Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

If you missed Tansen, listen to his descendant

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Abdul Rashid Khan will perform at Sursagar’s ‘Living Legends and Budding Masters’ series at Alliance Francaise on January 30 at 6.30 p.m. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
Abdul Rashid Khan will perform at Sursagar’s ‘Living Legends and Budding Masters’ series at Alliance Francaise on January 30 at 6.30 p.m. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan (107), based in Kolkata, was the oldest living legend to be bestowed Padma Bhushan

He is the direct descendant of Tansen and has been performing for 75 years. He has performed nearly 3,000 concerts and composed 2,000 bandish , which are being sung by leading Hindustani musicians. In 2013, when he was conferred the Padma Bhushan, he was the oldest living legend to be bestowed the honour.

“I am Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan, 107 years young,” declares the maestro jokingly. “Some members of my family have lived up to the age of 110 and beyond,” he says.

Born in 1908 at Salon near Rai Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, Rashid Khan is the son of Chote Usuf Khan of the Gwalior Gharana. He is the 23{+r}{+d}generation of Tansen’s family and traces his ancestry to Surat Sen, one of the maestro’s four sons.

“My father, and uncle Bade Usuf Khan, trained me in a 10-hour schedule that was followed by a four-hour riyaaz (practice) every day for 22 years.

“Only when I touched 30 did my gurus allow me to step on a stage. That was the kind of integrity we followed,” says the Ustad, who once had Zakir Hussain, then 16, playing the tabla.

After obtaining a degree from Allahabad University, Rashid Khan went to Rae Bareli. He performed a slew of concerts in every nook and corner of India. “I have performed at every maharaja’s court in pre-Independent India. Rae Bareli alone had 22 maharajas and each would demand a particular raag ,” he says recollecting the traditional four to five hour concerts that were in vogue then.

In 1991, he was specially invited by the ITC Sangeeth Research Academy in Kolkata to take over as the senior guru. He has been teaching there for the last 25 years. His traditional compositions have been recorded by the BBC and Iraq Radio.

The UP Sangeet Natak Academi and the ITC Sangeet Research Academy have more than 1500 compositions of the ustad in their collection.

And the secret of his longevity?

“All we know is that he prays five times a day,” says grandson Bilal Khan, who accompanies the ustad on the tabla.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – January 29th, 2015

Pages from History : Saint Raidasa of Varanasi

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders

by Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy, former Head, Department of Ancient History & Archaeology, University of Mysore

The other day, my friend K. Chandramouli gave me a copy of his newly- published book Prajwala Kashi. The book is written in Kannada and is highly interesting and throws light on many aspects of Banaras or Kashi. In my busy schedule, I could not read it all these days but last week I took it and completed reading it. It has a chapter on Raidasa or Ravidasa. In the meantime, I also read another book Rosary of Saints by Meera S. Sashital which has a small section on Raidasa. The present account is based upon these two books.

Raidasa was born in 1414 at the village Karahiya near Varanasi. Actually it is very close to Banaras Hindu University. But according to others Raidasa was born near Govardhanapura. The main occupation of this community was to carry the dead cattle out of the village and clean the village. It is said that the child did not drink mother’s breast milk and hence the mother went for ashirvadam from the Saint Ramananda. He blessed the child and gave him the name Raidasa. Ramananda initiated him to the cult of devotion but he continued the work of a cobbler along with his father. Raidasa prepared the footwear and sold it for a song or gave it free of cost to Saints. Parents thought that he would become more responsible and got him married to a girl by name Lona. Finally, his father asked to set up a separate home for himself and his wife and continue the work of preparing footwear.

With the blessings of Ramananda, Raidasa became famous as a religious teacher and his compassion for men and women continued. In his ecstasy, he used to forget taking money from his customers and on such days, they had nothing to eat and survived on water. His wife never complained. One day, a saint came to his house and Raidasa treated him as the guest. He was supremely happy and while going, the saint wanted to give him a magic gem by which he can live happily. His wife came to know of it but without husband’s permission she would not touch it. Finally the saint hid it near the thatched roof. After sometime, the saint asked him about it and Raidasa without any concern replied that it must be there where it was kept by you. I have no desire to possess it. That puts me into the bondage of mundane desires. Hence I did not even look at it.

