Dholavira amidst Jwalamukhi

Dholavira

       (Exploring the First Trace of Human Existence in India)

Imagine you standing on a soil, where 4500 years ago there were people like you and me have left their mark of existence. Look out at the white desert, close your eyes and feel the air blowing through you.

Such a thought can drag any history enthusiast to serenity of going back to the ages filled with so much mystery.

Bhuj - Dholavira 220km says the blue board, the scorching sun gleaming over us to go for it, the bike roars let’s roll and my heart screamed out DHOLAVIRA!

There we go with bikes filled with its fuel, bags stuffed with our fuel (water bottles and emergency kit) and our hearts filled with zeal to travel. Travel till our hearts stop.

Racing our way towards that day’s destiny was filled with mixed emotions for it being our last bike journey of the trip. Throughout the journey I was ranting, ‘Gujarat is indeed a dry state’. At least the Kutch part of Gujarat is! Before you read any further about my experience of Dholavira, I’d like to give you some basic facts about the place.

Dholavira, an archaeological site at khadir bet of Kutch district. Khadir Bet an Island in the Kutch desert wildlife sanctuary and Great Rann of Kutch resides the most prominent archaeological site in India .The site contains ruins belonging to the Indus valley civilization.  

I suppose the minimal factual information about the place above would be efficient enough for reading any further.

For me the journey to Dholavira didn’t just confine to a long bike ride, it was a journey I longed for. A journey not just confined to reaching the destination shown on our navigators of android, but a journey towards discovering oneself which no android navigators could help me find out.

I could see an empty road ending nowhere, with either sides of the road one gets to experience solidarity where you get a time to think. 

Cruising across the Rann of Kutch Lake. Dried

Think about yourself, for yourself to yourself. The jerks or the speed breakers mattered nothing to my thoughts that were taking its course.

All the Throats dried up, minds exhausted and body almost giving up; doubting our decision for Dholavira was creeping into our already swamped mind.

‘Dholavira-Fossil Park 20km!!!’ shouts my friend from the other bike, almost jumping out from her seat.

Heaving a sigh of relief... And hoping to find some water, we rode our way.

There we entered the village with typical rural houses and old men with white dhoti and pagdi, sitting under the tree, looking at us curiously.

At least that is what I thought!

 A beautiful feeling creeps into me, all I could sense was my dried lips widening itself forming a curve on my face and my mind sensing tranquillity, though simultaneously searching for water and wanting to get off the bike to stretch and rest our limbs.

There were sign boards leading us to the site through the lanes. Entered we through the gates of the site, my friend and I got down the bike stretching ourselves and waiting for our team, whom I chose to ignore to mention about, for I knew I would mention when the time was right. We, a team of 5 travelling our way for a purpose of each concerned wanting to find the lost or discover something new.

‘I found the water cooler! Get your bottles out’ howled Maddy.

After 4 long hours of journey in a scorching afternoon, thirsty and hunger stricken we reach Dholavira.  Drained and almost half dead, we sit at the entrance of the Archaeological museum gulping some of glucose water and almost fighting for which flavour to mix for the next round, entered we to a place decently maintained. The excavated artefacts can be seen in the onsite museum- some of them are quite amazing. It took us about 40mins to look around and have a word with the guard, who was mentioning about not having a decent connectivity which is causing the limitation of tourist visiting this place. But I would be blaming it on the awareness levels about this place which is causing the limitation. I mean how many of us know about Dholavira? 

Inspection at Dholavira Site

When spoken about Indus valley civilization, it is more about the Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro which is now with our neighbour (Pakistan). Dholavira and Lothal (both located in the present state of Gujarat) are the two prominent places in our country is seen the traces of one of the earliest civilization of the world.  Did we really know about them? How well are we maintaining them?

Stomach was growling for it to get fed, and there came Mr. Jamal who was kind enough to take to his place for lunch. 

Mouth Watering Saapaad

His house beautifully built with a Thatch roof and hospitable people living in it and serving us a great meal. Mr. Jamal, a guide was overwhelmed once he got to know we were the students from IITTM, and was showing a great interest to help us out in knowing more about the place. It was our time to enter the main site of excavations done, in which Mr. Jamal also had put in some efforts to help out for the history to unravel.

Jamal Bhai's Patience

A mind boggling excavated site, has a very surreal feel when one thinks of walking around a place which is 4500 yrs old and was inhabited by folks for at least 1500 yrs. Like anything under the universe which has a life cycle of development, growth to decline, this site is said to have gone through seven stages of development, peaking around stage 3 and 4, followed by decay and completely decline by stage 7. The city having a very solid fortifications with the exterior wall being several metres thick, and is divided into the citadel, middle town and lower town. There are numerous of unsolved questions which the guide had tried helping us navigate them. The philosophy of water preservation and the fact that this place has the world's largest ancient step well, speaks volumes about the life and ecology of the place in the past.

Mr. Jamal had been kind enough to put up with us and our questions. He had in return just asked us for only one favour, a favour asking us to write a letter from the ministry of tourism to the archaeological department. According to him, a concerned letter from the ministry would put the archaeological dept into pressure for giving a required attention to the site. There was rush of emotions, empathising the guide for the site was like his own son. A son who was helped in getting excavated by Jamal, who saw the developments of excavation and now witnessing the dearth of maintenance.

Promising to try and give my 100% in helping out this man, and mentally noting down what all should be mentioned in the official letter, we come out of the site.

Packed ourselves for our way back to Bhuj - the main city, we leave the site of excavated with too many things to ponder on. The oncoming 4-6 hours journey had loads of things in it store which is now sealed into the box of what happens in the journey stays in the journey. A Journey of crossing the white desert, crossing the speed, crossing the time, and crossing our hearts we moved forward.

Visit Dholavira to see White Rann (even in September-October)

A journey now when I look back had so much to learn, learn to realise that momentary rush of emotions and empathy makes one a very impulsive being. Which makes me wonder now as I sit down to write, did I really go to a place of discovery to discover myself?

Did I? 

Another unsolved question!