#archaeological survey of india

[rightnewshindi]

स्मारकों के स्वामित्व को लेकर भिड़े एएसआई और वक्फ बोर्ड, एएसआई ने जेपीसी को सौंपी ऐसे 120 स्मारकों की सूची

स्मारकों के स्वामित्व को लेकर भिड़े एएसआई और वक्फ बोर्ड, एएसआई ने जेपीसी को सौंपी ऐसे 120 स्मारकों की सूची #News #DelhiNews #DelhiUpdates #DelhiPolitics #DelhiEvents #DelhiLifestyle #DelhiBuzz #DelhiCulture #DelhiCommunity #DelhiActivism #DelhiEducation

Delhi News: एएसआई और वक्फ बोर्ड के बीच स्मारकों के स्वामित्व को लेकर विवाद छिड़ा है। वक्फ (संशोधन) विधेयक की जांच कर रही संसदीय समिति को भारतीय पुरातत्व सर्वेक्षण (एएसआई) ने शुक्रवार को 120 से अधिक स्मारकों की सूची पे��� की। एएसआई ने कहा कि स्मारक उनके संरक्षण में हैं, लेकिन विभिन्न राज्य वक्फ बोर्ड स्मारकों पर अपना दावा करते हैं। विपक्षी सदस्यों ने एएसआई की दलील की आलोचना की कि मुस्लिम निकाय किसी…

[southeastasianarchaeology]

New Discoveries at Ta Prohm Temple by ANA Team

ANA and ASI uncover 100 laterite pieces at Ta Prohm, advancing restoration and study of the temple's foundation and ancient construction techniques.

via Khmer Times, 08 February 2024: The Apsara National Authority and the Archaeological Survey of India have made significant progress in the restoration of Ta Prohm temple’s Southern Gate in Angkor Archaeological Park, uncovering nearly 100 pieces of laterite and assessing the gate’s foundation. The Apsara National Authority (ANA), the state agency in charge of managing the Angkor Archaeological…

[whencyclopedia]

Taxila

When it comes to ancient history, Pakistan contains its fair share of treasures, one of the prominent of these being the ancient metropolis of Taxila. It is a city of the Gandharan civilization, sometimes known as one of its capitals, whose history can be traced from early microlithic communities at the Khanpur caves up to almost 1000 CE. Taxila was a hub of Buddhism, a centre of learning, an urban metropolis and a meeting point of various cultures, namely the Achaemenids, Greeks, Mauryans, Scythians, Parthians, Kushans, Huns and eventually the Muslims.

Although it was lost to time for nearly 1000 years following its decline, the metropolis and its multitude of treasures came to light in the late 1800s CE under Alexander Cunningham who was an antiquarian for the British Raj and more prominently under John Marshall, the first director of the Archaeological Survey of India in the early 1900s CE, a time when archaeology worldwide had became a much more disciplined field and new discoveries were coming to light from all over the world. Along with discovering the Indus Valley civilization, Marshall also did major work in Taxila which bring to light this ancient and mysterious culture.

Location

The Taxila archaeological site is located in the province of Punjab, Pakistan, about 30 km north of the Capital Territory of Islamabad. It lies off the famous and historical Grand Trunk Road. The modern archaeological region of Taxila is composed of 18 sites of significant cultural value which were inducted as a whole into the UNESCO world heritage umbrella in 1980 CE.

The region is of particular interest when one looks at its ancient role as being a waypoint for the movement of caravans and even today it still holds the same function as in the 6th century BCE. This continuing function of the site as a waypoint tells us about the urban pattern of ancient Taxila (being more or less unchanged since antiquity) and how that affects development and the spread of crafts, settlements and markets as well as an institutional framework which develops as a result of the need to manage the surrounding population.

Although the region fell out of favor with the increase in sea trade in later times, the preceding centuries of occupation meant that a massive amount of archaeological data still remains in the region which has been slowly and gradually unearthed from the British era down to the present day.

Continue reading...

