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Gender equality: 

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Haryana: 

Cradle of 

Indian 

culture

Dedicated to 

Mother 

As I look back 

As I look back on my life 

I find myself wondering 

Did I remember to thank you 

For all things that you have done for me? 

For all the time you were by my side 

To help me celebrate my success 

Or for teaching me the value of hard work, 

Good judgement, courage and honesty? 

I wonder if I had even thanked you for the simple things 

The laughter, smiles, and quite times we have shared? 

If I have forgotten to express my gratitude 

For any of these things 

I am thanking you now 

And I am hoping that you have known all along 

How very much you are loved and appreciated 

-Tarun Vaid

HARYANA REVIEW, MAY 2010 

EDITOR-In-CHIEF 

Dr K K Khandelwal 

CHIEF EDITOR 

Shiv Raman Gaur 

COnSULTInG EDITOR 

Gobind Thukral 

MAnAGInG EDITOR 

M S Yadav 

nEWS BUREAU 

Amanbir Kaur Brar 

Aparna Pawar 

Nishant Prabhakar 

Ruchi Sharma 

Shweta Vashishta 

LAYOUT 

Sunil Kumar 

ILLUSTRATOR 

Gurpreet Singh 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Randeep Singh 

PHOTO SUPPORT 

Tek Chand Arora 

Gopal Singh 

Karam Singh 

Neeraj Chopra 

Gauri Shankar 

Jasmer Singh 

VOL 24, ISSUE 5, MAY 2010 

Edited and published for the Haryana government by 

Shiv Raman Gaur, IAS, Director, Information & Public 

Relations Department, and issued from Samvad, SCO 

No 137, Sector 17, Panchkula (Haryana). (Mailing 

address: SCO 23 (FF), Sector 7, Madhya Marg, 

Chandigarh. Phone 0172-5055971, 5055977). 

All rights reserved. Any reproduction of this 

publication’s contents, in whole or in part, without 

written permission, is prohibited. Haryana Review does 

not necessarily agree with the views of the 

writers/contributors. 

Website: www.haryanareview.com 

Email: haryanareview@gmail.com 

Printed at: Model Printing Press (I) Pvt Ltd, Ambala 

EDITORIAL 

Understanding our rich past 

Haryana because of its geographic location in 

the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains is a part of the 

Indus Valley Civilisation, a Bronze Age civilisation 

3300–1300 BCE and mature period 2600–1900 BCE. It 

flourished around the Indus river basin, primarily 

centred along the Indus and the Punjab region and 

extended into the Ghaggar-Hakra river valley and 

the Ganges-Yamuna Doab. It encompassed most of 

what is now Pakistan, extending into the 

westernmost states of modern India, Afghanistan, 

Balochistan and Iran. 

According to some archaeologists, many 

Harappan sites have been discovered along the 

dried up river beds of the Ghaggar-Hakra river and 

its tributaries, therefore the tag Indus-Saraswati 

civilisation is justified. We appreciate the logic that 

“sources that inform us about the past have to be 

meticulously analysed and subjected to a rigorous 

methodology irrespective of their status or the 

authority they command.” Yet, it is abundantly 

clear that from prehistoric times to Indus and later 

pre Vedic and Vedic period, Haryana witnessed an 

advance civilisation in one form or the other. The 

battle of Mahabharata [850 BC] is a hard social 

reality and the battle ground was Kurukshetra. 

Later, rise and fall of the village republics and the 

constant unsettling invasions saw more battles 

around this area. 

These deep roots in the past are more than a 

matter of pride. These do provide insight into the 

culture of the people and the social setup. From 

hunting to food gathering, to farming with 

improved ploughs and now to machine driven 

tilling apparatus, the march continues. Wandering 

tribes to settled small republics to kingdoms and 

now democracy, civilisation moves on. 

In this issue of Haryana Review we bring to the 

attention of readers not only our hoary past, but 

also relate it to the present through the pens of 

experts and our staff writers. As usual, we deal 

with other issues; sports, education, culture and 

books. g

2 

CONTENTS 

Dekh bhai 

chhore! mhare 

purvaj badiya 

cham-chamate 

ghare mein 

rahe karte 

COVER STORY 

Rendezvous with civilisation 4 

Haryana: Cradle of Indian 

civilisation 6 

Ancient languages and literature 8 

Seeds of republicanism 10 

Archaeology establishes a sequence 12 

Our forgotten gods 14 

Coins tell history 16 

A peep into our past 18 

The legend of the Saraswati 20 

Antiquity of Pehowa 22 

Battles that changed history 24 

Shadows of invasions 26 

Haryana: Precursor of modern 

town planning 28 

Phases of civilisation 32 


[4] 

[18]


ART AnD CULTURE 

Woman painter’s palette-for girl child 33 

SPECIAL REPORT 

The 4th Municipal General Election 35 

PHOTO FEATURE 

Shades of Haryanvi life 36 

SPECIAL ARTICLE 

Gender equality: Miles to go 42 

REPORT 

Counting the heads 44 

SPORTS 

Keeping track of athletics 46 

MODERn TECHnOLOGY 

Poor man’s refrigerator 47 

EnVIROnMEnT 

Purifying the elixir of life 48 

TOURISM 

Panchkula: On the tourist map 50 

FESTIVAL 

Baisakhi: The festival of harvest 52 

SUCCESS STORY 

Ability to challenge disability 54 

GUEST COLUMn 

Weaving magic with words 55 

BOOKS 

To know more, read on... 56 

CONTENTS 

[21] 

[46] 

[33] 

Readers may send their comments to 

haryanareview@gmail.com or to SCO 23, First Floor, 

Sector 7-C, Madhya Marg, Chandigarh - 160 019 

3

4 

COVER STORY 

Rendezvous 

with civilisation 

The remains of an old fort at Agroha 

Gobind Thukral 

Haryana’s tryst with civilisation 

can be traced to the very dawn of 

progression of man. The excavations 

of Agroha, Banawali, Kunal and other 

places including Daulatpur near Pipli 

and the latest from Farmana trace the 

roots of an advanced civilisation. All 

of these were the pre and post- 

Harappan settlements, bringing for us 

the very first images of prehistoric 

times. Historians who rely on hard 

scientific, archaeological and related 

evidence assert,“Evidence of 

prehistoric settlements in Haryana 

comes from excavated finds at the 

various sites belonging to the pre- 

Harappan (c. 2500-2300 BCE), 

Harappan (c. 2300-1800 BCE), late 

Harappan (c. 1800-1600 BCE) and protohistoric 

(2000-1500 BCE) cultures.” 

While some historians assert that this 

was the decadent phase of urbanised 

settlements, others argue that these 

settlements were part of continuous 

process, moving forward the wheels of 

civilisation. Only phases changed. 

There are several historical sites 

that clearly establish that Haryana 

was part of the Indus valley 

civilisation. Planned towns and brick 

structures, apart from sculptures, 

coins and other historical evidence 

establish this relationship. This 

civilisation developed near 4000-3000 

BC. These people used ornamented 

terracotta utensils, decorated with 

human figures, birds and animals in 

geometric patterns. Utensils were 

decorated with lines, angles and 

circles along with birds, animals, 

leaves and flowers drawn with black 

lines on red base. 

Excavations reveal the prehistoric 

phase of ancient civilisation. Here we 

find planned cities with commercial 

centres and sophisticated 

craftsmanship. There must have been 

freedom of thought to trigger 

intellectual churning. Religion also 

during this period was not lost in the 

cobwebs of rituals and regulations, 

but helped creative urges to mature. 


The pillar in the Hisar fort belonging 

to the time of Emperor Ashoka (234 

BC) was originally placed in Agroha. 

The discovery of coins of the Kushan 

kings tells tales of ancient India. 

Ropar in Punjab, Lothal in Gujarat 

and Kalibangan in Rajasthan and 

Agroha reveal fascinating details 

about the hoary past. There is a degree 

of sophistication in the layout and 

design of houses, drains, roads and 

bathrooms. Designs or utensils bear 

the figures of deer, peacock, cairns 

and snakes along with geometric 

patterns--triangle, square, rectangle 

circle and semi-circle. Maize, grass, 

wheat, barley were also painted on 

them. There was a degree of 

sophistication that showed 

aesthetically developed minds and 

dexterous hands. 

These centres of urban civilisation 

either fell on trade routes and part of 

well developed agriculture and crafts. 

The growth of towns, trade and money 

economy are closely linked up with 

the development of diverse arts and


crafts. There were occupations like 

washerman and drier, painter, barber, 

tailor, weaver and several 

manufacturing crafts. They were of 

course the potters, the goldsmiths, 

metalsmiths, carpenters and silk 

weavers. New social groups were 

taking shape. The greater part of land 

was owned by grahpatis (peasant 

proprietors). Wealth was now 

becoming measure of respect and 

some kind of class division was taking 

roots. Artisans and craftsmen were 

often organised into guilds. 

