Dholavira
is an ancient town situated in the state of Gujarat. It lies on the
North West corner of the Khadir Island and stands surrounded by water in
the monsoons. It was discovered in the year 1967 AD. The ruins of the
settlement found here are believed to be more than 5000 years old. These
excavation sites are one of the largest Harappan sites in India. If you
are interested in knowing about the ancient history and the primordial
civilization of the country then Dholavira is the perfect place for you. The town is situated at a distance of 445 km from Ahmedabad, making it easy for you to travel to the place. You can reach the place by road or by air via Ahmedabad. The peak time for Dholavira tourism runs from November to March. The ruins of the ancient town serve as a proof of the fact that the initial dwellers of the place were people from the Indus valley. As usual, a planned city has been excavated, which is built according to a geometric plan. The city is divided into the citadel, the middle town and the lower town.
It is estimated that Dholavira is even older than the port city of Lothal. The excavations conducted here came up with a number of ancient artifacts, like seals, beads, animal bones, gold, silver, terracotta ornaments and vessels linked to Mesopotamia. There is even evidence that the town was an important trade center between other settlements in Sind, Punjab and Western Asia. The most fascinating discovery of Dholavira is the large inscription, comprising of ten letters in the Indus script. Each letter has been engraved on slices of crystalline material.
