Historical Importance of Dholavira: UNESCO Heritage Site

When Dholavira Archaeological site in Gujarat was declared UNESCO World Heritage site on July 2021 I had this secret desire to leave my footprints in this prehistoric site as well. Lessons on historical importance of  Dholavira flashed on my mind on hearing its new status. It was ‘a dream come true’ moment when I got call from Gujarat Tourism board to be a part of Bloggers’ team to visit and write about Dholavira Harappan Site of Indus Valley Civilization.

Travel blogger: Indrani Ghose
Updated on November 2024

With this prologue I present to you the highlights about my walk through the prehistoric ruins of Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) in Kutch Gujarat. Dholavira archaeological site is the larger of the two Harappan-era city in India.

Ruins in Dholavira Harappan Site in Gujarat

History of Dholavira Harappan Site

Discovery of Dholavira Site

Harappan ruins existed at this site since 3000BCE (Before Common Era). This particular hillock was hardly inhabited and few patches here and there were used for farming and grazing for animals. It was during one of those tilling of grounds here that threw up pottery remains and the like. Archaeologist Jagat Pati Joshi was working in nearby site Ropar. He was informed of these findings by the farmers. After inspection and radiocarbon dating on the findings, he confirmed they belonged to Harappan times.

Thus JP Joshi is credited as the one who discovered of Dholavira site in 1968.

The nearest village to this was the village Dholavira and thus the site took over the name Dholavira Harappan Site.

It took some more years for the excitement to build up around this discovery and some more tests and carbon dating on the finds after which serious excavations started here.

Indus Valley Civilization

This guide to Dholavira tourism will be incomplete without the mention of Indus Valley Civilization and how they are connected.

Isn’t it exciting to think that long long back, almost 7000 years ago (3300 BCE – 1300 BCE), a civilization existed that boasts of city planning, efficient drainage systems, far-reaching trade network, artistic and technological expertise?! Indus Valley Civilization was all of these.

As per carbon-dating of fossils obtained from the sites, Indus Valley Civilization is ranked among the earliest civilizations in human history.

The Indus Valley Civilization covered an area of approximately 1.25 million sq.km., including much of modern-day Pakistan, north-western India and northeast Afghanistan. It is hard to nail the figure as more and more sites are being unearthed. However, the Indus Valley Civilization is counted as one of the largest ancient civilizations, comparable in size to the contemporary civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Dholavira Indus Valley Civilization Map

Dholavira Harappan Site – Map and Signboard

Why is Dholavira famous?

Dholavira’s fifth-place ranking in terms of size underscores its significance as a major hub within the Indus Valley Civilization, renowned for its architecture, civic infrastructure, and insights into Harappan life. The four preceding IVC sites are:

1. Rakhigarhi (Haryana, India): Approximately 350 hectares, significant as largest known IVC site, with multiple mounds and evidence of extensive settlement
2. Mohenjo-Daro (Sindh, Pakistan): Estimated at around 300 hectares, known for its advanced urban layout, Great Bath, and significant archaeological finds.
3. Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan): Approximately 150 hectares, most popular as it The site that gave the civilization its name. Harappa site is notable for its granaries, urban planning, and artifacts.
4. Ganeriwala (Cholistan Desert, Pakistan): 80 hectares, this is comparable to Mohenjo-Daro, though less excavated. It is a large, important site with potential insights into trade and urban life.

All about Dholavira site

Let us now get the facts and figures about Dholavira Archaeological site.

The size and shape of Dholavira site

It is one of the nine Harappan sites in India. Dholavira is ranked as most prominent, second largest Harappan archaeological site in India and fifth largest in world belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. This ancient city is HUGE measuring 120 acres and is shaped like a quadrangular city.

Here’s a list of Harappan sites in India based on size, from the largest to smaller notable sites:

1. Rakhigarhi (Haryana) – Approximately 350 hectares
2. Dholavira (Gujarat) – Approximately 120 hectares
3. Lothal (Gujarat) – Approximately 7 hectares
4. Kalibangan (Rajasthan) – Very small, measures- 130m on the east–west axis and 260m on the north–south.
5. Banawali (Haryana)
6. Surkotada (Gujarat)
7. Ropar (Rupnagar, Punjab)
8. Bhirrana (Haryana) – Smaller than the sites above
9. Alamgirpur (Uttar Pradesh) – Again, smaller than the ones above

These rankings provide a sense of the scale and importance of the Harappan sites in India, with Rakhigarhi and Dholavira being the most expansive and historically crucial within the subcontinent.