[tri-ciclo]

Ajanta Cave-26 Archaeological Survey of India ( Photographer-unknown )

[magic-coffee]

Bro please for thr love of God tell me why ppl are saying Hindus are not native and what is up with the indo aryans being invaders and like north indians are indo aryans right because of the features I suppose (like light eyes and eking and big ears etc) and south indians are Dravidians right? Then who are adivasis like wtf is happening I don't get a thing😭

No matter how many times, one regurgitate the same, multiple times debunked hypothesis - by DNA, by timeline, by archaeology, isn't gonna make it true. 🤷🏻‍♀️

According to Max Muller, evil aryans invaded India 4000 yrs ago but.

The lost city of Dwarka was found 120 feet underwater in the Gulf of Cambay/Cambhat off the western coast of India. The total length of the city is 7 to 8 kms and it is 3 to 4 kms wide. After carbon testing this city, it was found that this city is between 7000-9500 Years old.

Scientists from IIT-Kharagpur and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have uncovered evidence that the Indus Valley Civilization is at least 8,000 years old, and not 5,500 years old, taking root well before the Egyptian (7000BC to 3000BC) and Mesopotamian (6500BC to 3100BC) civilizations.

There is no proof of invasion, but they did however find various hindu iconography on indus valley site

more importantly the finding of the river saraswati and it’s river bed. The now disappeared river that was considered a myth but is mentioned in Ved. And the last time it was like that was 6000 years ago so the rig ved is older and this has been established beyond doubt. Hence, there's ample proof hindusim is infact Indigenous to Bharat.

And the tribes? Well they came long after all this. Post indus valley. Tribes are a mixture of different languages speaking groups and have a wide range of genetics from austoasiatic to indo European and tibeto burman. So the claim, everyone other than The tribes are outsiders is plain stupid.

DNAs of all Indians also doesn't cater to Max Muller and Fans Delusion.

[yato-dharmastato-jayah]

Dr. K. K. Muhammed, the Indian archaeologist who served as the Regional Director of the Archaeological Survey of India. He was heavily involved in the excavations done at the site of Babri masjid, and he was the first to ask Muslims to hand over the Babri Masjid area to Hindus after finding evidence that the mosque was built on the remains of a Hindu temple.

Please listen to what he has to say about Hindus.

[fatehbaz]

It's a big mess of hubris; the manipulative use of scientific language to legitimate/validate the status quo; Victorian/Gilded Age notions of resource extraction; the "rightness" of "land improvement"; and the inevitability of empire.

This was published in the United States one year before the massacre at Wounded Knee.

This was the final year-ish of the so-called "Indian Wars" when the US was "completing" its colonization of western North America; at the beginning of the Gilded Age and the zenith of power for industrial/corporate monopolies; when Britain, France, and the US were pursuing ambitious mega-projects across the planet like giant canals and dams; just as the US was about to begin its imperial occupations in Central America and Pacific islands; during the height of the "Scramble for Africa" when European powers were carving up that continent; with the British Empire at the ultimate peak of its power, after the Crown had taken direct control of India; in the years leading up to mass labor organizing and the industrialization of war precipitating the mass death of the two world wars.

This was also the time when new academic disciplines were formally professionalized (geology; anthropology; archaeology; ecology).

Classic example of Victorian-era (and emerging modernist and twentieth-century) imperial hubris which implies justification for its social hierarchies built on resource extraction and dispossession by invoking both emerging technical engineering prowess (trains, telegraphs, electricity) and the in-vogue scientific theories widely popularized at the time (Lyell's work, dinosaurs, and the geology discipline granting new understanding of the grand scale of deep time; Darwin's work and ideas of biological evolution; birth of anthropology as an academic discipline promoting the idea of "natural" linear progression from "savagery" to imperial civilization; the technical "efficiency" of monoculture/plantations; emerging systems ecology and new ideas of biogeographical regions).