There is another story like this. His wife, though pious, was enamoured of a diamond studded ornament. A devotee gave it to her and she accepted it. She did not inform her husband about it thinking that it is a trivial matter. This came to the notice of Raidasa. He never rebuked her nor even spoke against her. He simply commented that if only you had half the desire to attain Moksha, you would have been in that blissful atmosphere. Immediately, she threw away that ornament and repented for her ignorance even though she was the wife of Raidasa.

Raidasa was a generous man and used to invite needy people to his house. Most of the time there used to be nothing at home. Raidasa’s wife was never worried because God would take care of the guests. One day four Brahmins appeared and requested her for food. She simply thought of her husband and went to the kitchen and lo! the kitchen had tasty food items in plenty. The four Brahmins had a grand feast and blessed the lady. Raidasa came home after sometime and she narrated all the incidents. He congratulated his wife saying that you are fortunate to have seen and fed the God but that fortune has not dawned on me. I am still a sinner and I have to purify myself further.

Meera Bai was another saint and she had great respect for this couple. Raidasa’s wife wanted to possess a diamond and learning of this Meera Bai sent a diamond to Raidasa. He simply ignored it and it was kept in an insignificant place. Some people wanted to test Raidasa and his wife and asked back the diamond given by Meera Bai. The couple replied we have no idea; it must be there where it was kept, go and search, and take it. It was lying there only. After this incident Meera Bai explained to the devotees the greatness of Raidasa. Thus, he had passed the test of Meera Bai also.

The name and fame of Raidasa increased in and around Kashi. The Brahmins could not tolerate a cobbler becoming famous. So they hatched a plan to humble him. They invited him to a religious debate in which Vedas, Upanishads and Sastras could be discussed. The Brahmins felt that Raidasa was a cobbler and could not utter a word of Sanskrit and hence could be defeated and insulted. The King of Kashi himself presided over the meeting. The learned Brahmins used high flown flowery Sanskrit language and asked questions to which Raidasa gave highly satisfactory answers. The Brahmins were exposed but they deviced another plan.

They brought an image of Shiva and placed it on a pedestal and people sat around. The King ordered that people should win over Shiva to their side. The Brahmins chanted mantras and performed Rudrabhisheka but nothing happened. The King turned towards Raidasa, who closed his eyes, composed some poems and began reciting them. After sometime, he became highly emotional and the image of Shiva marched towards Raidasa and sat on his lap. Everybody hailed Raidasa. ‘I have done nothing; Shiva has been generous to me; that is greatness,’ explained Raidasa. As per the conditiosn, the Brahmins carried Raidasa in a palanquin.

Not satisfied by this, they threw one more challenge on Raidasa. Saligrama (stone) should be thrown into Ganga and the Saligrama of Brahmins will float, they claimed. Raidasa said where do I bring a Saligrama? The stone I use to beat the hide (animal skin) is my Saligrama, he said. Ultimately the real Saligramas went inside the water and the hide beating stone of Raidasa began floating.

The King came to meet Raidasa during the night and requested him to initiate him. At that time, Raidasa was dipping the hide in water; he gave it to him as holy water. But the King did not drink it but his servant drank that water and she got enlightenment. The King fell at the feet of Raidasa and accepted his mistake.

Raidasa’s songs (padas) are full of deep devotion and religious meaning. Actually they are bhajans. These songs have been compiled by his disciples and some of them have been included in Granth Saheb (the Sikh scripture). One of them reads as follows:

Oh Lord, thou are the searcher of hearts

Though the servants of God we know God

Grant me that my body may be thy shine

Ravidasa sees God in everything.

The Queen of Chittore invited all caste people to a dinner but the Brahmins protested. They were made to sit separately when the feast was going on. Every Brahmin felt that by his side was a cobbler and a Raidasa. This miraculous multiplication of himself made the Brahmins feel the greatness of Raidasa. Finally, they all became his disciples.