Where is Dholavira located?

This, once prosperous Harappan site lay between two seasonal streams, the Mansar in the north and Manhar in the south. Dholavira is located on Khadir Bet Island in the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in the Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Another significant landmark is Dholavira archaeological site lies on the Tropic of Cancer.

If you are doing a Gujarat tour and plan to visit Dholavira know this distance chart:
closest tourist destination to Dholavira Harappan site is Dhordo, a distance of 88 km
the distance between Dholavira and Bhuj is 130 km
distance of Dholavira from Ahmedabad, this is around 340 km
from Rajkot, Dholavira is at a distance of 259 km by road
Jamnagar is at a distance of 288 km
the distance between Dwarka to Dholavira is 433 km by road (take a train or make halts at Jamnagar, Dhordo and Bhuj).

How the site got its name – DHOLAVIRA?

Dholavira has taken its name from a village 1 km south of Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kachchh District, in the state of Gujarat in western India. The site is also known locally as Kotada Timba.

Curious about what was found in Dholavira?

Like me, you too will be amazed to know what was found in Dholavira site.

Systematic excavations started here in 1990 and went on till 2004. Remains of a big factory of making pearls has been found in this town that has stunned historians all over. Copper distilleries, well-planned water management system, water tunnels (through which water once flowed, but now dry and empty), fortified citadels with brick homes, state-of art granaries and more were excavated from the archaeological remains here. The excavation work is still on in some parts of the site and the world is waiting what more treasures will be found in Dholavira.

Among the fossils found in Dholavira are the gems and coins, broken worn out artefacts like terracotta pottery, beads, gold ornaments, seals, fish hooks, animal figurines, copper tools and urns all now kept in the Dholavira Archaeological Museum. During my walk there, I too spotted broken bits of perforated jars, terracotta pots and parts of skeletons.

Several vessels and artefacts collected here indicate a different style hinting at trade connections with countries and civilizations far away like that of Mesopotamia.

10 large stone inscriptions, probably some letters of Harappan script were found near the Ceremonial Ground. They are not deciphered yet, but are assumed to be some kind of signboard.

During excavations no human remains have been found at Dholavira in Kutch. This is not the case when compared to other Harappan towns in Gujarat, such as Lothal.

Dholavira Symbols – A 10 lettered signboard was found in the western chamber of North Gate of Castle, (c. 2500-1900 BC). It is not deciphered yet what the symbols exactly meant. The “wheel-form” symbol appears four times in the signboard. Could it be similar to the alphabet ‘E’, the most commonly used alphabet in English?

Parts of Dholavira Site:

Know the parts of the site, this will help you to plan the tour of the site well. Our guide right at start of the tour drew the broad outline of the Dholavira Harappan site on ground with a stick. Once more, though so late in life, I felt I was in a classroom. The town of Dholavira is divided into three parts:

1. Raj Mahal, The Citadel of the Raja/Ruler situated on an elevated platform. It was surrounded by strong fortifications all around. There were four gates in this fort. This is the highest and most fortified part of Dholavira. It is believed the citadel served as the administrative and the ceremonial centre of the city. Take time to notice and capture the robust walls made of stone, wide streets, and large structures; proofs enough to indicate it was home to the ruling elite or administration.
2. The Middle Town – Located adjacent to the citadel, the middle town functioned as a buffer zone between the citadel and the lower town. The fortifications and residential and administrative structures indicate it was likely occupied by officials, merchants, and skilled artisans. These habitats of other officers had two to five rooms, and also had a protective wall.
3. The Lower Town – The largest part of the city clearly meant it for the general populace. The residential blocks were smaller but had systematic layouts, narrower streets, and public spaces. If you fail to notice on your own the provisions for drainage, water management, and public amenities take the guide’s help.

Map of Dholavira Harappan site

Timeline of Dholavira History

Dholavira has long span of being inhabited by humans. It is categorized in to seven stages from the rise to maturity and finally the fall of the civilization.