While also simultaneously doing the work to, by implication, absolve them of ethical complicity/responsibility for the cruelty of their institutions by naturalizing those institutions (excusing the violence of wealth disparities, poverty, crowded factory laboring conditions, mass imprisonment, copper mines, South Asian famine, the industrialization of war eventually manifesting in the Great War, etc.) by claiming that "commerce is a science"; "pursuit of profit is Natural"; "empire is inevitable".

This tendency to invoke science as justification for imperial hegemony, whether in Britain in the 1880s or the United States in the 1920s and such, might be a continuation of earlier European ventures from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries which included the use of cartography, surveying/geography, Linnaean taxonomy, botany, and natural history to map colonies/botanical resources and build/justify plantations and commercial empires in the Portuguese slave ports, Dutch East Indies, or the Spanish Americas.

Some of the issues at play:

-- Commerce is "A Science". Commerce is shown to be both an ecological system (by illustrating it as if it were a landscape, which is kinda technically true) and a physiological system (by equating infrastructure/extraction networks with veins) suggesting wealth accumulation is Natural.

-- If commerce/capitalism are Natural, then evolutionary theory and linear histories suggest it is also Inevitable (it was not mass violence of a privileged few humans who spent centuries beating the Earth into submission to impose the Victorian/Gilded Age state of things, it was in fact simply a natural evolutionary progression). And if wealth accumulation is Natural, then it is only Right to pursue "land improvement".

-- US/European hubris. They can claim to perceive the planet in its apparent totality (as a globe, within the bounds of extraterrestrial space as if it were a laboratory or plantation). The planet and all its lifeforms are an extension of their body, implying a justified dominion.

-- However, their anxiety and suspicions about the stability of empire are belied by their fear of collapse and the simultaneous US/European obsession at the time with ancient civilizations, the "fall of Rome", classical ruins, etc. At this time, the professionalization of the field of archaeology had helped popularize images and stories of Sumer, Egypt, the Bronze Age, the Aegean, Rome, etc. And there was what Ann Stoler has called an "imperialist nostalgia" and a fascination with ancient ruins, as if Britain/US were heirs to the legacy of Athens and Rome. You can see elements of this in the turn of the century popularity of Theosophy/spiritualism, or the 1920s revival of "classical" fashions. This historicism also popularized a sort of "linear narrative" of history/empires, reinforced by simultaneous professionalization of anthropology, which insinuated that humans advance from a "primitive" state towards modernity's empires.

-- Meanwhile, from the first decades of the nineteenth century when Megalosaurus and Iguanodon helped to popularize fascination with dinosaurs, Georgian and later Victorian Britain became familiar with deep time and extinction, which probably contributed to British anxiety about extinction, imperial collapse, lastness, and death.

-- Simultaneously, the massive expansion of printed periodicals allowed for sensationalist narrativizing of science.

-- The masking of the cruelty in a euphemism like "land improvement". Like sentencing someone to a de facto slow death and deprivation in a prison but calling it a "sanatorium" or "reformatory". Or calling the mass amounts of poor, disabled, women, etc. underclasses of London "unfortunates". Whether it's Victorian Britain or early twentieth century United States: "Our empire is doing this for the betterment and advancement of all mankind."

-- If an ecosystem is conceived as a machine, "land improvement" actually means monoculture, high-density production, resource extraction, concentration.

-- The image depicts the body is itself is also a mere machine (dehumanization, etc.). And if human bodies are shown to be also systems, networks, machines like an ecosystem, then human bodies can also be concentrated for efficiency and productivity (literal concentration camps, prisons, factories, company towns, slums, dosshouses, etc.). This is the thinking that reduces humans and other creatures to objects, resources, to be concentrated and converted into wealth.

