Unique historical treasures of India to be on show

New Delhi: Some of the rarest archaeological finds in India in the past half a century - including one dating back 1.5 million years - will be on display at a month-long exhibition starting here Wednesday.

In what is seen as a unique way to open up India`s historical treasures to the people, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is showcasing under one roof, for the first time, some of the greatest finds since 1961. The exhibition will also mark the ASI`s 150th year. "The exhibition will bring alive the sequence of human creativity in the Indian context and help rediscover India," Gautam Sengupta, who heads ASI and is highly regarded for his archaeological expertise, told IANS. The ASI, founded in 1861 during the British Raj, had organised a path-breaking exhibition of its work when it completed 100 years in 1961. It was inaugurated by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The exhibition which begins at the National Museum near India Gate here Dec 27 and ends Jan 31 will focus on the next 50 years of ASI during which it is confident of making enormous strides, backed by advanced technology and a multi-disciplinary approach. On display will be an array of priceless tools, seals, implements, artifacts, pottery, figurines, sculptures, ornaments and inscriptions unearthed from all over India. There will also be maps, photographs and other textual panels to support the objects on display and to help visitors appreciate the significance of these objects and their relevance to the understanding of India`s past. "Some of the treasures on display have already led to a rethink on many of the earlier inferences pertaining to our pre-history and history," said Sengupta. There will be stone tools that date back 1.5 million years, bone implements, the only portrait of Emperor Ashoka ever excavated, a 6th century stone image of Lord Vishnu, a 4th century stone statue of Mahishasuramardini, and an elegant 13-14th century Garuda in bronze. Also seen will be a 9-10th century Standing Buddha that was discovered in Bodh Gaya but which had been illegally exported to the US, where it was confiscated and sent back to India. Another attraction will be the now rusting iron implements of 1000 BC found in Kottayam district in Kerala. The archaeological treasures have come from Bhimbetka and Sirpur (Madhya Pradesh), Burzhom and Gufkral in the Kashmir Valley, Harappan sites at Dholavira (Gujarat) and Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Mathura and Vaishali (Bihar), besides many other places. Chinese porcelain of the Sultanate period (1206-1526) discovered in the Feroz Shah Kotla area in Delhi would be one of the major attractions. "Whatever we have done in the past 50 years has thrown ample light on understanding our own past," explained A.K. Sinha, a director in ASI. The major discoveries by the ASI between 1961 and 2011 include the earliest ploughed field, the dockyard at Lothal, gold ornaments in Gujarat as well as Uttar Pradesh and a Harappan water harvesting system. In all, 307 antiquities, including four replicas, will be on display. The ASI has taken 3,200 square feet of space at the National Museum. "Many of the excavations force us to rethink how our culture evolved," Sinha said. Architect A.R. Ramanathan has helped the ASI mount the exhibition in a very short period of less than a month. "The exhibition is very significant since the treasures which have been brought under one roof may never get to be viewed like that again," he said. "The National Museum has been kind enough to give ASI their temporary exhibition hall. However, a larger space would have allowed ASI to display representative treasures more comprehensively." IANS