Rakhigarhi museum in Haryana to be world class

Rakhigarhi Museum in Narnaund village of Hisar district set up by the Haryana government is going to be completed by December 2018 and will be destination of world class tourism.

Facts :

• The Rakhigarhi Indus Valley Civilisation Museum(IVC), with a research center and hostel for researchers, is a being built in Rakhigarhi village in Hisar district of Haryana state.
• A 2017 joint roundtable conference by Rasika Research & Design, INTACH, Center for Art and Archaeology, Sushant School of Art and Architecture at Ansal University and Deccan College affirmed the whole 550 hectares Rakhi Garhi IVC archaeological site a living museum.
• Rakhi Garhi site with 550 hectares (1,400 acres; 5.5 km2; 2.1 sq mi) area is the largest IVC site in the world, which is about double the size than that of next largest site Mohenjo Daro.
• The museum would have on display various items excavated at Rakhigarhi Indus Valley Civilisation Site.
• There will be construction of road for bye pass on the back side of the Museum.
• The IVC site is now under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India.
• A seal of a tiger excavated from site could be the logo of the museum to be set up at Rakhigarhi.

Background :

• In 2013-14 financial year, the Rakhigarhi village panchayat had donated 6 acres (2.4 ha) land to Haryana State Archaeology Department.
• Government of Haryana had allocated ?25 million for the general development of the site by Archaeological Survey of India to prepare it for the construction of the Rakhigarhi Indus Valley Civilisation Museum-cum-Interpretation Centre.
• In 2015-16 financial budget, Government of Haryana allocated initial amount of ?50 million for the construction of Museum-cum-Interpretation Centre.
• The Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar unveiled the plaque for the construction of museum on 2 March 2016.
• In 2016-2017 financial year, construction gained pace after the Government of Haryana had finalized the site plan, taken possession of the land and released a further grant of ?230 million in May 2016.
• The project saw some delay when the design of the museum was changed and a court case affecting the Museum block, though the design and the progress of construction of three remaining blocks remains unaffected. Govt has given INR 24 million funds, of which INR 14 million tender is for the museum site to be completed within 21 months (Dec 2018) from the contract award date of 27 Nov 2017.
  
  

Excavations from Rakhigarhi Valley Civilisation Site :

• In 1969, site was first studied and documented by Dr. Suraj Bhan, Dean of Indic studies at Kurukshetra University.
• In 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000, site was excavated for the first time by Dr. Amrender Nath, former director of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• The excavations from site reflected signs of drainage at Rakhigarhi and revealed that in even those times there used to be drains along streets and roads in addition to houses.
• Terracotta pipes used for drainage had also been found while the excavations included utensils, human skeletons and images of ox, cow and buffaloes and ornaments made of stones, stone statues and weapons made of bones.
• Finding of clay toys of cattle made one believe that during those days people used to worship them.
• An important seal of Rakhigarhi depicted a composite figure of a man, bull, unicorn, elephant and tiger.

Analysis :

• The museum which is under construction in Rakhigarhi of Hisar district, will become the pride of Haryana leading to making Narnaund area as a destination of world class tourism.
• The 3D film created on the museum should be shown to the children, the elderly and the villagers of Rakhigarhi to make them aware that they are residing in an important historic place.
• Rakhigarhi has unique treasures of Vedic civilization and history of mankind of Harappan period.
• A large number of people across the globe would come to see this world-class magnificent museum Rakhigarhi to know the history of human civilization and the journey so far.
• It will make the Narnaund region a world-class tourist destination.

By: Harman Sandhu