And so after the rise of railroads and coal-power and industrial factories in the earlier nineteenth century, the fin de siecle and Edwardian era then saw the expansion of domestic electricity, easier photography, telephones, radio, and automobiles. But you also witness the spread of mass imprisonment, warplanes, and machine guns, etc. And in the midst of this, the Victorian/Gilded Age also saw the rise of magazines, newspapers, mass media, pop-sci stuff, etc. So this wider array of published material, including visual stuff like maps and infographics could "win over" popular perception. This is nearly a century after the Haitian Revolution, so more and more people would have been able to witness and call out the contradictions and hypocrisies of these "civilized" nations, so scientific validation was important to empire's public image. (Think: 100 years prior, everyone witnessed widespread revolutions and slave rebellions, but now the European empires are still using indentured labor, expanding prisons, and growing even more powerful in Africa, etc. An outrage.)

Illustrations like this ...

It's people with power (or people with a vested interest in these institutions, people who aspire to climbing the social ladder, people who defend the status quo) looking around at the general state of things, observing all of the cruelty and precarity, and then using scientific discourses to concede and say "this was inevitable, this was natural" and not only that, but also "and this is good".

Related reading:

Peoples on Parade: Exhibitions, Empire, and Anthropology in Nineteenth-Century Britain (Sadiah Qureshi, 2011); The Earth on Show: Fossils and the Poetics of Popular Science, 1802-1856 (Ralph O’Connor); "Science in the Nursery: the popularisation of science in Britain and France, 1761-1901" (Laurence Talairach-Vielmas, 2011); Citizens and Rulers of the World: The American Child and the Cartographic Pedagogies of Empire (Mashid Mayar); "Viewing Plantations at the Intersection of Political Ecologies and Multiple Space-Times" (Irene Peano, Marta Macedo, and Collette Le Petitcrops); “Paradise Discourse, Imperialism, and Globalization: Exploiting Eden" (Sharae Deckard); "Forgotten Paths of Empire: Ecology, Disease, and Commerce in the Making of Liberia's Plantation Economy" (Gregg Mitman, 2017); Imperial Debris: On Ruins and Ruination (Ann Laura Stoler, 2013)

Fairy Tales, Natural History and Victorian Culture (Laurence Talairach-Vielmas, 2014); Mining the Borderlands: Industry, Capital, and the Emergence of Engineers in the Southwest Territories, 1855-1910 (Sarah E.M. Grossman, 2018); Pasteur’s Empire: Bacteriology and Politics in France, Its Colonies, and the World (Aro Velmet, 2022); "Shaping the beast: the nineteenth-century poetics of palaeontology" (Talairach-Vielmas, 2013); In the Museum of Man: Race, Anthropology, and Empire in France, 1850-1960 (Alice Conklin, 2013); Inscriptions of Nature: Geology and the Naturalization of Antiquity (Pratik Chakrabarti, 2020)

[johnbierce]

you mentioned at the end of the city that would eat the world that you had read a ton of nonfiction for it, are there any that you’d particularly recommend?

Alright, top six:

On the architecture side:

- Cosmopolis: Yesterday's Cities of the Future, by Howard Mansfield: really fun survey of past visions of future cities, including megastructures and arcologies, as well as linear cities and other older versions. Lots and lots of pictures.

- Megastructure: Urban Futures of the Recent Past, by Rayner Banhan: A more focused look at the megastructure architectural movement of the 60s and 70s by a highly respected architectural critic.

- Project Japan: Metabolism Talks..., by Rem Koolhaas and Hans Ulrich Obrist: a closer examination of one specific school of the Megastructure movement, Metabolism, the Japanese branch. (Who were by far the most successful members of the movement, far beyond Paolo Soleri or the Archigram collective. While all of the Megastructure architects had huge influences on art and culture, the Metabolists had a far bigger one, with not only far more actually built building designs, but with many more pop culture depictions of their work. NeoTokyo from Akira is just literally their design, and I'm absolutely confident that Midgard from FF7 is to some extent inspired by the "artificial ground" concept the Metabolists, especially Kiyonori Kikutake, played with. (To his credit, despite being ideologically hella pro-landlord and anti-democracy, pretty sure he would have hated Midgard.)

On the philosophical/economic/political science side of things, The City That Would Eat the World (and the whole trilogy in general) was heavily inspired by:

- Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition have failed, by James C. Scott: absolutely brilliant exploration of how states and large organizations understand the world and try to force it into being more comprehensible and easier to govern. One of my core political texts, and one of the classics of anarchist political theory.

