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CHANDIGARH: It was not without reason that master architect Le Corbusier was inspired by the Indus Valley Civilization town planning pattern with straight north-south, east-west alignment of streets. A Harappan site exists in the heart of the city below the Sector-17 commercial complex and excavation work can still be taken up to unearth more details as the site was only 10-15 feet deep.
"I had visited the site that cameto light during construction of ashowroom in Chandigarh as thethen director general of Archaeological Survey of India. It had brought out valuable details with precious artifacts. Istill believe that the local government should have created a basement to preserveit, which would have turned it into a tourist attraction," recalled B B Lal, noted archaeologist and Padma Bhushan recipient, who was in the city to attend a seminar on Harappan Civilization on Saturday.
"But all is not lost. More such sites can be traced as the artifacts were found only 10-15feet below the ground. Who knows, we could end up discovering new facts about the civilization that existed between 2600-2000 BCE. I am willing to offer any advice that Chandigarh may want on the issue," he said.
Ravinder Singh Bisht, joint director general, ASI (retd), said: "Corbusier too seems to have taken inspiration from theexcellent town planning and architecture. The settlement under Chandigarh is believed tohave existed towards later partof the civilization, which lasted between 1900 to 2500 BCE. It was a wonderful culture which had fortification of the settlements with planned streets." V C Sharma, superintending archaeologist, ASI, said the site was in private plots opposite the MC office.
It is widely believed that the ASI and UT closed the chapter after conducting a random survey of the area. It is also alleged that those at the helm feared that further probe mightbecome a hurdle to development of the city.
Harappan site under Sector 17 - The Times of India
"I had visited the site that cameto light during construction of ashowroom in Chandigarh as thethen director general of Archaeological Survey of India. It had brought out valuable details with precious artifacts. Istill believe that the local government should have created a basement to preserveit, which would have turned it into a tourist attraction," recalled B B Lal, noted archaeologist and Padma Bhushan recipient, who was in the city to attend a seminar on Harappan Civilization on Saturday.
"But all is not lost. More such sites can be traced as the artifacts were found only 10-15feet below the ground. Who knows, we could end up discovering new facts about the civilization that existed between 2600-2000 BCE. I am willing to offer any advice that Chandigarh may want on the issue," he said.
Ravinder Singh Bisht, joint director general, ASI (retd), said: "Corbusier too seems to have taken inspiration from theexcellent town planning and architecture. The settlement under Chandigarh is believed tohave existed towards later partof the civilization, which lasted between 1900 to 2500 BCE. It was a wonderful culture which had fortification of the settlements with planned streets." V C Sharma, superintending archaeologist, ASI, said the site was in private plots opposite the MC office.
It is widely believed that the ASI and UT closed the chapter after conducting a random survey of the area. It is also alleged that those at the helm feared that further probe mightbecome a hurdle to development of the city.
Harappan site under Sector 17 - The Times of India
