Dear Readers,
Last Sunday I took my students at the Centre for Museuology and Conservation, deptt. of History and Indian Culture to the ancient site of Chandravati near Abu road in Sirohi district of Rajasthan. The levity that one feels while travelling with students is amazing. The journey was a combination of zest and quest for knowledge. All of my co-travelers were responsible, mannered, inquisitive and in short, not a menace. The trip was also a picnic of sorts with long sessions of chatting about the subject and its nuances.
The site was a marvel. Dr. J S Kharakwal is conducting excellent excavations at this once-upon-a-time huge metropolis that reached its peak glory in the early Medieval period. This rich city once was spread over an area of 42 sq. kms. For the reason it was situated on the ancient route connecting Gujarat with Delhi, this city was ran-sacked by several expeditionary armies marching across the landscape. All around the present site lie scattered remains of structures that were once grand temples of handsome style and proportions.
It was for the first time that I was at such close quarters with archaeology. The feel of the tools in your hand and the burning desire inside to keep on digging to find some valuable clue lost in the sands of time is so strong that one looses oneself and all notions of time. The mystery and beauty of this lost city augmented with those serene hills standing aloft nearby, paves a path that connects you to those lost inhabitants of this place and to the warmth of their homes. For a moment, you look around and find yourself in the midst of a chirpy , busy, boisterous city somewhere in the eleventh century CE.....
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