- Governing the Commons, by Elinor Ostrom: A likewise brilliant work of empirical economics by a likewise brilliant anarchist, where the author traveled the world finding traditional and modern methods of governing common resources, from Japan to India to the US, ones that have both succeeded and failed in the face of modern civilization. Won the Nobel in Economics. (Which, not a real Nobel, but this one absolutely deserved it- unlike many Nobel in economics winners. (Don't even speak to me about last year's winner ugh))

- Debt: The First 5000 Years, by David Graeber: Yet another brilliant work by yet another brilliant anarchist author. Explores the history of debt and its role in society, as both a stabilizing and destabilizing force, and in the process completely disproves the classic fairy tale Adam Smith told about the evolution of coinage using well-researched archaeological evidence. Probably the most entertaining read of these three, despite being the longest.

(Look, I might personally be a socialist over an anarchist, but damn if anarchist political philosophy isn't hella useful for fantasy worldbuilding. And they make a lot of good points.)

[southeastasianarchaeology]

APSARA Authority to Preserve Newly Discovered Cambodian Statues

Five ancient statues discovered at Ta Prohm Temple by India's Archaeological Survey are to be preserved by Cambodia's APSARA Authority.

via Khmer Times, 02 February 2024: The Archaeological Survey of India discovered five statues at Ta Prohm Temple’s south gate, including two Buddha Sheltered by a Naga, one Avalokiteśvara, and two damaged Buddha statues. These artifacts, unrelated to the gate’s structure, will be preserved by the APSARA National Authority. Ms. Neth Simon, Archaeologist of the APSARA National Authority, said that…

[beardedmrbean]

A Bollywood film that portrays the capture and execution of an Indian warrior king by a 17th century Mughal ruler has fuelled street protests and demands from right-wing groups to demolish the emperor’s tomb.

Authorities have now tightened security around the tomb of Aurangzeb Alamgir in the western Indian state of Maharashtra after right-wing groups threatened to raze the monument.

On Monday, violence erupted in Nagpur following rumours of a holy book being desecrated. Police reportedly used tear gas to disperse the mob, and four policemen were injured. Police said they had detained dozens of people after 30 were injured and a similar number of vehicles torched.

“After the release of the film Chhaava, the views of many people on the Mughal emperor have turned extreme, as seen in social media posts,” local authorities said in a statement on 15 March.

Chhaava portrays the life and times of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was the second ruler of the Indian Maratha empire and the eldest son of the 17th-century Indian warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji is revered in western India as a Hindu ruler who fought the Mughals and established a Maratha kingdom. “Chhaava” is a Marathi-language word which means lion’s cub.

Right-wing groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal threatened to demolish the tomb in Khuldabad town in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district (formally known as Aurangabad) as they claim it is a reminder of “centuries of oppression, atrocities, and slavery” of Hindus during the Muslim emperor’s rule.

The groups threatened a “Babri-like” repeat if the tomb is not razed, referring to the demolition of the Babri Masjid (mosque) in Ayodhya in 1992 which sparked nationwide religious riots, killing more than 3,000 people in a decades-long dispute that fuelled Hindu-Muslim tensions in the country.

The groups, according to the news outlet India Today, pledged “karseva” if the government does not act on their demands. “Karseva” is a Sanskrit word which means voluntarily offering services for religious causes. In 1992, several religious volunteers called “karsevaks” were responsible for demolishing the Babri mosque.

The right-wing groups had earlier announced a statewide protest on Monday to demand the removal of the tomb, following which police deployed additional forces around the tomb and restricted entry to prevent any unrest.

Chhaava, directed by Laxman Utekar, was released in February, and was successful at the box office. It portrayed the captivity, torture and execution of Shivaji's son. But many called the film out for its “clumsy grip on history” and leaving “no room for complexity”.