Agriculture was hugely facilitated 

with the introduction of iron which in 

turn led to the growth of thriving 

villages and settlements all over the 

land. Historian Buddha Prakash in his 

book ‘Haryana Through the Ages’ 

makes interesting observations. He 

writes,“The painted Grey Ware 

Culture, concentrated in Haryana and 

Western UP, which came to be known 

as Kurudesha, is associated with the 

Kurus. Should this suggestion be 

valid, it would appear that the bulk of 

the Kurus lived in the houses of mud 

and wattle-and-daub, practised 

agriculture, cattle-breeding and 

hunting, used fine hand-made and 

wheel-turned pots, slightly convex 

bowls, shallow dishes with sagger or 

flat bases and lota like vessels, which 

had a grey colour on account of their 

being fired under reducing conditions 

in the kiln, and made tools of copper 

and iron. The domestication of horse 

and the use of iron gave them the key 

to expansion and prosperity and made 

them the paramount power of North 

India. Thus, under the Kurus, the vast 

region, encompassing the valleys of 

the Saraswati and Ganga, a sort of 

Vishala Haryana became the centre of 

agriculture, industry, rural 

development and political power.” 

D. D. Kosambi, the renowned 

historian, is not very impressed with 

the level of knowledge created during 

the transformation from Vedic 

tribalism to feudalism in the Punjab 

[Haryana was part of this] and the 

rest of India. The Punjab was in the 

forefront of such a transformation 

from tribalism to feudalism, giving 

birth to isolated villages and cities 

where kings and priestly classes had 

developed close links. Kosambi argues, 

“The isolation of villages and their 

surplus channelled through the king 

and not through market mechanism, 

created conditions that were not 

conducive to enhancing knowledge. 

The interaction of individuals 

through commodity markets creates 

and builds institutions of knowledge.” 

Kosambi maintains that the Punjab 

was at par with Greece in the early 

periods, but the repulsion felt by the 

priestly classes for material reality 

hindered progress. In his words, 

“Thus, Brahmin indifference to past 

and present reality not only erased 

Indian history but a great deal of real 

Indian culture as well. The loss may be 

estimated by imagining the works of 

Aristotle, Herodotus, Thucydides and 

their contemporaries as replaced by 

priestly rituals rewritten [by the 

Greek intelligentsia]…” In other 

words, the priestly classes were 

rewriting rituals, while society was 

transforming its base. 

During these several centuries of 

civilisation journey, Haryana has had 

a turbulent past, largely because of its 

strategic geographic location and 

wealth created through fertile land by 

sturdy peasants. This attracted 

invaders from Greece, Iran and other 

Arab lands. Farmers were good 

soldiers and defended their land with 

valour. Invaders came in hordes and 

plundered the land from all sides. 

COVER STORY 

Peace was often elusive, yet people 

made big efforts to develop 

agriculture, cattle breeding, crafts and 

trade, taking to even intentional trade 

through sea routes of Gujarat. 

Whenever peace prevailed, progress 

was fast. 

Sheer tribalism gave place to wellsettled 

tribes and the ancient 

republics flourished. Legendary king 

Harshavardhana ruled over Northern 

India for forty one years. He was the 

son of Prabhakarvardhan who united 

the small republics from Punjab to 

Central India, and they, at an assembly, 

crowned him in 606 AD when he was 

merely 16 years old. At the height of 

his power his kingdom spread over the 

Punjab, Gujarat, Bengal, Orissa and 

the entire Indo-Gangetic plain north of 

the Narmada. 

Medieval period proved to be more 

troublesome except when the Mughals 

finally settled until giving place to the 

British. In 1857, Haryana rose like a 

lion and defeated the British. It was a 

short lived affair as the state lacked 

leaders who could command and 

organise the people. During the 

freedom movement, the participation 

was legendary. These struggles were 

rooted in our antiquity. g 

5

6 

COVER STORY 

Haryana: Cradle of 

Indian culture 

Brajesh Krishna Kathil 

Haryana has a long and glorious 

history of thousands of years, 

dotted with remarkable epochs and 

illustrious happenings. The region was 

watered in ancient times by the holy 

river Saraswati, Drishadvati and 

Apaga. The land of Haryana has been 

an important rendezvous of various 

people and races, and it played an 

important role of a crucible for mixing 

and mingling to cast the shape and 

form of the culture and civilisation of 

our country. 

In the beginning, prehistoric man of 

the Stone Age roamed about in the 

Shiwalik and Aravali hills. The earliest 

man who reached these regions used 

stone tools like hand-axes, scrappers, 

cleavers, cores, unfinished flakes and 

choppers. These tools have been 

discovered from Dera Karoni, Mansa 

Devi, Pinjore, Ahian, Dhamla, Kotla, 

Paplona, Sukretri etc. (all in Kalka 

district) and belong to lower 

palaeolithic age. Similarly, some Stone- 

Age tools were discovered from the 

terrace of Jhirka Cho, a seasonal 

nullah connected to the Sahibi river 

near Firozepur-Jhirka (in district 

Gurgaon). The tools were embedded in 

gravel deposits and are cleavers and 

hand-axes made of quartzite. The 

discovery of these tools gives evidence 

of the presence of one of the early 

homo-sapiens and provides clues to the 

evolution of man in Indian subcontinent. 

This early man walked from 

one place to another in search of hunt 

and lived a homeless life full of 

exertion and struggle. 

Archaeological explorations and 

excavations reveal that the region of 

Haryana was inhabited as early as 

proto-historic times and it saw the 


The state played an important role of a crucible for mixing and 

mingling to cast the shape and form of the culture and civilisation of 

our country 

Combination of `V’ signs and linear strokes were used to indicate volumes 

Harappan beads


growth and expansion of the earliest 

Bronze Age culture in the third 

millennium BC. The region was one of 

the most important epicenters of this 

earliest cultural activity. 

Archaeological excavations 

conducted by the Department of 

Archaeology and Museums, Haryana at 

Kunal (in Ratia Tahsil of Fatehabad 

district) shows that pit-dwelling was 

prevalent at this place in 2700-2500 BC. 

People made circular pits, raised by red 

soil, to live in. On the periphery of 

these pits, wooden pillars were fixed to 

make roof by bamboo, grass, straw and 

other such material. People of this 

Stone inscription, Agroha 

culture used hand-made and wheeled 

pottery, bone implements, blades of 

chalcedony and arrow-heads of copper. 

The remains of this culture, which is 

termed as Pre-Harappan Culture, are 

also found at various other places, viz., 

Siswal, Mitathal, Banawali, Balu and 

Rakhigarhi. But at these sites the 

houses were made of mud or sun-dried 

bricks or huts of reeds plastered with 

clay. These settlements were rural ones. 

Around 2300 BC, a qualitative 

change took place in this region. It saw 

the emergence and growth of one of 

the most important civilisations of the 

world, known as Harappan civilisation 

or popularly known as Indus 

Valley Civilisation. 

Archaeological discoveries at 

numerous places in Haryana 

prove that it was a 

prosperous urban civilisation 

related to Sind, Punjab, 

Rajasthan and Gujarat. The 

culture is characterized by 

fortified township with 

prominent amenities and 

facilities, developed 

industries and distant traderelations. 

People knew the art 

of writing and used inscribed 

seals and sealings for their 

trade with west Asia. Various 

objects of terracotta, faience, 

steatite, bronze, silver, gold 

and semi-precious stones 

were profusely used in daily 

life. Most prominent 

settlements of this culture 

are Banawali (Fatehabad), 

Rakhigarhi (Jind), Balu 

(Kaithal) and Farmana 

(Rohtak). All these sites show 

the existence of twin mounds 

suggesting dichotomous plan 

laid in the classical chessboard 

pattern. The 

emergence of these 

settlements introduced first 

urbanization in Haryana. 

Striking features of the 

settlements are wide streets, 

strong defence-walls and good 

sanitary arrangements. 

Surplus food production 

(wheat, rice, gram, mustard, 

date-palm etc.), big cattle 

farms, hunting and fishing 

gave impetus to the 

emergence of a complex 

society of specialized traders, 

skilled labourers and other 

classes of people. 

COVER STORY 

After the decline of the Harappan 

culture, the next phase (circa 1700 BC- 

1500 BC) is known as Late Harappan 

which is represented by smaller 

settlements devoid of urbanism, script 

and long distance trade. The remains of 

this period have been found from the 

excavations of Mitathal (Bhiwani), 

Daulatpur and Mirzapur (Kurukshetra) 

and Balu (Kaithal). Around 1200 BC, 

people using Painted Grey Ware 

(typical fine grey pottery with black 

designs) came to settle in the Saraswati 

valley of Haryana. They had their 

links with North-West India and 

beyond and represented a wave of 

Aryan people. Their remains have been 

found inter-locked with the earlier 

cultures of the region. Excavations at 

Bhagwanpura (Kurukshetra) reveal for 

the first time, intermingling and 

juxtaposition of the Late Harappan and 

the Painted Grey Ware cultures. It is a 

significant discovery for the 

reconstruction of history of the region 

from the middle of the second to the 

beginning of the first millennium BC. 