The final teaching of Raidasa is nearer Upanishads. God is within you; Do not search for him only in temples or other religious places. Search within yourself; He will appear before you. That is the Sanatana Dharma which we have been trying to understand.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / The Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / January 24th, 2015

Is Mumtaz Mahal’s body mummified in Taj Mahal?

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

TajMahalMPOs30jan2015

The mystery surrounding Mumtaz Mahal’s burial at the Taj Mahal has deepened with a book claiming that her body was mummified.

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the 17th century Taj Mahal here in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz who died while giving birth to their 14th child in Burhanpur, a town in what is now Maharashtra.

“The real truth about Taj Mahal was suppressed. If the truth had been revealed when Taj Mahal was being built, it would have become almost impossible to construct the monument,” Afsar Ahmad, author of the controversial e-book “Taj Mahal or Mummy Mahal” (Self-published, 200 pp, Rs.150), told IANS.

The journalist-turned-writer has also disclosed in the book what he claims are several unknown facts related to Mumtaz’s death.

The book has details about Mumtaz’s death and her last few days – and details the mummification of her body. Mumtaz was buried thrice – twice in a depository and then the final one.

But how was her body preserved during the period? Did the Mughals use the method of the ancient Egypt or was it some other procedure? Did the Mughal have a ritual of preserving dead bodies? But the biggest question the book tries to answer is if Mumtaz’s body is still preserved.

Ahmed said he wants to lift the veil and mystery surrounding the death and subsequent burial of Mumtaz.

Shah Jahan’s court writers could have shed light on the entire incident, but they could not do so as they were under instructions not to reveal anything which showed the emperor in poor light.

The author said the reader has the right to know the truth behind Mumtaz’s death and burial.

The e-book also tries to find answers if the Mughal only followed Islamic rituals and the different methods of burial. The book is available on Amazon in the Kindle format.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> National / IANS / Agra – January 28th, 2015

Arts College exhibition a treat to behold

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Lucknow :

Peeping from behind the colourful kites a single leaf enclosed in a fish bowl put up amidst the dried burnt out soil subtly exhorts spectators to think hard over the rampant deforestation. Somewhere near the entrance of the Kala Mela, a poster read, ‘Say it loud even if your voice shakes’ referring to crimes against women. With all things artsy and introspective, the three-day Kala Mela at Arts College began, organised under the Lucknow University’s convocation week.

“We wanted the viewers to not just experience art but also think about issues that govern all our lives, which was the concept we followed in our installation too,” shared Ria Ghosh whose four-member team had set up one of the installation.

With the inauguration of the fair cum exhibit, as many as 2,000 art works of students from both bachelors and masters degree have been put up on display that can be procured too. “The exhibits are in a way to provide the young artists a platform and suitable exposure to find their creative heights,” informed Principal P Rajivnayan.

Kala Mela has an exhaustive amount of artwork and installation ranging from earth work to drawing, painting, sketching, textile design, sculpture, pottery, commercial art, photography, wash painting, ceramic, digital print, jewelry amongst others. The fair will be running till January 20 for all residents to have a piece of art in the city.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / January 19th, 2015

IIT-K 1980 batch reunion begins

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders

Kanpur :

The three-day reunion will end on Sunday. The former students turned up to take part in the alumni meet.

Immediately after their arrival, these IITians shifted focus and moved on the campus which had undergone a major change. Later, they assembled for lunch where they recalled the good old days and shared the memories. They also narrated their experiences of life after IIT.

Ravindra Prakash Dubey, MD of private company, who passed out from mechanical engineering department, spoke about the future of solar energy for drawing power. His company deals in renewable energy. He said that by 2022, the country will be generating 20,000 megawatts of solar power. At present, Gujarat is the only state which is producing 1,000 megawatts of power, followed by Rajasthan. He said that Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh has a capacity to generate solar power, keeping in view the maximum sunlight this area receives. He said that solar energy is the future of the country.