• Stages I to III belong to early Harappan (3000 – 2600 BCE).
• Stages IV and V stretched from 2600 to 1900 BCE. Stage VI is the late Harappan period from 1900 to 1600 BCE.
• Stage VII belongs to post urban Harappan from 1600 to 1500 BCE. After which the place was completely abandoned. It is believed a long 150 years of drought period completely finished the human race here.
• In Dholavira, the city shrunk to one third its original size in the sixth stage and habitation was restricted to Middle Town.
• By seventh stage the populated area shrunk to Castle and Bailey. People lived in circular houses which are similar to traditional Bhunga houses of Kutch region that can be seen today.

Evidences of Trade

Mesopotamian trade records in the form of cuneiform tablets from the Akkadian Empire (2334–2154 BCE) and the Ur III period (2112–2004 BCE), contain references to Meluhha (Harappans) as a significant trading partner. These texts describe goods such as carnelian, lapis lazuli, ivory, gold, and exotic woods that were imported from Meluhha, which matches the resources known to have been traded by the Indus Valley Civilization.

Another piece of possible evidence that points to the people of Meluhha as being Proto-Dravidian is the fact that sesame oil believed to be exported to Mesopotamia by the Harappans, was known as ilu in Sumerian and eḷḷu in Akkadian. from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meluhha

Archaeological finds from sites like Dholavira, Lothal, and Mohenjo-Daro show the presence of Mesopotamian artifacts such as seals, beads, and pottery styles, supporting the notion of extensive trade networks. Such strong interdependency could be one of the factors that led to decline of both civilizations almost around the same time.

Circular houses in Dholavira Harappan Site Gujarat

Highlights of Dholavira Harappan Site

Walk through the site shows an imposing citadel in the centre, with a middle and lower town. Mind you there are no standing structures only plans and foundations remain. It is amazing to note that the structures recovered were made with pleasingly smooth structures of stone masonry. Most Harappan sites discovered have structures made of stone chiselled to brick shape as there was lack of water and abundance of stones. I actually ran my palm across the smooth surface of the displayed stone there, to feel it, as if only seeing wasn’t convincing enough.

Bi-concave Pillars

As the guide explained further I was amazed at the incredible town planning that existed in those days. Well laid out lanes crisscrossed the parts of the town systematically from the citadel. The houses were made round shaped to prevent damage from earthquakes. And this was only the topmost layer. Underneath our feet lay four more layers.

Harappan civilization progressed from to maturity to decline. Evidences of these stages are found in the different layers they excavated. Many parts that were dug up for studies have been refilled and left underneath. This is to protect them from further damage and erosion, also due to lack of funds for maintenance and upkeep of the sites.

A well-constructed underground drainage system for sanitation is a mute proof of the engineering skill that existed then. It has dimensions of height six feet. Till date Dholavira holds the record of having the world’s earliest water conservation systems ever excavated. Our guide who is a native of this site said that in his childhood days he and his friends would walk through these tunnels without realizing the significance of it.

The tunnel ended here

Castle and Bailey together formed the citadel; our walking tour was mainly through this area, Upper Town, the water channels, reservoirs and North Gate. Beyond the citadel lay the Middle Town and then the Lower Town which has several residential blocks, then the wall and finally the cemetery. The whole site is rectangular in shape and covers an area of 54 acres.

Ceremonial Ground – An area in Middle Town identified as stadium. Partially excavated arena with seating arrangement, a huge stadium with a complex structure is testimony to the fact that sports and games were conducted on a large scale. Parts of it are still not excavated. The empty space was probably used for festive occasions, ceremonial functions or as a market place.

This the edge of Citadel. You can see the ceremonial ground and parts of amphitheater (bricks at a distance).

Check Dams – Many of the ancient civilizations flourished on river banks. In Dholavira there were just two streams which was the main source of water. There are evidences of several check dams across the nullahs (streams) Manhar and Mansar to divert water into the reservoirs.

East Reservoir – There are 16 reservoirs in the site, among them the east reservoir is the largest, grandest and best furnished reservoir. At three corners there are a flight of 30 steps. Excavators found a rock-cut well with steps and stone made enclosure inside the reservoir. They also found evidences of performance of rituals, broken figurines, complete unicorn figurine and thus concluded the reservoir to be of high importance.

