Rakhigarhi: 8,000-year-old civilisation battles modern neglect

Rakhigarhi, the age-old Harappan site near Hisar, received two interesting visitors two days ago -- Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The two inaugurated a rest house, a hostel and a cafeteria at the site, which was recently completed at a cost of Rs 20 crore. They also directed the officials to expedite the work on the ambitious project of a museum which is being built to showcase the excavated items and artefacts recovered from the site. They also saw the excavated items at display in an exhibition.

About 60 km away from Hisar town, Rakhigarhi is acknowledged to be the largest known site of the Harappan or Indus-Saraswati civilisation – even larger than the famed Mohenjo-Daro, now in Pakistan. It contains the evidence of human history that is as long as 8000 years old.

But despite its historical stature and global significance, the site today finds itself at a crossroads between preservation and destruction. It was declared a protected Archaeological Site of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1996, spread over the twin villages of Rakhi Khas and Rakhi Shahpur. Both villages are jointly known as Rakhigarhi.

But ground reality has a habit of intruding, occasionally. At Mound Number Four, heaps of garbage visibly degrades the magic of the protected site. Some areas are being used to bake cow dung cakes, while encroachments and illegal constructions continue unchecked.

People still reside at Mounds Number Two, Three and Five, even as all seven mounds spread over 550 hectares have been declared protected sites by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Many have refused to move into the concrete houses built for them in the village by the state government.

“This site is almost double the size of Mohenjo-daro,” said Prof. Vasant Shinde, former Vice Chancellor of Deccan College, who led major excavation efforts between 2014 and 2016. “Out of the 550 hectares, only about 40-50 hectares now remain undisturbed. The rest has been heavily encroached upon by farming and construction,” he had earlier told The Tribune.

Significantly, over the decades of excavations, the mounds have yielded a wealth of findings, from human skeletons to household tools, kilns, drainage systems, and terracotta artefacts.

The archaeologists believe that this site has immense potential which could break new ground and revolutionize the understanding of ancient human settlements. All is, clearly, not lost.

“Earlier, villagers were indifferent to the archaeological work. Now, there’s curiosity and pride,” said Dinesh Sheoran, former sarpanch of Rakhigarhi. “We are eager to learn if we are descendants of the people who lived here 8000 years ago.”

Sheoran said the villagers have now realised the academic as well as tourism potential of the site.

“Now, almost all the villagers are sensitive towards the site. They want the government to develop the region so that it can become a hub of archaeological experts and tourism,” he added.

Experts point out that without active conservation, community engagement, and immediate government intervention, Rakhigarhi risks losing the very essence that makes it an unparalleled link to our ancient past.