Pradeep D Praiskh, who also passed out from mechanical engineering department, said that he liked PM’s ‘Make In India’ slogan but this could succeed only when the government machinery is made to function properly. He mentioned that no major government project could be a hit unless the government machinery is on right track. He said that PM seems to have a vision for the country.

Another alumnus Pankaj Jalote and his friends had a good time together. Many ex-IITians giggled and had fun. They made the most of their time in enjoying the reunion.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kanpur / TNN / January 10th, 2015

Mughal era museum near Taj soon

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Agra:

A museum dedicated to the Mughal era will come up in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore, and the construction work is likely to begin next year.

The proposed museum will be built near Shilpagram parking on the East Gate side of the monument. The land currently belongs to the state electricity department.

According to information, the project’s funding will be partly taken from the corpus granted by the World Bank under the pro-poor tourism development program. The program is aimed at improving infrastructure for tourists in order to generate revenue and employment in the state. The World Bank (WB) has reportedly loaned out Rs 1,800 crore to the country for the development of the Agra-Braj corridor. Rs 10 crore, amount needed for the building of the museum, will be taken from that amount.

Director general (DG) tourism Amrit Abhijat said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would most likely be signed by the WB, the Central government and the UP government by September 2015. Construction work will start within a year after that. The state cabinet has reportedly given its approval fro the project in principle.

“The museum will have Mughal-era artefacts, armours, textiles and arms on display. The WB wants it to be developed on the lines of international museums. A detail project report (DPR) is under process,” Abhijat said, adding that foreign expertise will be sought to develop the museum.

The DG informed that besides the museum, there is also a plan to create an art gallery to promote trademark products of the city. Stone works, carpets and sweets, especially petha, will be on display at the gallery. There will also be a section from where tourists can buy finished products.

The centre will be built on the lines of Swiss museums, wherein they showcase the intricacies of cheese manufacturing. Similarly, tourists visiting the centre can learn about how carpets have been woven since the time of the Mughals. Petha production will be explained too.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Aditya Dev, TNN / January 13th, 2015

Now, get your photo on postal stamp

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Allahabad :

The Department of Post is all set to allow people to have their photograph on postage stamp meant for official use. This facility will be available at the upcoming two-day Allahabad Philatelic Exhibition (Allaphilex-2015) starting this Friday.

People keen to use the ‘My Stamp’ will have to fill a form and submit it which his/her photograph along with Rs 300. The department will scan the photograph and prepare a postal stamp of Rs 5 denomination. The department will also offer ‘spot clicking’ facility. Later, the applicant would be provided with a sheet containing 12 photographed postal stamps

These stamps could be used to send mail anywhere in the country. However, the facility will be available for living persons only.

Allahabad region’s postal service director Krishna Kumar Yadav said, “Postal department will organize the exhibition at the Art Gallery of North Central Zone Cultural Centre where this facility will be made available.” He further said that this facility is already available in four cities of the state — Lucknow, Agra, Varanasi and Fatehpur Sikri.

He said a number of valuable stamps from around the world will also be displayed in the exhibition. City-based philatelists and those from across the country would showcase their collection of postage stamps and other philatelic materials.

Yadav said that people would also get acquainted with the story behind various stamps. Further youth would be encouraged to develop interest in philately.

During the exhibition philatelic workshops, letter writing, stamp design and quiz competitions would be organized to attract youth and schoolchildren.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / TNN /January 08th, 2015

Our name and recipe was patented in 1995

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, Travel

Tunday kababi wins trademark infringement case

The most popular pit stop for all visitors to Lucknow, be it film stars, politicians or even tourists, is the Tunday Kabab shop. But not just for the outsiders, but for the city folk too, it had become increasingly difficult to differentiate the real from the copies, with kebab shops by the name of Tunday mushrooming all over the city in the last few years. But after Mohd Usman, grandson of the legendary Tunday or Haji Murad Ali won a case filed against him for infringement of trademark by his khala’s (paternal aunt) son, Mohd Muslim, who owns Lucknow Wale Tunday Kababi’s chain of restaurants, all shops bearing the name Tunday and not belonging to Usman had to take their signs down on Monday . They will now have to change the names of their outlets.

