Rakhigarhi has been in the news for being the largest site of Sindhu Saraswati or Indus Valley Civilization. So, it had been on my wish list for a while. When I planned my trip to Agroha, we also took a detour to visit Rakhigarhi.
I remember reading about Harappa and Mohenjodaro in history textbooks in school. The joy of watching the dancing girl of Harappa in the National Museum in Delhi was my only connection with those history lessons. Then I visited Lothal which showed me the microbeads and the earliest known port.
It is not easy to visit Rakhigarhi as the site is being actively excavated. However, the excavation happens in a small window that the weather conditions allow.
Where is Rakhigarhi?
Rakhigarhi is in the Hissar district of Haryana, not too far from the city. Although the name Rakhigarhi has gained prominence, the site is spread across two villages primarily – Rakhi Khas and Rakhi Shahpur. It is a huge site, bigger than any archaeological site that I have seen. ASI board tells me that it is spread across 500 hectares.
It is in the planes of the Ghaggar River which today is about 25 km away from the site. Historically, it is identified to be along the ancient Drishtawati River which formed the boundary of the ancient Kurukshetra. Today it is identified as Chautang River.
As we entered the village, I was reminded of my childhood in similar small towns in Punjab. It was almost like time travel when you go through narrow lanes where people are sitting out and chatting. They try their best to help you with the directions, maybe wondering what is there in those ruins.
Rakhigarhi Archaeological Site
Though the first excavations took place in 1969 CE, the major work on this site was done since the late 1990s. Since then, the excavations have been carried out consistently. Overall, ASI has identified 11 mounds for excavation named RGR-I to the RGR-XI.
It is believed to be a major metropolitan or urban center of the Indus Valley Civilization. Evidences suggest its occupation from the initial to the mature phase of the civilization with dates ranging from the 5th to the 3rd millennium BCE.
RGR-II at Rakhigarhi
We first landed at the entrance of RGR-2. A red sandstone board duly gave us the information about this site. We entered the mound which was just a mound with a slight incline, not too difficult to climb.
The excavations here were done and the mound closed again. It was probably a citadel with an enclosure wall and cells for guards to stand and guard it. Other structures unearthed here suggest a marketplace, some podiums, granary to store grains, large housing complexes, streets, deep dug wells, and a sophisticated drainage system.
Artifacts discovered from this site also include jewelry, dice, everyday-use items, and instruments made of semi-precious stones, terracotta, and bones.
As we walked around this mound, looking for hints of any of these, we found nothing much except the mound with a million mysteries hidden inside it.
RGR-III
RGR-III is located bang opposite RGR-II on its eastern side in Rakhi Shahpur. This is a mound that is 12 meters high and here the excavations are still being carried out. Though, in January they were on a pause. As we walked towards the mound, we could see a huge shed protecting the site, which is pretty much open. Thankfully so.
I can not describe the awe-inspiring moment when we saw the open mound where the pottery and the skeletons of our distant ancestors could be seen in plain sight.
The excavated site was right next to a village house. As we walked around, a security guard posted there started talking to us. He showed us the pieces of terracotta bangles scattered around there. Holding them in my hands, my mind went back to all the museum displays I have seen many similar terracotta bangles and jewelry. I was holding a piece of history.
He said these kinds of items keep popping up in the fields there. All the good ones have been acquired by the ASI for putting up in museums, including the site museum at Rakhigarhi.
ASI board told us that this mound has revealed both burnt bricks and sun-dried bricks used for structures. This includes a massive mall, open drainage, kilns, hearths, dug wells, and wedge-shaped burnt bricks. Artifacts recovered include terracotta toys, household items, and shell items.
We could find so many bangle pieces and terracotta utensils scattered around the site. You wonder about the number of people who inhabited this Mahanagari of our ancestors. In the open site the walls, well, pots, and skeletons were clearly visible. In the multi-story structure, you can see thick walls as well as drainage outlets.
Other Mounds and Site Museum
We could not visit the other mounds and we were told they were all closed. For the museum, we were too late in the evening, hopefully, there will be another time to visit the heritage site.
As we walked around the village, we could see the layers and mounds that may be holding stories of a glorious developed past, the kind that we are trying to create.
You can also visit Lohari Ragho – another ancient mound close by.
Agroha Dham also has an ancient mound that was on the ancient trade route.
Important finds of Rakhigarhi
The DNA analysis of the skeletons from Rakhigarhi has helped de-bunk the Aryan Invasion theory as it shows no traces of ancestry from outside India.
Archaeologists have found traces of the pre-Harappan era as well, making it both the oldest and the biggest site.
Being an urban center, the heritage site is surrounded by many other archaeological sites of the importance of its times.
Fortifications, paved roads, drainage systems, granaries for storage, rainwater collection mechanisms, terracotta artifacts, and metal objects in copper, bronze, and gold indicate a highly developed urban city. It was also on a trade route linking the west and the east. Weights are like other Indus Valley sites and so are seals.
Statues indicate the development of art. Hunting and fishing tools have been found.
Skeletons were found with heads facing North. Female skeletons wore shell bangles.
Fire Altars point to the practice of worship.
Traces of cotton cloth have been found.
Travel Tips
- Rakhigarhi can be visited from Hissar or Agroha
- There are no tourist facilities. Google Maps will take you there easily
- ASI boards outside the mounds give you ample and authentic information
- The best would be to visit when the ASI team is carrying out excavations. However, I do not know how to connect with them to witness the excavation.
- If the site is not open, there is nothing much you would see at the site like we did at RGR-II