“Chhaava does have the laudable goal of setting the historical record straight about Sambhaji as a great warrior and administrator against biased accounts. But it becomes harmful national-level propaganda when it is fixated on the good Hindu versus the bad Muslim binary, skips some incontrovertible facts, and is in complete sync with the ruling party’s ideology,” wrote Nissim Mannathukkaren, chair of Dalhousie University's department of international development studies, in The Hindu.

It also sparked extreme reactions among audiences. A fan in Nagpur rode a horse to the theatre to imitate the Hindu king, while in Gujarat, a man vandalised a cinema screen in anger over a scene depicting the torture of Sambhaji.

Last week, after two Indian politicians – Nitesh Rane and Navneet Rana – called for the tomb’s removal, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis backed the proposal but stressed that any action must follow legal procedures, as the historical site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor, ruled from 1658 until his death in 1707 and was engaged in a prolonged war with the Marathas in present-day Maharashtra.

During a press meet, Kishor Chavan, a coordinator for the VHP in western Maharashtra, said: “Aurangzeb’s cruelty is well-documented – he imprisoned his own father, executed his brothers, and ordered the destruction of Hindu temples. The existence of his tomb only serves to glorify his atrocities, and the Maharashtra government must act immediately to remove it. If government fails to remove it, we will do it by holding ‘karseva’, like we observed during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.”

The Ram Janmabhoomi movement was a Hindu nationalist campaign pushing for the construction of a temple (dedicated to the Hindu deity Ram) at the site of the mosque in Ayodhya, leading to the demolition of the Babri mosque and the eventual building of the Ram temple that Hindu nationalist prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated in January 2024.

The tensions in Maharashtra over Aurangzeb’s tomb come amid controversy over the state Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi’s remarks about the Mughal emperor, which led to his suspension from the state assembly until 26 March and multiple police complaints against him.

“Wrong things are being said about Aurangzeb. He constructed a lot of temples for Hindus. He even got one of his soldiers trampled by elephants when he wanted to marry a Hindu priest’s daughter. As a mark of their gratitude, they constructed a mosque for Muslims. History has been distorted,” Mr Azmi remarked earlier this month.

It led to Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde demanding an apology from Mr Azmi and saying that he should be tried for treason.

Opposition Congress MP Kalyan Kale accused political groups of deliberately stoking controversy over Aurangzeb’s tomb to polarise voters ahead of the legislative council by-elections. He called it a strategic move to raise communal issues for electoral gain.

“The tomb has been there for years. Many are seeing it now only because elections are around.”

“If they want to remove the grave of the Aurangzeb, then what about various structures built by the Mughals across India?” Imtiaz Jaleel, a former member of parliament, was quoted as saying by The Hindustan Times.

Controversies surrounding Aurangzeb aren’t exactly new – prime minister Narendra Modi has referenced the long-dead Mughal emperor in his speeches in the past. “Aurangzeb severed many heads, but he could not shake our faith,” Mr Modi had said in 2022 during an event at the Mughal-era Red Fort in the capital Delhi.

In May 2022, the ASI temporarily barred public visits to the site following threats of vandalism from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a regional party. The MNS had called for the tomb’s destruction, leading to increased security measures and a five-day closure.

In 2023, another AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb sparked a political controversy, and was also met with increased security at the site.

On Tuesday, Maharashtra’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held Chhaava responsible for the violence in Nagpur. “This violent incident and riots seem to be pre-planned,” he said during a speech in the legislative assembly. “Chhaava has ignited people’s anger against Aurangzeb.” He added that “everyone must keep Maharashtra peaceful”.

[pam3pr]

Agrasen ki Baoli. New Delhi, India

Workers repairing the Agrasen ki Baoli, an ancient step well which became protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. New Delhi, India.

∴

[uttarakhandoffbeatplaces]

Kashipur, nestled in the verdant landscapes of Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand, India, beckons travelers with its blend of spiritual sanctuaries and historical treasures. This quaint town, situated amidst the serene foothills of the Himalayas, offers a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Kashipur is not just a stopover but a destination rich in offbeat places in Kashipur waiting to be explored by curious adventurers and culture enthusiasts alike.