Muslim claimed that the name ‘Tunday’ belonged to him and his family and they were the rightful owners of it and anyone else using the name was doing so illegally . But in December 2014, the Delhi High Court declared Usman the rightful owner of the name ‘Tunday’.

The lineage

Haji Murad Ali, a one-handed royal khansama from Bhopal made the Galwati kababs and paranthas world famous and several shops in his name had sprung up in Lucknow and outside of it. Mohd Usman, who holds the patent of Tunday , is Murad’s brother’s son, as Ali himself had no children.

“It was our grandfather who started Tunday . Although I don’t remember much of him but my father tells us tales of how he used to work with one hand. The 109-year-old legacy of our grandfather was being misused and maligned. We had to put a stop to that. Allah has bestowed his blessings on us as we have won the case.It’s nothing else but the blessings of our dada jaan,” says Usman.

The patent and the problem

“We had got the name’Tunday’ patented in 1995, so no one could use the name without our permission or without our franchise. We had also got the secret recipe patented a decade back,” he says, adding, “Mere dada jaan ne, unke baad mere walid saab ne itni mehnat se yeh naam aur iski shaan banayi thi. Hamari origi nal dukaan Chowk mein Akbari Gate ke paas hai, aur 1996 main humne Aminabad wali dukaan shuru ki.”

Not happy with the circumstances that led to this lawsuit, Usman says, “It’s not nice when people within the family fight but I was forced to take this step as it was affecting the reputation of my forefathers. People would come up to me and complain about bad quality food being served at these outlets in our name. Ab main kitne logon ko batata ki yeh asli Tunday Kababi nahi hai?” says he. What also irked Usman was that tourists and celebrities were often taken for a ride, and led to the fake Tunday kabab outlets instead of the original ones.”Kitni baar hum akhbaar mein hi padhte thay ki falan-falan celebrity Faizabad Road ya Gomti Nagar gaya.Yeh log toh tourists ko bhi mislead kar rahe thay,” says Usman. He’s right on the mark. In November 2012, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna had promoted a TV show at the Faizabad Road outlet, which had to remove the Tunday signage on Monday .

Apart from Chowk and Aminabad, the other original Tunday outlets are at Kapoorthala, Alambagh, Kanpur Road, Telibagh, Rahim Nagar and Sahara Ganj.

In August 2014, Usman filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court to prevent anyone from using his grandfather’s name. “Those people – my khala’s family, went to court last year and filed a case against us for trademark infringement and demanded a compensation of 50 lakh from us, but now that they have lost the case, we are demanding a compensation of `20 lakh from them for misusing our grandfather’s name and bringing it ill repute,” says Usman, “Now it’s time for them to get worried,” says he with a smile.

Board of contention

The restaurants in Lucknow that had to take down their signboards displaying the name of Tunday are those in Vivek Khand, Gomti Nagar, Sapru Marg, Faizabad Road, Aashiana, apart from the one in Kanpur and in Raebareli.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Itishree Misra, TNN / January 07th, 2015

Magh Mela begins today with Paush Purnima ‘snan’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

The 44-day Magh Mela is set to begin today with approximately 25 lakh pilgrims, including scores of kalpwasis, expected to take a holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of Yamuna, Ganga and mythological Saraswati, on the occasion of Paush Purnima.

In wake of the expected high turn, the Magh Mela administration and police on Sunday claimed that elaborate arrangements have been put in place for the first holy bath.

Apart from holy dip, donations, charities etc would be the main features of the sacred day. Devotees not only from UP but neighbouring states like MP, Bihar and Jharkhand too have arrived in Sangam City braving the chilly weather conditions. It is believed that all wishes come true on this pious day.

Priests claim “Paush Purnima marks the beginning of a month-long austerity period which is observed during Magha month. Priests further maintained “Purnima thiti began on January 4 at 9:22 am and end on January 5 at 10:23.”

During the entire Magh month, kalpwasis stay on the bank and take early morning bath to earn ‘punya’. The daily bathing starts from Paush Purnima and ends on Magha Purnima. “It is believed that the holy dip on the auspicious day of Paush Purnima liberates the soul from the cycle of birth and death.”

