The Ropar Museum: A Glimpse into India's Ancient Past

 

On a crisp October morning, a group of students  set out on a field trip to the Ropar Museum, located about 40 km northeast of Chandigarh on the Rupnagar-Chandigarh highway. The museum houses the archaeological remains of the excavated site near Ropar, one of the northernmost Harappan settlements in the Indian subcontinent.

 The excavation, conducted from 1952-55 under the direction of Shri YD Sharma of the Archaeological Survey of India, yielded relics of the Early Iron Age culture which was hitherto unknown, as well as the horizons of five other cultures of the historical times, providing an almost complete cultural index for this part of India.

 

The students were excited to explore the museum and gain a better understanding of India's ancient past. After a quick breakfast halt at Shahi Vaishno Dhaba on the highway, they reached the museum at around 10:40 am. The first thing that caught their attention was the ticketing system, which was all online and did not accept cash. This showcased the concept of digital India and also reduced corrupt ticket-selling practices. The museum also had a garden and a book showcase with books on sale, catering to potential tourism prospects.

 

The museum was full of antiquities for any history enthusiast. The infrastructure was on par, but the officials there were not as cooperative as they should have been. No one could explain the materials in the museum, and visitors without prior knowledge of the site could have trouble interpreting the cultures showcased in the museum. However, the center of attraction of the museum was the showcase of the stratigraphic layers, with each layer belonging to a different period and named Period I, II, III, IV, V, VI.

Group Photo at the Main Entrance of the Museum, Ropar.

 

The museum had particular sections devoted to coins, pottery sequence (showcasing the development of pottery from the Harappan times to the Early medieval period), and a separate hall designated to show the other excavated Harrapan sites like Banawali, Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, and many more. A TV was also there, which was used to show the documentary of the Harappan Civilization. Visitors could have a glimpse of important protected monuments of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and World Heritage monuments.

 

The objective of the trip was to understand the material culture with a real view of the artifacts. The students were excited to explore the six layers of Stratigraphy, whose understanding was the major objective of the visit. The objective was given a major addition when they saw a couple of cultures that were never known to them before, i.e., The Bara Culture and The Kotla Nihang Culture.

 

Overall view of the Museum, Ropar

The Bara Culture is a pre-Harappan culture that existed in the region between 3500 and 2500 BCE. It is named after the village of Bara, located in the Ropar district of Punjab. The culture was characterized by the use of Microliths, which were small stone tools, and a lack of any evidence of agriculture. The Kotla Nihang Culture, on the other hand, is an Early Harappan culture that existed in the region between 2800 and 2600 BCE. It is named after the village of Kotla Nihang, located in the Ropar district of Punjab. The culture was characterized by the use of copper and bronze tools, as well as the development of agriculture.

 

Layers of Stratigraphy

The students were fascinated by the material remains found during the Ropar Mound Excavation,
which they planned to visit after the museum. Nestling against the picturesque backdrop of the verdant Shivalik, a series of mounds at Rupnagar (Ropar) conceal the ruins of an ancient town that flourished for more than 4000 years. The sequence of the six cultures that have been brought to light at Rupnagar still serves as a dependable index for Punjab and Haryana.

 

The Ropar Museum provides a glimpse into India's ancient past and the rich cultural heritage of the region. It is a must-visit for anyone interested in history and archaeology. The museum showcases the material remains of the excavated site near Ropar, the first Harappan site excavated in Independent India, and provides a cultural sequence from Harappan to medieval times. The museum is a testament to India's rich cultural heritage and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

Location: Jalandhar, Punjab, India

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