Why in News?

• Union Budget (2020-21) has proposed to develop Rakhigarhi (Hisar District,Haryana) and 4 other archaeological sites in Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh), Shivsagar (Assam), Dholavira (Gujarat) and Adichanallur in (Tamil Nadu) as iconic sites with Onsite Museums.

1. About Rakhigarhi:

• Rakhigarhi is the largest Harappan site in the Indian subcontinent.
• Other large sites of Harappan civilization on Indian sub-continent are Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Ganveriwala in Pakistan and Dholavira (Gujarat) in India.
• At Rakhigarhi, the excavations are being done to trace its beginnings and to study its gradual evolution from 6000 BCE (Pre-Harappan phase) to 2500 BCE.
• The site was excavated by Amarendra Nath of ASI.

Recent Findings:

• Recently, a study of DNA from skeletal remains excavated from the Harappan cemetery at Rakhigarhi found that the people in the Harappan Civilization have an independent origin.
• This study negates the theory of the Harappans having Steppe pastoral or ancient Iranian farmer ancestry.

2. About Hastinapur:

• Hastinapur is a city in the Meerut district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
• Described in Hindu texts (Mahabharata and Puranas) as the capital of Kuru Kingdom, the city also finds its mention in the ancient Jain texts.

3. About Shivsagar:

• Sivasagar (“the ocean of Shiva”) is a city in the state of Assam, India.
• The city gets its name from the big lake, Sivasagar, situated in the heart of the city.
• The lake was commissioned by the Ahom king Siva Singha.
• This city is surrounded by the Dehing rainforest, where the Dihing (Brahmaputra) and Lohit rivers meet.

4. About Dholovira

• Dholavira is located in Rann of Katch of Gujarat.
• It is the fifth largest of eight major Harappan sites.
• The site was discovered in 1967-68 by J. P. Joshi, of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).