The Mela police and administration have claimed to have put all arrangements in place to ensure basic facilities to pilgrims and devotees arriving for Paush Purnima Snan. Around 3,000 cops, including four companies of para military forces have been assigned the task.

Traffic police would impose restrictions as and when required based on the crowd on the first bathing day. Besides, vehicles’ entry on the mela campus too has been banned.

Meanwhile, officials maintained that over 50,000 kalpwasis would be the main attraction of the day. Separate arrangements have been made for vehicles and pedestrians to prevent chaotic situation on pontoon bridges. Pedestrians would have the first right to walk on pontoon bridges and Sangam area on the bathing day.

Mela authorities also claimed that other facilities in terms of medical & health, transportation, sanitation, bathing ghats, security, fire services, ration distribution, lost & found, potable water, pollution control, milk supply and other civic amenities have been upgraded.

Secondly, elaborate security arrangements have been put in place with adequate police forces, including STF, ATS, bomb defusal squad, anti-sabotage squad patrolling on ghats to ensure safety and security of mela visitors.

Bathing would take place on all 12 ghats with adequate strength of Jal police also being deployed to check cases of drowning. At each and every ghat, barricading has been done and warning boards installed.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Kapil Dixit, TNN / January 04th, 2015

4,000-year-old house found at Baghpat village offers rare clue to Harappan habitation

About Uttar Pradesh, Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Nature, Travel, World Opinion

Meerut :

Here’s something for history buffs to get excited about. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), in excavations carried out at Chandyan village in Baghpat, have found remnants of a house that corresponds to the late Harappan period. The discovery is important since, according to archaeologists, this is the first time evidence of habitation pertaining to that period has been found in the Upper Doab region between Ganga and Yamuna.

The late Harappan phase pertains to the period starting around 1900-1800 BC when the Indus Valley Civilization, popularly known as the Harappan Culture, began to decline. The civilization, which is known for its superior urban planning, is believed to have flourished in the period between 3300 BC to 1300 BC in what is today Pakistan, northwest India and parts of Afghanistan and Balochistan.

Earlier in August, a human skull with a copper crown corresponding to the late Harappan period, was accidentally discovered at a brick kiln site in the village. The ASI started excavating the area on November 27 and found, to its delight, a number of items that pertained to the 4,000-yr-old era. “Till date, we have excavated around 20 burial pots, a pelvic bone of the same man whose skull we had found with a copper crown and a few beads like carnelian, faience and agate. However, the most interesting development, undoubtedly, is the evidence of habitation which was found for the first time. We excavated a mud wall with post holes where wooden pillars were probably fixed to support thatched roofs. We also found multi-level foundations that supported structures in different times,” said AK Pandey, superintending archaeologist, ASI.

4000yearhouseLUCKNOW30dec2014

Incidentally, the Harappan link to the area was established in 2005 when a farmer accidentally discovered a huge burial site at Sinauli village located just 40km from Chandayan. The Sinauli graves are also believed to correspond to the late Harappan period, strengthening archaeologists’ conviction about the latest find. What got them further excited was finding a clue to the period’s habitation, which they point out, happens very rarely. “During excavations, we found about 50 cm of habitational deposits. The chances of finding habitational structures here is quite uncommon because this is a fertile region and over a period of time, cultivators raze structures to the ground for agricultural purposes. But since we have burial sites here, logically, there should be habitational sites as well. If we extend the area of excavation, we might find something more substantial,” said DN Dimri, director of archaeology, ASI,

However, historians say there is a need to exercise caution. “This certainly looks like a habitational site but a lot more needs to be done to thoroughly establish the theories. In fact, instead of terming it a late Harappan site, I would rather call it a post-Harappan site when just a few remnants of the Harappan culture remained. Its antiquity could be anywhere between 1700 BC to 1500 BC”, said RS Bisht, former joint director general, ASI.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Meerut / by Sandeep Rai, TNN / December 28th, 2014