Dholavira: India’s 40th World Heritage Site

Dholavira: India’s 40th World Heritage Site

Part of: GS Prelims and GS – I – Culture; Ancient History 

In news India’s nomination of Dholavira, the Harappan City in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. 

• This follows a few days after the Rudreswara Temple, (also known as the Ramappa Temple) in Telangana State becoming the 39th World Heritage Centre in India.

About Dholavira

• Dholavira is an exceptional example of a proto-historic Bronze Age urban settlement pertaining to the Harappan Civilization.
• It is one of the very few well preserved urban settlements in South Asia dating from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE.
• It is the 6th largest of more than 1,000 Harappan sites discovered so far. 
• The property comprises two parts: 
  • A walled city and 
  • A cemetery to the west of the city.
• The walled city consists of a fortified Castle with attached fortified Bailey and Ceremonial Ground, and a fortified Middle Town and a Lower Town. 
• A series of reservoirs are found to the east and south of the Citadel.
• Unlike other Harappan antecedent towns normally located near to rivers and perennial sources of water, the location of Dholavira in the island of Khadir was strategic to harness different mineral and raw material sources and to facilitate internal as well as external trade to the Magan (modern Oman peninsula) and Mesopotamian regions.

News Source: PIB