15-Mar-2021: Rakhigarhi is being developed as one of the five identified iconic Archaeological sites
The ancient site of Rakhi-Khas and Rakhi-Shahpur are collectively known as Rakhigarhi, located on the right bank of now dried up Palaeo-channel of Drishadvati. Seven (07) mounds are located here. The site has yielded various stages of Harappan culture and is by far one of the largest Harappan sites in India. The site shows the sequential development of the Indus culture in the now dried up Saraswathi basin.
For development of the sites and its environs, repairing of boundary wall, pathways, public amenities, solar lights, benches are being provided. Excavation is also proposed at the site to showcase the archaeological remains in a holistic manner. In the union budget of 2020 it was announced that Five iconic archaeological sites located across five states will be developed. One of which is Rakhigarhi located in Hissar district, Haryana.
The funds will be met out within ASI Budget allocations.
The expenditure for the current financial year 2020-2021 (Up to 08/03/2021) is Rs. 11,51,763.00/-
27-Feb-2020: Encroachment removal at the Rakhigarhi heritage site
The Union Budget proposes the development of five archaeological sites of Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, Shivsagar in Assam, Dholavira in Gujarat and Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu into iconic sites.
Based on the above proposal, work has already been initiated to develop the Harappan site at Haryana’s Rakhigarhi village as an iconic site and set up a national museum. This will help develop the site as a tourist hub.
The site is currently under Archaeological Survey of India’s protection and the ASI has started planning the project. The ASI has been able to get under its control just 83.5 acres of the 350-hectare site that spans 11 mounds, after first taking over the site in 1996, due to encroachments and pending court cases.
As part of encroachment removal at the Rakhigarhi heritage site, 152 households are being shifted to flats. The proposal of the government has caused both excitement and concern among the residents of the two villages in Haryana’s Hisar district — Rakhi Khas and Rakhi Shahpur — known as Rakhigarhi.
Villagers fear the loss of land, as Centre moves to turn the Harappan site into a tourist hub. The concerns are mainly regarding the issues of rehabilitation of homes.
Rakhigarhi is the site of a pre-Indus Valley Civilization settlement going back to about 6500 BCE. Later, it was also part of the mature Indus Valley Civilization, dating to 2600-1900 BCE. Interestingly, the site indicates both early and mature Harappan phases.
The site is located in the Saraswathi river plain, close to the seasonal Ghaggar river.
Rakhigarhi encompasses a set of seven mounds, and there are many more settlement mounds in the immediate vicinity. Not all of them were occupied at the same time. In January 2014, the discovery of additional mounds resulted in it becoming the largest Indus Valley Civilization site, overtaking Mohenjo-Daro.
The size and uniqueness of Rakhigarhi have drawn much attention of archaeologists all over the world. It indicates the spread of the Indus Valley Civilization east across North India. Notably, only about 5% of the Rakhigarhi site has been excavated so far by the ASI and Deccan College, Pune. Among the major findings from the site were a 4,600-year-old female skeleton, fortification and bricks.
18-Nov-2020: Culture Minister Shri Prahlad Singh Patel hands over Bronze idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Goddess Sita dating back to 13th Century, to Tamil Nadu Idol Wing
Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (I/C) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel handed over the Bronze idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Goddess Sita to Idol Wing, Government of Tamil Nadu at a ceremony held today in ASI Headquarters, Dharohar Bhawan in New Delhi. Senior officials from the Ministry of Culture, ASI and Government of Tamil Nadu were also present on the occasion.
Earlier, on 15th September 2020, these Bronze idols were handed over to High Commission of India in London by Metropolitan Police, London. As per the photo documentation done in 1958, these idols belong to the Sri Rajagopal Vishnu Temple (temple built during the Vijayanagara period) in Anandamangalam in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. As per the investigation carried out by the Idol wing of Tamil Nadu police these idols were stolen from the Sri Rajagopal Vishnu Temple on 23/24 November 1978.
The bronze idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Goddess Sita are the masterpieces of Indian Metal Art and are 90.5 cm, 78 cm, and 74.5 cm in height respectively. Stylistically, these sculptures are dateable to the 13th century AD.
Briefing the media during the handing over ceremony, the Minister highlighted that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, total 40 antiquities have been retrieved from foreign countries to India since 2014 while only 13 such antiquities were retrieved prior to 2014 from 1976.
He congratulated the Archaeological Survey of India, Special Idol Wing, Government of Tamil Nadu, DRI and High Commission of India, London for their continuous efforts in bringing these idols back to the country.
