It was almost dark when I finally reached Dholavira. The February evening was not exactly cold, as expected in what can be technically called a desert. The desolation was telling and so was the sense of antiquity that loomed large over this deceptively banal settlement.
The Indus Valley Civilization had always fascinated me. But my schoolbooks only mentioned Harappa and Mohenjodaro, both lost to Pakistan during the partition. Later on I learnt that the extent of that puzzling civilization was not limited to the now estranged sister of India. Among the ones discovered on this side of the border, Dholavira is an excellent option for travellers because it is not merely an archaeological site but a unique geographic formation too.
Dholavira is situated somewhere in the middle of Khadir, a desert island in Northern Gujarat, not far from the Pakistani border. It is surrounded by the salt desert, the fabled Great Rann of Kutch. You have to cross a long stretch through the salty plains before you reach Khadir. But thankfully due to the straight, excellently maintained road, this stretch is a driver’s delight. Once you reach the island, it is not much different from other rustic Western India with its small huts, semi-arid landscapes, thorny bushes, cattle larger than their owners and of course a visible dearth of water sources.
However, the so called island is not a very small one. Especially if you take the bus like me, you will realize that there are villages after villages scattered within Khadir and as the buses are sparse, they feel obliged to cater to every one of them. This is exactly why it took more time than I estimated and left me with barely half a day to explore the place.
Next morning I started early
as I had to catch the last bus from here back to the town leaving at 12:30pm. Determined to make the most of the few hours I had, I surged ahead but soon I was distracted by something completely unexpected. This apparently barren necropolis was full of birds! Especially the morning was an excellent time to catch a glimpse of egrets, Indian rollers, green bee-eaters and many other types of birds I failed to identify. I spent a couple of hours running after them and then to my horror I realized that I do not have much time remaining for my actual target and I also seemed to have lost my way amidst the thick bushes.
Finally after a bit of struggle I arrived at the ruins from the op
posite side of the official entrance. It did not matter though as there was no entry fees or official restrictions whatsoever. Anyways, I was suddenly staring at a gigantic citadel. This is the main structure atop a little hillock but I thought there was still a lot of it waiting underground to be excavated.
Everything I ever read about this civilization was visible here. The ancient drainage system that apparently exceeded the current ones in India was still visible on the lower parts of the hillock. The city was apparently planned like a parallelogram although it will take an aerial view to ascertain the same. But as I walked through the ruins, every conundrum that it threw at us came alive. There were some semi-circular formations at the top. Were they sacrificial altars? Was the small protruding centre an ancient form of Shiv Ling? There was also a large empty tank with stairs leading down to the bottom. One can very well imagine it to be one of those “great baths”associated with the civilization.
The archaeologists have described the design as “Bailey and Castle” spread in the eastern and western ends of the settlement and it is somewhat different from the earlier Harappan sites. Even though most of the parts have worn out, certain potions have been incredibly survived the wrath of time. Especially the bricks on the walls still look very sturdy.
On my way out I visited the small museum at the entrance. The staff was surprisingly helpful and enthusiastic for a state-run settlement. It stored smaller artefacts discovered here including coins, figurines, pieces of pottery and some examples of the Harappan script. The script is yet to be deciphered just as my intrigue is yet to be satiated. I returned as I had to, but with a determination to explore more such sites in the future.
The nearest big town before Khadir is called Rapar. You will get buses till here from Bhuj and other towns. You can find Dholavira bound buses from here easily. Also, in case you are not visiting Bhuj, you can just get down from the train at Bhachau station and take a bus to Rapar. The roads are good and so if you choose to drive your own vehicle that should also be delightful.
The last bust comes back to Rapar from Dholaviraat 12:30pm. If you miss that one, you will have to spend another night.
The government owned Toran Tourist Complex is practically the only option. You can book online or call them to be sure in case you do not want to be stranded out there. Food will also be provided by them and you are unlikely to find any other restaurant either.
Always opt for the winters explore the rann or for that matter any part of Gujarat. Otherwise the heat will be oppressive.
About Author:
“Jitaditya Narzary is a solo backpacker and compulsive cinephile who blogs at: http://travellingslacker.com”
