE to 1500 BCE, making it one of the most prominent urban settlements of the ancient Harappan culture, alongside Mohenjo-daro and Harappa (now in Pakistan).

• 🏙️ Town Planning: Dholavira is celebrated for its advanced urban planning. The city was divided into three main parts — the citadel, the middle town, and the lower town — all laid out with remarkable precision and built with stone instead of the usual baked bricks.

• 💧 Water Management: Its water conservation system was far ahead of its time — including large reservoirs, step-wells, and channels to collect and store rainwater. This was crucial in the arid region of Kutch.

• 🔠 Inscriptions: One of the longest known inscriptions of the Indus script was discovered here, carved on a large board that may have been displayed at the city’s entrance — perhaps a signboard.

• 🏆 UNESCO Status: Dholavira was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, recognising its outstanding preservation and contribution to understanding early urban civilizations.

• 🌵 Surroundings: The stark landscape of the Rann of Kutch, with its salt flats and changing light, adds a haunting beauty to the site — making it not just historically rich, but visually striking.