One of the hidden gems in Kashipur is Giri Sarovar Temple, a sacred site steeped in both religious significance and natural beauty. Located beside the tranquil Giri Sarovar Lake and surrounded by the majestic Kumaon mountains, this temple exudes an aura of serenity and spirituality. Ancient sages and ascetics were drawn to this place for its conducive environment for meditation and prayer, leaving behind a legacy that still resonates in the peaceful ambiance. Devotees flock here seeking solace and spiritual rejuvenation amidst the historical charm and divine energy of Giri Sarovar Temple.

Another must-visit offbeat place in Kashipur is Drona Sagar Lake, steeped in mythological tales from the epic Mahabharata. Legend has it that the Pandavas created this pristine lake as a gift to their guru, Dronacharya, and its waters are believed to be as pure as the sacred Ganga river. Surrounded by lotus flowers and dotted with ancient temples, Drona Sagar Lake offers a serene retreat for visitors seeking peace and a connection to history. Managed and preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India, the lake remains a tranquil oasis amidst Kashipur's bustling surroundings, perfect for contemplation and spiritual reflection.

Exploring Kashipur offbeat places like Giri Sarovar Temple and Drona Sagar Lake promises travelers a unique glimpse into the cultural and spiritual heritage of Uttarakhand. Beyond its well-known attractions, Kashipur captivates with its hidden gems and serene environments, inviting visitors to delve deeper into its historical tapestry and natural splendor. Whether you're drawn to the spiritual sanctuaries or the tranquil lakeside settings, Kashipur offers a memorable journey off the beaten path in Incredible India.

[itihaaskitab]

indus valley civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) is one of the oldest civilizations in the world which started from around 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE and is also known as Harappan civilization. It is widely spread over the vast areas of present-day Pakistan, northwestern India, and northeast Afghanistan. The first sites of this civilization were discovered in the valley of the Indus and its tributaries. Therefore, its name given as Indus valley civilization or Indus civilization.

 The official announcement of the discovery of the Indus valley civilization was made by John Marshall, Director General of Archaeological Survey of India in 1924. This discovery uncovered the India’s important past which was roughly contemporary to the time period of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilization. These 3 are considered as great Bronze Age civilizations. With the static discoveries , different perspectives and views were added by historians in the histography of this civilization led to various debates and discussions among them. The 2 earliest known sites of this civilisation were Mohenjodaro and Harappa now located in Indus valley of present-day Pakistan.

[jobaaj]

The 500-year wait is over! Lord Ram is home!! Check out the full timeline:🔽🔽 - 1528: According to the history books, Babur's general Mir Baq was in charge of constructing the Babri masjid at the place where Lord Ram was born. The old temple was destroyed to construct the mosque.

- 1530-65: Unverified reports suggest communal violence over the Mandir-Masjid debate and Akbar, the then Mughal ruler, set up a common platform for worship. - 1853-85: After almost 330 years, communal violence erupts again. The British Empire sets up partitions and Mahant Das’s plea to build a canopy above the platform is denied. - 1949: The turning point comes when the idol of Lord Ram appears from inside the mosque. According to Muslims, the idol was placed inside the mosque by a radical Hindu outfit. As both parties file multiple lawsuits, the situation gets more complicated.