Haryana played a pivotal role in the 

process of assimilation and expansion 

of the Aryans. The land, watered by the 

Saraswati and Drishadvati was a 

favourite and beloved abode of the 

Aryans. A number of hymns of the 

Rigveda were composed in this land. 

The Vedic people prospered highly in 

this region. The most prominent tribe 

of the Aryans was called the Bharatas, 

after whom the country was called 

Bharatavarsh. They contributed a lot to 

the growth of Aryan culture and 

civilisation in Haryana. Later on, 

another tribe of the Aryans, known as 

the Kurus, inhabited this region and 

thus the region or its part came to be 

known as Kurudesa, Kurukshetra and 

Kuru Janapada. The Kurus made this 

region the home of Vedic culture and 

land of idealism and spiritualism. The 

region became a source of great 

spiritual contemplation and attained 

its culmination with the message of 

Bhagvad Gita which occupies a special 

place in the life of the nation. 

Thus, the region of Haryana has a 

great significance and unique place in 

our country. It was the cradle of Indian 

culture and made remarkable 

contribution to the mainstream of 

Indian history. g 

The writer is former Professor and 

Chairman of the Department of Ancient 

Indian History and Archaeology, 

Kurukshetra University 

7

8 

COVER STORY 

Prof J S Grewal 

Writing is regarded as 'the most 

momentous' invention of human 

beings, representing an enormous 

intellectual advance. Apart from 

storage of information and recording 

for future reference, distant 

communication was made possible by 

writing. 

The script prevalent among the 

people of the protohistoric Indus plains 

has not yet been deciphered. The small 

number of the available inscriptions, 

their shortness and the absence of any 

bilingual inscription has made 

decipherment extremely difficult. It is 

clear, however, that the script remained 

stable over a number of centuries. 

Accents are added to a large number of 

letters, suggesting phonetic maturity. 

Written probably from right to left, the 

script bears no ascertainable 

relationship with any contemporary or 

near-contemporary script. The 

language of the lndus people belonged 

perhaps to the Dravidian family. 

The first work of literature, known 

to have been composed in the Punjab, 

is the Rigveda. Composed largely 

between 1500 and 1000 BC, it was 

recorded in writing more than two 

thousand years later. In its present 

form, the Rigveda is divided into ten 

'books' (mandalas). Six of these, from 

the second to the seventh, are more or 

less homogeneous and are the work of 

specific seers and their descendants. 

These 'family books' are arranged on a 

uniform plan, and appear to form the 

nucleus of the Rigveda. The unity of 

the ninth book lies in the fact that all 

its hymns are addressed to a single 

deity called Soma. The early part of the 

first book has an affinity with the 

eighth. The tenth book of the Rigveda 

was composed probably towards the 

end of the period. It appears to stand 


Ancient languages 

and literature 

The life of the earliest Aryans is represented by the Rig Veda, which was composed in about 1500 BC 

apart because of its subject matter, its 

form and its language. 

The language of the Rigveda is 

called 'Vedic' by some scholars to mark 

its distinction from the classical 

Sanskrit which developed later. Apart 

from a definite change in the tenth 

book of the Rigveda, dialectic 

differences are reflected in the other 

books. In fact, some elements in the 

language of the Rigveda are found in 

neither the Indo-Iranian nor the Indo- 

European family of languages. Recent 

linguistic analyses have suggested the 

presence of proto-Dravidian elements 

in the vocabulary and phonetics of the 

Rigveda. Some of the proto-Dravidian 

words relate significantly to 

agricultural activities, pointing to the 

local agricultural communities as their 

source. 

The Kaushitaki Brahmana of the 

Rigveda contains the statement that 

the study of language was specially


cultivated in the north of India, and 

that students who returned from there 

were regarded as authorities on 

linguistics. We do not know the places 

where this study was cultivated but we 

do know that Panini had a number of 

predecessors. The study of language 

was intimately linked with religion in 

the sense that correct recitation and 

understanding of the sacred text were 

regarded as essential requirements of 

worship. Therefore, interest in 

phonetics, etymology, grammar and 

metre developed quite early. The 

Taittiriya Aranyaka mentions 

phonetics (shiksa) as a subject which 

dealt with letters, accent, quantity, 

pronunciation and euphonic rules. The 

basis for such studies was provided by 

'word-text' (pada-patha) of the Vedas. 

Connected with pada-pathas were the 

Pratishakhyas which furnished a 

systematic account of Vedic euphonic 

combinations. Panini used them for his 

Ashtadhyayi. 

In the study of etymology, 

collections of rare or obscure Vedic 

words, arranged for the use of 

teachers, were prepared as Nighantus. 

These could be used for exegesis. Yaska 

had before him five such collections 

when he wrote his Vedic commentary, 

the famous Nirukta. Besides being 

important from the point of view of 

exegesis and grammar, the Nirukta is 

significant as the earliest extant 

Sanskrit prose tract of the classical 

type, considerably earlier than Panini. 

Yaska must have lived long before 

Panini for a considerable number of 

names of important grammarians are 

mentioned between them. His Nirukta 

also shows that the Rigveda had a fixed 

form in his time, and its text was 

essentially identical with the text now 

available. 

Grammatical studies were 

cultivated to a considerable extent 

before Yaska. He talks of two schools: 

the 'eastern' and the 'northern'. He 

mentions nearly a score of 

predecessors among whom were 

Shaktayana, Gargya and Shakalya. 

Yaska has an interesting discussion on 

the theory of Shakatayana that nouns 

were derived from verbs. Gargya is 

rejected by him because of his own 

view that all nouns are derived from 

verbs. The whole system of Panini's 

grammar is founded on Shakatayana’s 

theory of the verbal origin of nouns. 

Regarded as an infallible authority, 

Panini superseded all his predecessors. 

Their works, consequently, have 

perished. Yaska alone survives because 

he was not a grammarian. His work 

represents Vedanga 'etymology'. 

Panini's own work can be regarded as 

the culmination of the study of 

grammar and the starting point for the 

post-Vedic classical Sanskrit. 

Panini's work has a great cultural 

significance in itself. His interest in 

grammar and linguistics underlines 

the importance of Vedic language and 

literature in the Punjab, particularly 

when we know that he had a number of 

predecessors. He moulded the future of 

the language precisely because his 

work came as the culmination of 

interest in systematic analysis of 

language. His work is also significant 

for revealing his familiarity with the 

later Vedic tradition. He was a master 

not only of the Rigveda but also of the 

Sama and the Yajura. He describes the 

language spoken by a group of priests 

who were familiar with the language of 

the northern schools of the Vedic 

tradition, which was close to the later 

Vedic prose in structure. Thus, Panini's 

work reveals a certain degree of close 

contact between Vahika, the northwestern 

region beyond the river Sutlej, 

and the Kuru-Panchala region 

extending beyond the river Jamuna. 

Another great name associated with 

the north-western region is that of 

Kautilya. On the basis of thorough 

analyses of the Arthashastra in recent 

decades, it can be stated with some 

confidence that it was originally 

composed by him around 300 BC. It was 

commented upon and edited by later 

writers till the text now available was 

prepared by Vishnugupta in the third 

or the fourth century AD, including 

whatever interpolations had been 

incorporated by then. The second book 

of the Arthashastra appears to be the 

original core, with a few other books 

closely allied to it. This treatise on 

COVER STORY 

political economy gives a clear and 

methodical analysis of economic and 

political thought in its application to 

the existing conditions. Kautilya can 

legitimately be looked upon as the 

theorist of the Mauryan system of 

administration and taxation. Panini 

and Kautilya are perhaps, the best 

examples of profound thought coupled 

with a strong element of empirical 

observation. Their works appear to be 

closely related to the life around. 

The official language and script of 

the Achaemenian Empire was 

Aramaic. The Aramaic script was 

inadequate to express all the sounds of 

the language spoken by the people in 

the north-west of the subcontinent. 

Gradually, a new script was evolved 

for the north-western Prakrit. This 

new script was Kharoshthi. Its 

popularity is indicative of the 

prevalence of Prakrit as the spoken 

language of the people of the northwestern 

region. 

