Harappan site under urbanisation threat at Ropar’s Kotla Nihang Khan

The Harappan site at Kotla Nihang Khan near Ropar city is at risk of losing its historical presence due to growing urbanisation.

Discovered in 1929, the site that offered insights into invaluable artifacts has been subject to excavation. The absence of heritage protection policy on private land has caused irreparable damage at this spot. Spread around 500 square metres, the mound at the site was once a vibrant reflection of the Harappan civilisation. Artifacts, including distinctive pottery and terracotta objects, had been uncovered here, giving historians valuable information about one of the world’s earliest urban cultures.

Since the site does not fall under the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) protection criteria and the state lacks regulations for preserving heritage on private land, the Harappan remnants are slowly vanishing.

A gurdwara, built by a Nihang sect, now occupies much of the land where the mound once stood. A small structure is one of the last remaining pieces of the area’s history.

Kotla Nihang Khan was one of the first sites in the region where excavation was done. In 1929, MS Vats, an archaeologist, discovered the site and conducted small-scale excavations, confirming the presence of Harappan culture in this part of the country. The Kotla Nihang site also sheds light on the Bara culture, a late Harappan culture that developed around 2000 –1600 BCE.

Deputy Superintending Archaeologist Manoj Joshi said the Kotla Nihang site, due to its relatively small size, has not been considered of national importance.

As such, the responsibility for protecting the spot lies with the state government. However, due to the absence of preservation laws on private land, the site is at the mercy of developers and private interests.

Ropar Deputy Commissioner Varjeet Singh Walia acknowledged that the site was located on private land. He assured that the matter would be taken up with the state government to explore the possibility of preserving the spot due to its historical importance.

Despite repeated attempts, Minister for Tourism and Culture Tarunpreet Singh Sond could not be contacted.

Meanwhile, Ropar is home to the Archaeological Site Museum, which houses a range of artifacts from the Harappan and subsequent cultural periods, including findings from Kotla Nihang, Bara, Sanghol and Dher Majhra.