- 1950-61: Multiple lawsuits are filed and other parties join the fray with both sides claiming the land as theirs. - 1983-1989: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) starts a nationwide move to build a temple and legal tensions flare up. Muslims set up the Babri Masjid Committee and the former VP of the VHP files a suit on behalf of Lord Ram to get possession and the first stone for the temple is laid. - 1990: BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani’s Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya saw thousands of volunteers march as they partially damaged the mosque in a scuffle that left scores dead. - 1992: The bloodiest event in the Mandir-Masjid dispute as Hindu volunteers demolish the mosque and a bloody battle erupts throughout the nation. Over 2,000 were reported dead. A small tent is set up where the idol is placed for worship. - 2002: PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee sets up an Ayodhya cell and the Allahabad HC judges begin determining ownership of the site. - 2003: The Archaeological Survey of India begins surveying the area and a survey reveals the existence of a temple’s remains beneath the mosque. Muslims challenge the findings as tensions continue. - 2010: The disputed land is split into 3 parts where one went to the Hindus, another to the Muslims, and the final one to the Nirmohi Akhara. - 2011: All 3 parties approach the Supreme Court to challenge the Allahabad HC’s judgment and the SC issues a stay on the order. - 2015-18: The SC removes all irrelevant parties from the lawsuit as the matter gets more sensitive during that time. - 2019: After a failed mediation attempt, a five-judge bench announces a judgment in favor of the Hindus, and the Muslims are allotted 5 acres for the construction of another mosque. - 2020: PM Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone for the construction alongside a commemorative plaque and a special postage stamp. - 22nd January 2024: The temple is officially consecrated and Lord Ram, who has been in a tent since 1992, is unveiled for worship in a state-of-the-art temple. Follow Jobaaj Stories (the Media arm of Jobaaj.com Group) for more.

[kashishwrites]

Discovering Bhangarh Fort: India's Most Haunted Place

Nestled amidst the rugged Aravalli hills of Rajasthan, Bhangarh Fort stands as a testament to both architectural grandeur and mysterious folklore. Often referred to as the most haunted place in India, Bhangarh Fort attracts adventurers, history enthusiasts, and paranormal investigators alike. Let's delve into the intriguing tale of Bhangarh, exploring its history, legends, and the eerie aura that surrounds it.

History and Architecture

Bhangarh Fort, located approximately 83 kilometers from Jaipur, dates back to the 17th century. Built by Raja Madho Singh, the fort and its precincts once thrived with life, boasting palaces, temples, and intricately designed structures typical of Rajput architecture. The fort is protected by two prominent gates, the Lahori Gate and the Delhi Gate, each offering a glimpse into the fort's erstwhile glory.

The layout of Bhangarh Fort is marked by ancient temples dedicated to Hindu deities like Gopinath, Someshwar, and Keshava Rai. These temples, along with the royal palace ruins and marketplaces, speak volumes about the vibrant past of Bhangarh as a flourishing town.

Legends and Folklore

Despite its historical significance, Bhangarh Fort is shrouded in dark legends and eerie tales that have become part of local folklore. One of the most popular stories revolves around a curse cast by a wizard named Singhia on the fort and its inhabitants. According to the legend, Singhia fell in love with the beautiful princess Ratnavati of Bhangarh. In an attempt to win her love through magic, Singhia was killed, but not before casting a curse on the entire town, leading to its abandonment and desolation.

Locals and visitors alike claim to have experienced paranormal activities within the fort premises. It is believed that the curse still lingers, preventing anyone from inhabiting the fort after sunset. The Archaeological Survey of India has even put up a signboard warning visitors against staying inside the fort complex after dark.

Visiting Bhangarh Fort

For adventurous souls and history buffs, Bhangarh Fort offers a captivating journey into the past and the supernatural. The fort opens its gates to visitors during the day, providing an opportunity to explore its historical structures, temples, and the scenic surroundings of the Aravalli hills.

The fort's eerie ambiance and its picturesque setting have also made it a popular destination for photographers and filmmakers. The crumbling ruins, overgrown with vegetation, create a hauntingly beautiful backdrop against the backdrop of the surrounding hills.

Conclusion

Bhangarh Fort stands as a testament to Rajasthan's rich cultural heritage and its intriguing blend of history and mystery. Whether you're a history enthusiast, a paranormal enthusiast, or simply a curious traveler, a visit to Bhangarh Fort promises an unforgettable experience. Explore its ancient ruins, immerse yourself in its legends, and marvel at its haunting beauty — Bhangarh Fort is sure to leave an indelible mark on your journey through India.