The inscriptions of Ashoka appear 

to be the oldest tangible record from 

the north-west to have survived into 

the present. In any case, they throw 

some light on matters related to 

languages and scripts. When Ashoka 

decided to give wide publicity to his 

ideas and programmes, he decided to 

use Prakrit as the medium. The 

inscriptions from Topra and Kalsi in 

the Sutlej-Jamuna Divide are in Prakrit 

written in Mauryan Brahmi. The 

language of the inscription at 

Mansehra in the upper Sindh Sagar 

Doab is also Prakrit, but the script used 

is Kharoshthi. This is also true of the 

inscription at Shahbazgarhi across the 

river Indus. The language of the 

fragment of an inscription discovered 

at Taxila is Aramaic, which would 

indicate that there were some Iranian 

residents of Taxila. The inscription at 

Lampaka (Lamghan) is in Aramaic. In 

the inscription at Kandhar, Greek as 

well as Aramaic is used, indicating the 

presence of Greek and Aramaic 

speaking people in Kandhar. It need not 

be ruled out, however, that inscriptions 

in Greek and Aramaic languages were 

meant for the traders coming from the 

west as well as for the local people. The 

evidence of Ashokan inscriptions is 

suggestive of the popularity of Prakrit 

throughout the region. g 

The writer is an eminent historian 

and former Chairman and Director, 

Indian Institute of Advanced Study, 

Shimla 

9

10 

COVER STORY 

Seeds of 

republicanism 

Village republics and oligarchies 

flourished in ancient Haryana. The 

concept of democracy has it origin much 

before the Greeks thought of it 


We normally take the origin of 

the concept called democracy to 

its western roots. For some, the 

concept of democracy is an 

appendage of modern times. Even if 

one goes into the ancient historical 

roots, democratic identification is 

linked to the great civilisation of 

Greece in around 500 BC. However, 

surprising as it may be, the origin of 

democratic republicanism has its 

roots in north-western India and is 

older than what was practised by the 

Greek Civilisation. 

In the 6th century BC, we find a 

large number of states in Northern 

India which were not ruled by kings 

but formed petty republics or 

oligarchies. This has been proved 

from various literary sources. 

Panini, the great Sanskrit scholar 

who wrote Ashtadhyayi and 

formulated 3959 rules of Sanskrit 

grammar in 4th century BC, 

mentions that all the states and 

regions (janapadas) of northern 

India during his time were based on 

the settlement in a given area by 

identifiable warrior people. Some of 

these peoples (in Panini's terms 

janapadins) were subject to a king, 

who was at least in theory, of their 

own blood and was perhaps 

dependent on their special support. 

Elsewhere, the janapadins ran their 

affairs in a republican manner. 

Further, the Greek traveller 

named Megasthenes, who came to 

India in 300 BC, about two decades 

after Alexander's invasion and 

served as ambassador of the Greek 

king Seleucus Nicator to the Indian 

emperor Chandragupta 

Maurya, writes about northwestern 

India being 

dominated by republics whose 

heads were elected by the 

people. 

These ancient republics 

were broadly of three types as 

far as their political 

organisation is concerned. 

There were democracies or 

pure-Gana, wherein the total 

adult population participated 

in the administration. The 

other was aristocracies or 

pure-Kula, wherein only few 

selected families participated 

in the administration. The last 

one was mixed aristocracies 

and democracies or mixture of 

Kula and Gana, where the 

administration was a mixture 

of two. 

Further, the republican 

states which had a unitary 

character were called cityrepublics 

or Nigamas. The 

republics having federal 

character were called state-republics 

or Janapadas. In certain states, only 

kshatriya "royal families" (rajakulas) 

were given the right to frame laws 

and elected the members of the 

executive council ; in some, the head 

of joint families were given this 

right ; while in certain others entire 

adult population had this right. 

Besides, in certain states the local 

assemblies enjoyed wide autonomy 

to look after their respective local 

administration and the matters 

concerning the entire state were 

decided by all the elected 

representatives of local assemblies; 


while in others, the power to govern 

the entire state was handed over to 

an elected central assembly and 

executive. 

The term raja, which in a 

monarchy certainly meant king, was 

also used in a state with gana or 

sangha constitution to designate 

someone who held a share in 

sovereignty. 

Another evidence suggests that in 

some states the enfranchised group 

was even wider. Such a development 

is hinted at by Kautilya. According 

to him, there were two kinds of 

janapadas: ayudhiya-praya- those 

in Haryana

HARYANA REVIEW, MAY 2010 COVER STORY 11 

made up of mostly soldiers, and 

sreni-praya- those comprising guilds 

of craftsmen, traders and 

agriculturalists. The first were 

political entities where military 

tradition alone defined those worthy 

of power, while the second would 

seem to be communities where 

wealth derived from peaceful 

economic activity gave some access 

to the political process. This 

interpretation is supported by the 

fact, that sreni or guilds based on an 

economic interest were often both, 

part of the armed force of a state 

and the political set up, and were 

recognized as having 

jurisdiction over their own 

members. 

In all these states, the 

people who had the right to 

rule according to settled laws 

of the state used to assemble 

at an assembly hall called the 

Santhagara, discussed all 

important matters concerning 

the state and decisions were 

taken by a majority vote. The 

voting pattern was either open 

or secret ballot if there was no 

unanimity of opinion. The 

members of the executive 

council were called Rajana 

and the head of the executive 

council was called Raja or 

Ganapati. 

Haryana, which was part of 

the ancient Punjab, virtually 

remained a battle ground and 

had to bear the brunt of a 

number of foreign attacks. 

Also, being on the periphery of 

early empires which 

flourished in Ganaga- Jamuna 

Doab, centralised 

administration was not as 

effective due to the distances 

from the capital and lack of 

communication. Hence, this 

area became the activity loci 

of many tribes and tribal 

republics that had to take up 

arms repeatedly and thus 

became dependent upon arms 

for survival and even 

subsistence. It is due to this 

fact, that these tribes are 

generally catagorised as 

ayudhayajivi samghas or 

sastropijivin samghas. 

According to Professor 

Manmohan Kumar, “On the 

basis of Numismatics, we get 

evidence of the tribal republics that 

formed part of the geographical 

landscape which now constitutes 

Haryana. We can trace coinage 

associated to various republics in 

Haryana dating back to 2nd century 

BC.” The main republic of this time 

was the Agratya or Agacga, 

janapada whose coins were 

discovered at Agroha and was 

situated towards modern day Hisar, 

Fatehabad and parts of Sirsa. 

Similarly, the Kadas or Kathas 

were the ancient people who are 

identified with the Kathaios of the 

Greek historians and known to have 

lived in the region that lies between 

the Ravi and Beas rivers. They 

became independent and issued 

coins which have been discovered 

from Sugh (Distt. Yamunanagar). 

Their republic was quite close to the 

areas of Kunindas and Yaudheyas. 

The coins associated with them have 

been found at Yamunanagar, 

Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts of 

Haryana along the Ghaggar river. 

Yaudheyas republic with their 

capital Rohitika (Rohtak) was the 

most prominent republic of ancient 

India. From literary references their 

empire is placed between 5th century 

BC and 10th century AD. But their 

independent existence as attested by 

coins was from 2nd century BC to 4th 

century AD. When due to foreign 

attacks, the central administration of 

the Mauryan Empire became weak, 

they declared their independence. 

They issued coins bearing the legend 

Yaudheyanarm Bahudhatyake, 

during this period. Their emprire 

spread from Nanital, Saharanpur, 

Hastinapur to parts of Haryana up to 

the Sarswati river. 

By 1st century BC, the Agratya 

republic ceased to exist and its 

territory was usurped by the 

Yaudheyas republic while the far 

north of Haryana, covering present 

day Panchkula and Yamunanagar 

district, came under the domain of 

the Kunindas. However, towards the 

end of this century, the Yaudheyas 

had faced the wrath of the foreigners 

and were forced to migrate to the 

hilly areas of Uttaranchal and 

Himachal Pradesh. Here, they issued 

six headed Karttikeya type coins 

which are not found anywhere in 

Punjab and Haryana. 

According to historian and 

numismatics expert, Dr. Devendra 

Handa, “The Yaudheyas were at the 

zenith of their political power 

during the 3rd to 4th century AD. 

They issued copper currency bearing 

Yaudheya Ganasya Jaya.” Their 

coins are found from Bahawalpur 

(Pakistan) to western Uttar Pradesh 

including Malwa of Punjab, whole of 

Haryana, parts of northern 

Rajasthan and parts of southern 

Himachal Pradesh. 

The era of republics was finally 

ended by the imperial Guptas who 

pursued the policy of extension of 

the empire by annexing the 

neighbouring states. g

12 

COVER STORY 

Dr Sukhdev Saini 

It is widely believed that Haryana has 

been the cradle of cultures from the 

time of emergence of man in India and 

it has bequeathed a rich culture. In the 

cultural cavalcade of India’s history, 

the contribution of Haryana is of 

immense value, occupying an 

important geographical position which 

brings together ample elements to build 

a reliable model for the understanding 

of the cultural background of the 

history of Indian civilisation. 

In this connection, the Harappan 

phases and their continuity is a 

landmark in the cultural expansion and 

development of the region. It is one of 

the most important areas which have 

given a surprising picture of cultural 

movement and local tradition. The 

discovery of the Hakra ware culture 

and subsequently Harappan culture in 

Saraswati valley indeed constitutes a 

landmark in the archaeology of Indian 

subcontinent. Recently, the excavation 

at Bhirrana opened a new chapter 

about the early farming communities of 

the Saraswati valley. It has pushed back 

the antiquity of settled life in the part 

of Harappan civilisation to early 7th 

millennium BC. Previously, the 

explorations conducted by different 

scholars of Kurukshetra University , 

particularly those by Professor Suraj 

Bhan brought to light a large number of 

settlements of early farmers of the 

Saraswati valley. 

