Haryana Speaker inaugurates survey work at Agroha archaeological site

Tribune News Service

Hisar, March 11

Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta inaugurated the ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey work at an archaeological site in Agroha village of Hisar district today. He was accompanied by Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Minister Kamal Gupta.

Memo signed

• The Archaeological Survey of India and the Haryana Archaeology & Museum Department recently signed an MoU to develop the site
• Agrawal community members had met the CM and proposed the excavation of Agroha mound in view of its historical importance
• The ground penetrating radar survey will determine the kind of layer beneath the ground and whether any structure is built underneath it
• According to the belief, about 5,000 years ago, Agroha was the capital of Maharaja Agrasen

Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Haryana Archaeology and Museum Department had signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the Agroha archaeological site, in Delhi in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. After the survey, the excavation work will begin.

The Speaker said this was an important step towards developing Agroha as a global historical site. He said the GPR survey was a geophysical method, which detected what kind of layer was beneath the ground surface and whether there was any structure built below it.

The minister said after the excavation, a huge museum would be built there. The project, under various phases, will include the development of a tourist welcome centre, site lecture centre and museum (Mahabharata Panorama), a planetarium — based on astronomical timeline, light and sound — based on Mahabharata and Maharaja Agrasen and a knowledge park with meditation centre etc.

Many organisations of the Agrawal community had met the Chief Minister and proposed the excavation of Agroha mound in view of its historical importance. The Speaker said, “Agroha will be developed as a world-class tourism centre. We will also get information about our glorious history from the excavation of the Agroha mound.”

The minister said under the Agroha development project, the area would be transformed into a global city within a radius of 25 km. “Due to its archaeological and religious importance and its connection with the Harappan culture, there is immense tourism potential here,” he said. He said apart from Indus and Saraswati sites, Rakhigarhi, Banawali, Bhirdana, Kunal, Hisar as well as Agroha will also be one of the biggest circuits in terms of tourism.

He said according to the belief, about 5,000 years ago, Agroha was the capital of Maharaja Agrasen, known as the originator of socialism.

He said the excavation work of the mound was first started during the British period in 1888-89. After this, excavation work was carried out in 1938, in 1978-79 and then from 1978 to 1981. The studies conducted so far have revealed that there is evidence of the existence of ancient civilisation under the mound at the Agroha archaeological site.

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