Their well developed reservoirs, drainage systems, small baths are a proof of how they conserved water. Without these the settlement would not have thrived in the sparse rainfall of the desert.

East Reservoir in Dholavira Harappan Site Gujarat

Decline of Dholavira

Having heard this long story of prosperity of Harappan civilization in Dholavira we were naturally curious to know the how and why of the decline of Dholavira. The guide explained to us several possible reasons why the humans would have abandoned this once flourishing city. Further reading up threw some light on this mystery:

One of the leading theories is that a significant shift in monsoon patterns in Dholavira led to a long 150 years of drought period that completely finished the human race here. A decline in rainfall would have severely impacted agriculture. The water resources, the Dholavira rivers Mansar in the North and Manhar in the south, which were fed by rainwater and seasonal in nature must have dried up.

Geological and sediment studies around Dholavira indicate that the region experienced a shift toward a drier climate during the late stages of the civilization.

Geographically Dholavira is estimated to lie along a fault line hence destroyed by earthquake. There is evidence suggesting that tectonic activity might have caused changes in the course of rivers or contributed to earthquakes.

Some researchers argue that the gradual drying up or shifting of rivers like the Saraswati (Ghaggar-Hakra) could have contributed to decline of the Dholavira Harappan civilization.

The change of the course of Saraswati River altered the geography of the place. The people from here are believed to have migrated to the fertile plains of Ganga – thus avoiding the arid condition of Kutch.

There is no evidence that wars or conflict contributed to the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization. This underscores that the Harappan clan was truly ‘civilized’ in every sense of the word.

On a lighter note I am reminded of a true incident when a sixth grader was asked in history exam ‘why did Harappan civilization end?’

The class 6 girl replied: The people of Harappa decided to go on a vacation. They went to new lands and found the place more interesting hence they settled there and never returned to Harappa.

Location of Dholavira Harappan Site in Gujarat

Dholavira village sprawls over 100 hectares of semi-arid land at the north-west corner of Khadir Island of Gujarat the westernmost state of India. This island of Great Rann of Kutch is at a higher elevation than the rest of the desert. So when rest of lower lying area is submerged by the monsoon rains this place is relatively dry. The land here was used for grazing farm animals and farming on a very low scale. It is close to Tropic of Cancer.

How to Reach Dholavira

The easiest and only way to reach Dholavira is by road. Dholavira is close to Bhuj Airport (216 km) and Ahmadabad (358 km). Bhuj is the closest railway station to Dholavira. There are public transport services at fixed intervals. Alternately you can hire private taxis from both these cities.

We took private taxi from Ahmadabad, travel time is seven hours but we made several halts. The road to Kutch from Ahmadabad is dotted with UNESCO site Rani Ki Vav, Patan silks sari weaving unit, Modhera Sun Temple, Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary and the most amazing Salt lake on the way to Khadimbet Island the final destination.

Best Time to Visit Dholavira

Dholavira in Kutch lies on the Tropic of Cancer has extreme climatic conditions. Avoid visiting in summers at any cost. The best months to visit the Indus Valley Civilization site in Dholavira is from October to March when temperature ranges from 19 degrees minimum to a bearable 36 degrees maximum.

Do give a read: Things to Do in Dholavira when you plan a visit to the UNESCO site.

Nearby sights

• Do include Dholavira Archaeological Museum which has a lot of information along with neatly arranged samples of finds.
• Dholavira Fossil Park nearby has good collection of tree fossils.
• Chipper Point Dholavira in Kutch gives amazing views of salt lake all around. It is a good sunrise and sunset point. Do exercise caution as it is precariously located on a naturally made ledge.

Tickets and Timings

Tickets cost 5INR per tourist. The site is open from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Tips to Visit Dholavira Archaeological Site

• Take plenty of water if you intend to tour three hours in a stretch there.
• Use sunscreen and umbrella or hat.
• Study up the place a bit or better still save this post that will help you understand the site better.
• Hire a local guide. There are some who actually worked during the excavation there.
• There are information boards near each excavated point, pause to read them up for better understanding.

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