The excavations and extensive 

explorations carried out in the 

Saraswati valley provided a sufficient 

data that help us to build a solid 

chronological framework of great 

significance. The concentration and 

distribution of Harappan sites in 

Haryana shows that there were 

‘economic pockets’ in the Saraswati 

valley. In these ‘economic pockets’, the 

process of self-sufficiency in 

subsistence was achieved by closelyknit 

interdependent settlements. 

The excavated sites which have 

supplied most valuable information are 

Bhirrana, Farmana, Rakhigarhi, 

Banawali, Kunal, Balu, Mitathal and 

Siswal. The evidences from sites like 

Kunal, Bhirrana and Farmana on 

evolutionary pattern in house 

construction activities are notable. It 

developed from pit-dwelling, mud or 

mud brick structure in early phases to 

structures of baked brick in the mature 

Harappan phase. The Late Harappans 

of these sites may be the users of the 


Archaeology 

establishes a sequence 

A critical assessment of early culture of Haryana and recent discoveries 

Bronze figurine of 'Dancing Girl' 

found in Mohenjodaro 

upper portion of Harappan 

architecture for a long time. 

This area of Haryana is well known 

for its achievement in the field of 

agriculture and creation of surplus 

agricultural produce which triggered 

economic activity and provided 

impetus to the development of culture 

since the day of Harappan culture or 

even earlier. The fabric of agriculture 

in the proto-historic Haryana rested 

undoubted on plough cultivation, 

although conspicuous by its absence 

except a clay model of a plough from 

Banawali. But close contacts of this 

region with Kalibangan and the 

recovery of archaeo-botanical remains 

from the region dispelled doubts over 

the absence of any positive evidence. 

The archaeo-botanical remains from 

early onward reveal a rich and varied 

food economy based on the cultivation 

of cereals and legumes. The late 

Harappans of this region were also 

great agriculturists and produced 

enough agricultural produce that led to 

the diffusion or expansion of 

settlements in large numbers. 

Although, no large scale 

commerce is testified during the early 

Harappan period, but a trade of 

restricted kind with neighbouring 

places is well attested. The Harappan 

society was basically a society of urban 

character and had certain advanced 

technical knowledge like copper 

manufacturing and bead-making and 

had market centres. Seals and sealing 

had been playing an important role in 

the commercialisation of economic 

setup of the Harappans. In spite of its 

rural character, the bead industry of 

Kunal proves beyond doubt that Mature 

Harappan type of stone and metal 

beads were manufactured centuries 

before the emergence of Harappan 

settlements. 

The examination of archaeobotanical 

remains from different sites


A red potsherd with an engraving 

that resembles the 'Dancing Girl', 

discovered in Fatehabad district 

in Haryana 

reveals a rich and varied food economy 

based on the cultivation of cereals and 

legumes throughout Proto-historic 

occupational phases. The agricultural 

waste and vast grazing ground around 

the site must have given rise to animal 

husbandry. The agro-pastoral character 

of the site never got marginalised, 

other traits of subsistence remained 

subordinate. 

CULTURE SEQUENCE: 

The evidences of Kunal and Siswal 

significantly contributed a lot in the 

continuity of cultural sequence. The 

cultural features of three structural 

phases of Period Ic (Harappan) at 

Kunal clearly demonstrate developing 

stages of culture marked by change 

with continuity. 

The causes for the decline of 

Harappan culture and the 

characteristics of the post-urban phase 

have been a subject of great interest to 

scholars. Much research has been 

carried out in various regions of 

Harappan domain to understand these 

aspects. Though various views have 

been put forward regarding the factors 

that led to the end of the Harappan 

civilization, there is no unanimity 

among scholars. This was perhaps due 

to the play of numerous variables like 

change in climate, tectonic activity, 

hydrological changes and shift in 

subsistence system, trade and economy 

or invasion, which resulted in the 

collapse of urban centres. No single 

cause can be considered to have led to 

the degeneration of the Mature/Urban 

phase. However, the characteristics of 

the post-urban phase in various regions 

are fairly well-known though the 

understanding is far from complete. 

Nevertheless, the decline of the 

Harappan culture was not uniform and 

simultaneous in the entire-region. Like 

the early Harappan phases, the posturban 

phase has a number of regional 

cultural variations. Wherein in Punjab 

and Cholistan region this phase is 

represented by Cemetery H culture, in 

eastern Punjab and Harayna it is the 

late Sothi and Bara culture, in Sind the 

Jhukar culture and in Gujarat by 

Rangpur IIC and III occupation. This 

was the time when the local cultures 

were coming into prominence and the 

Harappan phenomena were on a 

decline. But now the question arises 

that who were the authors of these 

local cultures? Were they the late 

Harappans adapting new local 

tendencies as the beginners of their 

new settlements (Late Harappan sites)? 

If they were non- Harappans then we 

have to trace out their process of 

development and relation with 

Harappans from their beginning. 

Another question that begs an answer 

is that if the Harappan cities are the 

consolidated form of expansion of 

early Harappan settlement expansion, 

then what is the consolidated form of 

newly emerged late Harappan 

settlements in such large numbers? 

The contents of the following 

cultural sequence are worked out in the 

light of the fact that the prevailing 

tendencies cannot disappear until 

replaced by the new one. The processes 

of inferiority in old tendencies give 

space to accelerate the process of 

development of new tendencies. So, 

both processes are happening 

simultaneously. Then how the gradual 

elimination of old tradition can be 

termed or defined as the decline of a 

group of people or a culture, while they 

are adapting new traditions initially, 

although may not be in a perfect 

manner. Haryana provides ample 

evidence to solve this riddle. There is a 

need for analogical study of the late 

Harappan character of Harappan sites 

and Harappan character of late 

Harappan sites. 

(A) Hakra ware culture: Origin of 

agricultural communities; pottery 

making industry; pit-dwelling; intercommunity 

cultural contact; 

(B) Early Harappan village culture: 

Expansion of agricultural 

communities; expansion of rural 

COVER STORY 13 

settlements; origin of industrial art 

and crafts; origin of trade and 

commerce 

(C) Harappan culture + rural 

settlement (with urban character): 

Origin of commercialization of 

agriculture; consolidation of expansion 

of rural settlements; expansion of 

different arts and crafts; expansion of 

Trade and commerce 

(D) Mature Harappan + trading 

communities (with urbanization): 

Expansion of Commercialization of 

agriculture; expansion of rural 

settlements of urban character; 

consolidation of different arts and 

crafts; consolidation of trade and 

commerce 

(E) Late Harappan phase: 

Consolidation of expansion of 

commercialization of agriculture; 

diffusion of Harappan settlements; 

diffusion or decentralization of 

Harappan arts and crafts; expansion of 

internal trade 

(F) Post Harappan (chalcolithic 

community) + pgw culture + bara 

culture + transformation: Cultural 

relation of Late Harappan settlements 

with non-Harappan settlement due to 

expansion of internal trade; some old 

pottery tradition replaced by the new 

one, Chalcolithic pottery tradition, 

inferior late Harappan pottery 

tradition; Chalcolithic metal industry, 

faience industry 

(G) Transformation from 

community based administrative 

system to the territorial based 

administrative system: In 

continuation with foreign trade 

mechanism; development in art and 

architecture; new trading centers 

To understand this Proto-Historic 

cultural continuity of the region, the 

notable feature that generally strikes is 

its geographical position and river 

system, which makes it a viable region. 

Haryana being a part of Saraswati 

region forms a distinct geographical 

unit and accordingly reflects a different 

view of physiographic as well as 

cultural aspects. A survey of the river 

system of Saraswati valley is essential 

to search new evidence before 

embarking upon the assessment of 

cultural contents and possible future 

potentialities of greater dimensions to 

reconstruct the ancient history of the 

region. g 

The writer teaches in the Department 

of Ancient History, Kurukshetra 

University

14 

COVER STORY 

Our forgotten gods 

Vaikunth, a form of Lord Vishnu, whose worship was widespread in 

antiquity, has now gone into oblivion 

Vaikuntha from Pehowa 

Devendra Handa 


Over-awed by the force of some of 

the natural phenomena with 

which man in antiquity was 

surrounded he developed a belief in 

their being animate and divine. 

Everything that was regarded as 

capable of exercising a good or evil 

influence became an object not only of 

adoration but of prayer also. The 

early gods of mankind were the 

deified representations of the 

phenomena of nature though the 

degree of their anthropomorphism 

varied. India was no exception to it 

and the Rigveda which is the earliest 

literary monument of the world 

acquaints us with a plethora of such 

divinities: the Earth, Sun, Dawn, Sky, 

Winds, Fire, Soma, Varuna, Indra, etc. 

With the passage of time there 

developed speculations about life and 

creatures around, various systems of 

philosophy and religious beliefs 

commensurate with which and 

equally varied with those are the faith 

in the multiplicity and oneness of the 

Supreme god or even in the negation 

of such a Being. In course of time 

there evolved myths of their power, 

birth, parents, kin and 

accomplishments. 

