Hisar: 'Harappan seals' as mementos catching on

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, August 1

Harappan-era artifacts, including seals, jewellery items and human and animal replicas, which were excavated from the Harappan site at Rakhigarhi village in the district, have caught the fancy of the state government as well as private organisations. The replicas, especially of seals, are turning out to be attractive items to be presented as mementos to visiting guests during official events.

Gift impresses Chief Minister

Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Soni had presented a replica of the Harappan-era seal to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during a meeting in Chandigarh. The CM was impressed with the memento, after which the government decided to give such mementos to guests at official events.

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According to an Archaeological Department official, the government had given mementos to the foreign delegates who had attended the G20 meeting in Gurugram recently. Villagers and archaeologists are happy that the Rakhigarhi site, tipped to be the largest Harappan site — even bigger than Mohenjo Daro — is getting recognition at the national and international levels.

A former sarpanch of Rakhigarhi village, Dinesh Sheoran, said it was a good initiative of the government to showcase Rakhigarhi’s heritage at the international level. Sheoran, who played a key role in creating awareness about this ancient site, said private organisations, too, were getting drawn to the replicas from here. “It is not only boosting tourism in the village, but also providing jobs, like preparing replicas and related works to the village residents,” he stated.

Sheoran said the then Rahul, a clay artist who prepares the replicas, and is a resident of Kalwa village in Jind district, informed that he had made nearly 3,000 replicas of seals and other artefacts for the government. “It has also become popular among private organisations and individuals,” he said, adding that the Archaeological Survey of India Training institute at NOIDA had also brought along students so that they could be imparted training in how to make replicas.

Dr Banani Bhattacharya, Deputy Director of the Haryana Archaeological Department, confirmed that the Haryana Government had got the replicas of Harappan items as mementos.

Rakhigarhi is an archaeological site located in the Ghaggar-Hakra river plain and is one of the largest settlements of the Indus Valley Civilisation, dating back to 2600-1900 BCE.