The Minister also announced that as a part of commemoration ceremony of 75th year of Indian Independence, the agencies/applicants working in the areas of Indian Independence movement, life of freedom fighters, Indian traditions, heritage and culture, tourism development and promotion and other issues relating to national importance will be exempt from payments of fees/charges for shooting/photography in different monuments of ASI ( except World heritage sites/ Iconic sites) during the period commencing from the Birth Anniversary of former Prime Minister Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 25th December 2020 to 15th August 2021. The applicants/agencies will need to apply online for permission to carry out such shooting activities.
Background:
In August 2019, High Commission of India, London was informed by India Pride Project that 4 antique idols (Shri Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman), stolen from a temple built in Vijayanagara period in Tamil Nadu and were smuggled out of India, may be to the United Kingdom.
Photo documentation of these three metal sculptures was done in June 1958 at Sri Rajagopal Vishnu Temple (temple was built during the Vijayanagara period) in Anandamangalam in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. There were four idols in this picture - Sri Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman. Therefore, the idols were in the temple till at least 1958 and were later stolen.
Once the idols were verified with relevant records, the matter was taken up with the Art and Antique Unit of the London Metropolitan Police as well as the Idol wing of Tamil Nadu police. The Idol wing of Tamil Nadu police sent a comprehensive report confirming that the theft took place on 23/24 November 1978 from the Sri Rajagopal Vishnu Temple and later criminals were also caught. Based on the photo, these statues were examined and it was found that all these idols were the same which were stolen from the Shri Rajagopal Vishnu temple. The Idol wing of Tamil Nadu police also provided the expert opinion about the match of the idols with IFP photo archive. A detailed report was sent to the High commission of India, London after conducting a proper investigation.
The Art and Antique Unit of the London Metropolitan Police investigated the matter and based on information and documents provided to them, contacted the owner of the statues and conveyed Mission’s request to return the statues as they appeared, prima facie, to be stolen idols from a living temple in India. Subsequently, the Metropolitan Police handed over these statues to the High Commission of India, London on 15th September 2020.
As a result of the continuous efforts of the Archaeological Survey of India, Special Idol Wing, Government of Tamil Nadu, and High Commission of India, London, these statues are now back in the country.
18-Apr-2020: Union Minister for Culture (I/C) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launches the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India in New Delhi
Union Minister for Culture (I/C) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India in New Delhi today . Speaking on the occasion Shri Patel said that India houses a repository of unique Intangible Cultural Heritage(ICH) traditions, 13 of which have also been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The National ICH List is an attempt to recognize the diversity of Indian culture embedded in its intangible heritage. He said that It aims to raise awareness about the various intangible cultural heritage elements from different states of India at national and international level and ensure their protection. This initiative is also a part of the Vision 2024 of the Ministry of Culture.
Following UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, this list has been classified into five broad domains in which intangible cultural heritage is manifested:
■ Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage;
■ Performing arts;
■ Social practices, rituals and festive events;
■ Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe;
■ Traditional craftsmanship.
The present items in the list have been collated from the projects sanctioned under the scheme for ‘Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India’ formulated by the Ministry of Culture in 2013. As of now the list has more than 100elements, It also includes the 13 elements of India that have already been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This national list is a work in progress and may be considered as a draft version. M/o Culture endeavours to update it regularly. Thus, it welcomes suggestions/contributions/amendments to the present content from stakeholders and experts concerned with different intangible cultural heritage practices. Further information on how to contact M/o Culture for the same can be found on its website https://www.indiaculture.nic.in/national-list-intangible-cultural-heritage-ich
It is also hoped that with consultation from experts and other stakeholders like UNESCO, this list could also help strengthen the ICH inventory of India, which functions as a ‘tentative list’ for any potential inscriptions on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
M/o Culture would like to acknowledge the support provided by Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in building this list. It would also like to thank the researchers under the ‘Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India’ whose work has contributed immensely in this list.
10-Feb-2020: Government is compiling a National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage
Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture is the nodal agency for the Scheme for ‘Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India’. As of now, SNA is collaborating with Zonal Cultural Centers of Ministry, collating and preparing a list of ICH elements for National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. List of ICH elements is being compiled and at least 100 elements will be documented by March, 2020 and the aim is to document at least 20 new elements in ICH list every year. Along with this establishment of an ‘Indian Institute for Culture’ is at conceptual stage and a mission called National Culture Mapping portal is being conceptualized for aggregating art forms and artists. It is in pilot phase.