It is interesting to note that these 

gods have also undergone vicissitudes 

of fate and fame like their mundane 

counterparts. The all-powerful Vedic 

god Indra lost his supreme status and 

a form of the Sun-god Vishnu rose 

subsequently to occupy the highest 

rung of divinity. Many gods even got 

forgotten. In this series we shall be 

taking up such deities whose worship 

was quite strong and wide-spread 

sometime but are lesser known now or 

have went into oblivion. One such god 

was Vaikuntha. 

Vaikuntha is one of the thousand 

names of Vishnu. In the realm of 

plastic art, Vaikuntha is a unitary


multiple image which symbolically 

represents Vaikuntha (i.e. Vasudeva 

Vishnu) as the Highest Being along 

with his three emanations – 

Samkarshana (Balarama), 

Pradyumna and Ainiruddha – or 

incarnations, i.e., Narasimha, Varaha 

and Kapila. The Mahabharata refers 

to this esoteric form of Vishnu as 

Murti-chatushtaya (four-fold form) 

but does not give any details. The 

evolution of Vaikuntha images is 

traced by some scholars from the 

four-faced Yaksha image from Bhita 

near Allahabad, now exhibited in the 

Lucknow Museum but some Kushan- 

Gupta images from Mathura showing 

three different busts emanating from 

the shoulders of a central figure may 

certainly be regarded as the 

precursor of the later development. 

Vaikuntha images with lion and boar 

faces, however, seem to have come 

into existence during the Gupta 

period. During the early medieval 

period, Vaikuntha worship had 

grown quite popular in the hill 

region of Kashmir and Himachal 

Pradesh. In the latter state numerous 

temples may still be seen containing 

images of the god. It seems that from 

the Mathura region the worship of 

Vaikuntha spread to Haryana, 

Punjab, Himachal and Kashmir in 

the north and even to Afghanistan in 

the northwest and towards Uttar 

Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan 

and Gujarat and further south to 

Belgam and Bijapur in Karnataka 

where such images have been found. 

The earliest iconographical 

description of the Vaikuntha image 

occurs in a text Jayakhya Samhita 

belonging to the late or post Gupta 

period where it has been described as 

having four faces of Vaikuntha or 

Vishnu, Narasimha, Varaha and 

Kapila and having four arms holding 

a conch (shankha), a wheel (chakra), 

a mace (gada) and a lotus (padma) 

and mounted on a white garuda. The 

Vishnudharmottara Purana, another 

text of the late Gupta period, states 

that the joint image of Vasudeva 

(human), Samkarshana (lion), 

Pradyumna (boar) and Aniruddha 

(terrific face) is called Vaikuntha 

which should be quadricephalous 

(chaturmukha). Symbolically the 

main eastern face is placid and 

represents strength, southern 

leonine face represents knowledge, 

northern boar face represents 

affluence and the western terrific 

face represents strength (shakti). The 

deity should have eight hands 

holding an arrow, a rosary and a 

pestle in the right hands and a shield, 

a plough, a bow and a discus in the 

left ones and the god should ride the 

celestial bird. Later texts like the 

Aparajitaprichchha, Rupamandana 

and Devatamurtip-rakarana also 

describe the Vaikuntha-murti 

similarly as four-faced, eight-handed 

and riding the mount Garuda. The 

attributes according to these texts 

should be a mace, a sword, a discus 

and an arrow in the right hands and 

a conch, a shield, a bow and a lotus 

in the left ones. 

We find an interesting story in 

Khajuraho inscription of 

Yashovarmadeva (CE 954) about the 

four-faced Vaikuntha form of 

Vishnu. It states that Kapila and two 

other demons had obtained a boon 

from Brahma that they should be 

killed only by one who would assume 

their forms. In order to kill the 

demons Vishnu assumed the 

syncretistic form of Vaikuntha with 

the faces of lion, boar and Kapila. 

This mythological story, however, is 

not met with anywhere else. The 

above-mentioned Khajuraho 

inscription refers to the construction 

of the Lakshmana Temple at 

Khajuraho for setting up the fourfaced 

Vaikuntha image which was 

brought from the Kailash region and 

presented to the Shahi ruler of 

Kangra as a token of friendship but 

was taken away forcibly from the 

Shahi king by king Herambapala. 

The Chandella king Yashovaraman 

snatched this image from 

Herambapala’s son Devapala. 

Another Vaikuntha temple known to 

us is the larger Sas (of the Sas-Bahu) 

temple at Gwalior built in CE 1093 by 

king Mahipala. We have some 

inscriptional evidence of the 

installation of Vaikuntha images in 

temples in Kashmir also. Numerous 

other shrines dedicated to this god 

who must have existed once have not 

survived the vicissitudes of nature 

and human vandalism. 

Haryana being located in close 

vicinity of Mathura seems to have 

embraced Vaikuntha worship very 

soon after its inception as indicated 

by the Gupta image bearing 


additional lion and boar faces now 

worshipped in a Shiva temple at 

Gharaunda, a straggling town near 

Karnal on the Sher Shah Suri Marg 

(National Highway No. 1) and famous 

for its Mughal sarai ‘carava resting 

place’. Kapal-Mochan, a holy place 

and pilgrimage near Jagadhari in 

district Yamunanagar has yielded a 

late Gupta broken image of 

Vaikuntha which betrays the 

continuing popularity of the god in 

this region. An almost complete 

image measuring 65 x 40 cm which 

may roughly be dated to the period of 

king Harshavardhana shows the 

nimbate god wearing a flat 

cylindrical crown (kirita-mukuta), 

earrings, torque, sacred thread, 

vaijayantimala ‘long garland’, lower 

garment secured by a waistband and 

having clearly carved leonine face on 

his proper right and boar face on the 

left. His natural hands hold a lotus 

and conch while the additional 

hands are placed over personified 

mace (Gadadevi) and conch 

(Shankha-purusha). The period of 

seventh through the ninth century 

saw the evolution of small portable 

plaques of the deity. Such plaques 

have been recovered from Hat near 

Safidon and Agroha near Hisar. The 

most beautiful image of Vaikuntha, 

however, comes from Pehowa 

showing sparing use of jewellery, 

graceful curves and contours, 

pleasing composition, detailed care 

given even to the incidental figures 

and delicacy of chisel work which 

bestow a distinctive character to this 

one of the loveliest reliefs from 

Haryana belonging to the first half 

of the tenth century CE bearing 

affinity to the Pratihara idiom. 

Images and fragments found from 

Pinjore, Chandimandir, Lalru, 

Kurukshetra, Asandh and Jasat near 

Pataudi furnish ample evidence of 

the popularity of Vaikuntha in 

Haryana during the medieval period. 

Medieval iconoclasm and religious 

bigotry, however, seem to have 

pushed this god into oblivion and 

people now are hardly aware of his 

name and the fact that once 

Vaikuntha was a popular god of the 

region. g 

The writer is a former chairman, 

department of Ancient History, 

Culture and Archaeology, Panjab 

University, Chandigarh

16 

COVER STORY 

Coins 

tell history 

Virjanand Devkarni 

The place of coins in understanding 

the ancient history is of utmost 

importance. In India the excavation of 

ancient sights has revealed hordes of 

coins. These coins are of various 

mediums like metal gold, silver, copper, 

bronze, brass and various metal alloys 

and terracotta and leather. 

From the ancient Sanskrit 

literature and Puranas, we come to 

know about the lineage of various 

kings and discovery of coins has 

proved their historical relevance and 

truth. The existence of Bhanumitra, 

Vangpal and others Panchal kings; 

Kunindas; Yaudheyas; Arjunaayaans; 

Maalwas; Mahadevas; Audumbers; 

Agrahars; Shibis; Kanishka, Huvishks 

and other Kushans dynasty kings; 

Chandragupta – Smaudragupta and 


There is history embedded in the coins, which 

when deciphered, throws open the doors to our 

ancient past Coin of army chief Veer Dwar 

found at Rohtak 

Casting blocks for coins belonging to Gaudheya Rajput-Khakhrakot (Rohtak) 

other Gupta kings; Aganimitra, 

Bhraspatimitra and other rulers; kings 

of Kushambhi, Ganendra-bhav-nag 

and other Nag dynasty kings; 

Satkarnis, Andharas, Pallavas, Cholas, 

Ghadwallas, Harshvardhan; 

Rudradaman and other Kshatrapas 

dynasty, Abhimanu-Sangram and other 

Kashmiri kings; Menander, 

Apollodotus and other Indo-Greek 

kings; Ujjain, Takshila, Mathura, 

Mahipal Deva and other kings of the 

Thomar dynasty; Someshwar Dev, 

Bisal Dev, Prtihaviraj and other 

Chauhan kings; from Mohammad 

Gauri to George VI; Shiavaji Maratha; 

Ranjeet Singh, the Sikh king and other 

numerous dynasties has been proved 

by the discovery of coins. 

