ASI begins fresh probe at Kashipur — a site believed to have Mahabharata link, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has initiated a new excavation at a 90-acre mound in Kashipur, Uttarakhand.
• The site is believed to have connections to the epic Mahabharata and the 6th-century Chinese scholar Xuanzang.
• Local legends identify Kashipur as the training ground of Guru Dronacharya, with Drona Sagar Lake built by the Pandavas as 'guru dakshina'.
• The current excavation, which commenced recently, is slated to continue until March.
• Previous probes at Kashipur have uncovered temple complexes dating from the Gupta to early-medieval periods and pottery from the Painted Grey Ware era.

ASI Excavation.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• Kashipur is historically identified with Govisana, a significant city visited and documented by Xuanzang during his travels in India.
• Alexander Cunningham, the first Director-General of the ASI, played a crucial role in identifying Kashipur as Govisana in the 19th century and tracing large ancient structures there.
• Earlier ASI excavations in 1939-40, 1965-66, and 1970-71 revealed a temple constructed in three phases, initially a soil-brick platform during the Gupta period.
• The current archaeological endeavor aims to scientifically validate previously retrieved artifacts and establish a comprehensive cultural sequence of the site.
• The presence of pottery from the Kushan, Gupta, and Medieval periods suggests continuous human habitation in the region over millennia.
• The Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture found at Kashipur is strongly associated with early advanced civilizations of northern India and the Mahabharata period.
• Noted archaeologist B.B. Lal famously linked the discovery of PGW at Hastinapur to the historical sites and chronology of the Mahabharata.
• Recent findings, including brick structures and a circular formation, have reignited archaeological interest in Kashipur's ancient narrative.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): The premier Indian government agency responsible for archaeological research, excavation, and the conservation of cultural heritage.
• Painted Grey Ware (PGW) Culture: An Iron Age culture (c. 1200-600 BCE) in the Indo-Gangetic plain, characterized by distinctive grey pottery with black geometric patterns, often linked to the Mahabharata period.
• Xuanzang: A 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk and traveler who extensively documented India's geography, culture, and Buddhist sites, including Govisana (Kashipur).
• Alexander Cunningham: A British army engineer and the first Director-General of the ASI, widely regarded as the "Father of Indian Archaeology" for his pioneering work in identifying ancient sites.