From the size, weight and design of 

various coins, we come to know about 

the system of measurement followed 

during that time. On various coins we 

find mention of various periods and 

name of the minting areas which 

proves the existence of many 

historical places with their 

corresponding eras. Similarly, single 

coins depicting name of two rulers 

indicate the co-existence and co-rule of 

two kings. The name of the old king on 

the coin when is superimposed by a 

new ruler’s name indicates that the old 

king was defeated by the new king and 

the new king was in a hurry to have 

his own coin depicting his rule. The 

king was very much interested in 

having his own royal insignia and 

hurriedly got the old currency 

punched in his name so that the people 

followed it, symbolizing his 

sovereignty. For example Dambhuti’s 

coins depict a punched name of


Coin of Indo-Greek king Eucratides 

Vangpal which is superimposed on the 

name of Dambhuti. 

The world’s oldest punch-marked 

coins depict some logos like sun, stars, 

fish, peacock, mountains, bow and 

arrow and other symbols. An analysis 

of these coins tells us about the 

ancient customs, beliefs and culture of 

that era. 

The coins of Yaudheyas depicting 

Shiva, Parvati, Kartikeya, Nandi, 

Hand, Trishul, Chakra and other 

symbols show that the Yaudheyas were 

shavites. Similarly, coins of Kanshika 

show Mahatma Buddha. Besides this, 

they also have pictures of Shiv, Surya, 

Vayu devta and Agni devta, which 

means the Indian gods were venerated 

by the Kanishk people. During the 

Gupta dynasty we find coins depicting 

Goddess Laxmi seated on a lotus 

(Kamal Pushp). The Agrahars who are 

known to be the forefathers of 

Aggarwal community, had Lion, Nandi 

and Gaj-Laxmi on their coins. 

Similarly, the Nag dynasty had the 

Nandi as the symbol on the coins 

issued by them. 

The kings of the Panchal dynasty 

had given Surya (Sun) and Agni (fire), 

a prominent place on the first face of 

their coins. The coins issued by 

Panchalas in the western border areas 

of ancient India, had both Bharami 

and Kharosthi script on either side of 

each coin. This indicates that the 

people living in western areas of 

ancient India during that time had 

knowledge of both Bharami and 

Kharosthi scripts. Similarly, in the far 

western frontiers of ancient India, 

coins having Kharosthi and Greek 

scripts were in use. 

Lord Krishna had thee lineages: 

Andhak, Bhoj and Vardesh. Out of the 

three, in the coins issued by Vardesh, 

both Kharosthi and Bharami scripts 

have been used and they depict 

symbols like elephant, lion, chakra etc. 

This shows that Vardesh believed in 

the Vishnu incarnation of Krishna. 

The Turkish kings of Sultanate 

period like Mohammad Ghauri, Balban 

and others; Allaudin Khilji and Sher 

Shah Suri used Devnagari script in 

their coins. The initial policy of the 

earlier Muslim kings was to establish 

themselves among the natives of India 

as one of them and not as an outsider. 

Thus, by using Devangari script in 

their coins, they tried to project 

themselves as real patrons of the 

Indians. This was a policy used by 

them to consolidate their empire. 

In those areas where we find the 

coins of a particular ruler, we can 

conclude, that the area was under the 

rule of that king in that particular era. 

Further, when we get a horde of coins 

of different rulers, this indicates their 

presence in the same era, only their 

time of rule differs by a few decades in 

that particular era. 

Similarly, from the study of coins, 


we can get an idea of the old language, 

customs, culture, education, religion, 

ruler, kingdom, defence advancements 

and art forms. The coins issued by 

various kings are a subject of 

dedicated and deep research for a 

scholar of history. Further, if the 

findings on the study of coins are also 

proved by the ancient literature, bhoj 

patras, copper plates, rock 

inscriptions, pillar inscriptions etc, a 

job of the historian is to assimilate 

these findings in a proper 

chronological manner. The study and 

research of numerous panegyric 

compositions found on secret coins 

which if found to be similar to the 

panegyric compositions on copper 

plates or rock inscriptions, helps in 

correlating historical past, thereby, 

proving its occurrence which 

otherwise would have remained lost. 

For this type of research which is 

carried out by researchers, the 

Haryana Purutatav Sangharaley at 

Gurukul, Jhajjar, is at the help of the 

researchers. This museum holds the 

priceless treasures related to the 

ancient history of Haryana.g 

The writer is Director, Puratatav 

Sangharaley, Gurukul, Jhajjar. 

Casting blocks for coins of Samantdev and Yaudheyas at Khakrakhot (Rohtak)

18 

COVER STORY 

Ravneet Kaur 

Haryana has been the hub of social, 

cultural and religious activity in 

India, even before the time of Vedic 

civilisation. The history of Haryana is 

marked by constant integration of 

diverse cultures with continuous 

migration of people from different 

parts of the world. Given its distinctive 

geography, the state of Haryana was 

witness to the invasions of the Muslim 

rulers, battles of the Marathas and the 

Sikhs. Hindu saints, Buddhist monks 

and Sikh gurus have traversed 

Haryana, spreading their message of 

universal love and brotherhood. Sihi in 

Faridabad, the birth place of great 

Hindi poet Surdas, is another nucleus 

of culture in Haryana while the legend 

of Lord Krishna is very evident in the 

lives of the people. 

Haryana’s history and culture is 

ancient and dynamic, spanning back to 

the beginning of human civilisation. 

Primitive society was largely nomadic 

and pastoral. Man spent most of his 

time hunting for food, making and 

using tools, protecting himself from 

animals and fighting with natural 

calamities. He worshipped natural 

elements like water, air, fire and trees. 

The status of man and woman was 

equal. 

The domestication of plants and 

animals usually distinguishes Neolithic 

culture from earlier Paleolithic or 

Mesolithic hunting, fishing, and foodgathering 

culture. Bronze and iron 

brought revolution in the life of man. 

Concept of rich and poor developed. 

Indus valley civilisation falls in this 

Bronze Age. With the advent of iron, 

man started cleaning more and more 

forests for agriculture. Thus, 

agriculture forced man to lead a settled 


A peep into our past 

The cultural ethos of Haryana before 18th century 

Artefacts of Harappan Era 

life. This was also the beginning of 

private ownership of land. 

Indus valley civilisation was 

basically an urban civilisation and the 

people lived in well-planned towns. The 

highly civilized Harappans knew the 

art of growing cereals, and wheat and 

barley constituted their staple food. 

They consumed vegetables and fruits 

and ate mutton, pork and eggs as well. 

Evidences also show that they used 

cotton as well as woolen garments. 

Both males and females used nearly 

same dresses. Fan-shaped headdress 

was common among women. Men kept 

short beards but shaved their 

moustaches. Females used various 

cosmetics to beautify themselves. Both, 

rich and poor, wore various ornaments 

of different metals like gold, silver, 

copper and precious as well as semiprecious 

stones. Necklaces, armlets and 

finger-rings were mostly used by males


Terracotta Stamps from Jind 

while females used headbands, 

bracelets, bangles, ear-rings and anklets 

in addition to them. Fishing, hunting 

and bird fighting was main source of 

entertainment for them. Toys like carts 

whistles and rattles were favourite 

among children. Mostly dead were 

buried and certain household articles 

were also buried with them. This was 

may be because they believed in life 

after death. Indus valley civilisation 

was followed by Vedic period. 

Haryana was a part of the state of 

Punjab for a long time. The largely 

accepted view is that a section of 

Aryans reached the frontiers of the 

Indian subcontinent around 200 BC and 

first settled in Punjab and it is here, in 

this land, where the hymns of Rig-Veda 

were composed. The Vedic Age laid the 

foundation of Hinduism and religious 

practices associated with it. 

The increase in population, 

development of the agrarian economy, 

increase in local trade, the caste 

factors, and emergence of the ruling 

class and hereditary nature of 

kingship, all led to the rise of small 

kingdoms. Families were patrilineal 

and people prayed for the abundance of 

sons. Regarding their food habits, Yava, 

which probably meant wheat, barley 

and beans, was the chief foodstuff of 

Aryans. Milk and its various 

preparations like ghee butter and curd 

were used. The flesh of ox, sheep and 

goat was normally eaten. Horse flesh 

was eaten only on special occasions. 

For beef, only barren cows called Vasas 

were sacrificed. Both cotton and woolen 

garments of different colours were 

used. A special garment was worn by a 

bride at her marriage ceremony. The 

kurira was some kind of head garment 

worn specially by brides. Niksha 

Rukma and Mani were popular 

ornaments. Aryans had not built up 

cities, they lived in villages. Roads were 

built up and carts and chariots were 

popular means of transport. The 

chariot race, hunting, gambling and 

dicing, dancing and music were main 

sources of entertainment of Aryans. 

The drum, the lute and the flute were 

very much familiar to them. 

An important development of the 

later Vedic age was the division of the 

society based on work into different 

castes. The Brahmins or the priestly 

class led the society in conducting 

religious duties and educating people, 

the Kshatriyas were warriors, the 

Vaishyas or merchants were petty 

businessmen and peasants and the 

Shudras or the outcasts performed 

menial jobs like scavenging, fishing and 

removing dead bodies. The caste 

system was rigid at this time and 

people could not change jobs according 

to their ability and interest. 

According to studies, women enjoyed 

equal status and rights during the early 

Vedic period. There were women 

teachers, scholars, Brahmavadins and 

highly respected rishis and they also 

participated in battles. However, later 

(approximately 500 BC), the status of 

women began to decline with the 

Smritis (codified law books) especially 

Manusmriti and with the Islamic 

invasion of Babur and the Mughal 

empire and later Christianity 

curtailing women's freedom and rights. 

She was started being treated as 

commodity. Tulsidas’s celebrated line 

in Ramcharitmanas: dhol, ganwar, 

shudra, pashu, nari; yeh sab taran ke 

adhikari very well portrays position of 


women. Decline in the status of women 

is also sometimes related with 

agriculture. As man developed in 

agriculture, women started taking 

backward position because of her 

physical structure. She had to give 

birth to babies and take care of them 

and so had to stay at home. During 

medieval period, there came a radical 

decline in women's status. When 

foreign conquerors like Muslims 

invaded India they brought with them 

their own culture. They treated woman 

as the sole property of her father, 

brother or husband who did not have 

any will of her own. Indian men also 

started treating women the same way 

in order to show their dominance over 

women. As polygamy was prevalent, 

these invaders picked up any women 

they wanted and kept her in their 

harems. In order to protect themselves, 

Indian women started using 'Purdah', (a 

veil). They were not allowed to move 

freely. These practices gave rise to 

some new evils such as Child Marriage, 

Sati, Jauhar and restriction on girl 

education. 

If we leave aside the status of 

women and talk of the Mughal period 

in other terms, it is often referred to as 

the golden period in the history of 

Indian art, craft, architecture and 

culture. The Mughal rulers brought 

with them a rich heritage, which they 

had acquired from Persia. They 

introduced many new forms of art such 

as carpet weaving, inlay work, 

brocades, enameling and glass 

engraving. The style became popular 

and seeped into Hindu temples too, 

especially in Kaithal, Kalayat and 

Rohtak. The mughals brought with 

them their rich aromatic food culture 

in India. Their cooking methods 

included lot of milk and cream with 

exotic spices, nuts and dried foods to 

make it more rich and spicy. Poetry was 

also a big accomplishment in Indian 

culture during this period. Mostly 

poetry was written in Persia because it 

was an official language until the sack 

of Delhi in 1739, and Urdu became the 

new language after that. The costumes 

were lavish with work elaborately done 

on them. Block print fabrics were in 

vogue during this period. Bandhini, 

Lehariya and mothra was also seen. 

Rich designs and ornaments gave a 

splendid touch to this period. 

Assimilation of different cultures 

makes Haryana’s culture rich and 

copious. g

20 

COVER STORY 

The legend of 

the Saraswati 

The river Saraswati which once flowed 

through Haryana and was considered 

sacred and praised in the Vedas is now 

history. There is a serious attempt to 

resurrect the river 


Haryana government is now 

planning to revive the course taken 

by Saraswati river by building a 50 kmlong 

channel in Kurukshetra. The 

Union Government has recently 

admitted that scientists have discovered 

water channels indicating “beyond 

doubt” the existence of the “Vedic 

Saraswati.” 

The Centre has embarked on an 

ambitious project to trace Saraswati, 

the mythological river, believed to be 

flowing underground and forming the 

Sangam in confluence with the Ganga 

and the Jamuna. Above are the recent 

reports of the newspapers with regard 

to the Saraswati river. 

The legend of the Saraswati river 

has lived on in India since time 

immemorial. Vedas are full of 

tantalizing hymns about it being the 

life-stream of the people. The river 

Saraswati, during its heydays, is 

described to be much bigger than 

Sindhu or the Indus river. During the 

Vedic period, this river had coursed 

through the region between modern 

Yamuna and Sutlej. 

According to geological and 

glaciological studies, Saraswati was 

supposed to have originated in 

Bandapunch masiff. It passed through 

the plains of Punjab, Haryana, 

Rajasthan and Gujarat before falling 

into the Arabian Sea at the Rann of 

Kutch. The rivers, Saraswati and 

Ghaggar, are supposed to be one and the 

same, though a few workers use the 

name Ghaggar to describe Saraswati’s 

upper course and Hakra to its lower 

course, while some others refer 

Saraswati of weak and declining 

stage, by the name Ghaggar. 

Over a 3000 year-long period since 

the Vedic times the drainage pattern 

of many rivers had changed. The 

decline of Saraswati appears to have 

commenced between 5000–3000 BC, 

probably precipitated by a major 

tectonic event in the Siwalik Hills of 

Sirmur region. 

Intense investigations during the last 

thirty years have yielded fruitful data 

obtained through ground and satellite 

based techniques as well as from 

palaeoseismic, and palaeoclimatic 

records all of which had enabled a good 

reconstruction of the drainage 

evolution in north-western India. In 

addition, TL-dating of dry-bed sands 

and isotopic studies of the groundwater 

below these channels provided useful 

links in these reconstruction efforts. 

The observed river-shifts and other 

changes could also be correlated with 

specific geologic, seismic or climatic 

event that occurred during the mid- to 

late-Quaternary period. 

The Dirshadvati and the Saraswati 

according to the Vedic literature were 

two distinct rivers in the beginning but 

by the time Aryans reached that area, 

these had joined together to form one 

stream. The Chautang, one time 

considered a tributary of Hakra, was 

the main stream of the Dirshadvati and 

later on when the Dirshadvati 

discharged in the Saraswati, it 

indirectly became a tributary of the 

Saraswati. The Dirshadvati is another 

name for the Chautang. Due to 

existence of Jamuna fault in Siwaliks, 

the Jamuna could not have flowed 

westwards through the bed of Hakra, 


A temple in Pehowa, where the 

Saraswati once flowed 

which is too narrow to carry its waters. 

South of Simla, between the towns of 

Jagadhari on the east and Patiala in the 

west, there are at least seven beds of 

ancient streams and also two more to 

the west of Patiala. All these flow from 

North-northeast to South-southwest 

and merge into each other forming two 

major streams, the Dirshadvati to the 

east and the Saraswati to the West. The 

Dirshadvati is represented by the 

eastern most streams, now called the 

Chautang and the Saraswati, by the rest 

eight streams which are considered its 

tributaries, although stream capture 

was common between the two 

throughout their life time. 

During the early or the Lower 

Pleistocene (2.0 million years to 5,00,000 

years ago), due to start of aridity, the 

Dirsahdvati’s waters reduced and it 

could not reach the Luni. The tectonic 

movements in the head reaches of the 

Dirshadvati and the Saraswati in 

Siwaliks may to some extent have been 

responsible in changing courses of 

these streams but the major factor was 

large amounts of silt, which they 

carried with themselves from Siwaliks 

and deposited it down streams blocking 

their own path. 

The Saraswati had a number of 

tributaries in Haryana and Ganganagar 

district of Rajasthan. These tributaries 

covered a wide valley extending from 

the Siwaliks and the area presently 

occupied by towns of Dadwati, 

Ganganagar, Jakhal, Tajewala, 

Jagadhari, Panipat, Thanesar and


Patiala. It had almost a catchment area 

of about 10,000 square miles, from 

which it drained its summer and winter 

monsoon waters, as well as Himalayan 

snow melts, making the Saraswati a 

perennial river. 

It is not certain from aerial 

photographs if the whole of the Sutlej 

during pre- Pleistocene period passed 

into the Saraswati or only a part of it. 

During mid and late Pleistocene, the 

Sutlej was an independent river 

allowing only its spill waters to the 

Saraswati. 

The Indus culture settlements 

existed along the old courses of the 

Saraswati from fort Abbas to Derawar 

Fort, as investigated by Mughals. 

Renowned historian, Stein investigated 

the following sites along Ghaggar and 

Hakra bed in Bikaner and eastern 

Bahawalpur:- Bhadrakali, Munda 

Fatehgarh, Kalibangam, Bhawar, 

Badopal, Ranimahal, Karnisar, 

Sardargarh, Sohankot, Suwaiki, 

Bijnagar, Ramsinghpur, Binjor, Walar, 

Sandhnawala, Kudwala and Luriwala. 

All these sites are either Chalcolithic 

(Indus Culture) or early historica, going 

back to the period of arrival of Aryans 

and none later than about 750 BC. The 

earlier sites go back to 2300 BC. 

Once Hakra or Saraswati became 

non-perennial, its contribution to the 

local economy was limited to 

pastoralism in Rajasthan and 

Cholistan. But in Sind below Jamrao 

Head, it supported some agriculture in 

summer, although not very regularly, 

probably up to1200 AD, and 

occasionally after-wards but, this date 

cannot be stated with accuracy. There 

are, however, indications of occasional 

supply of water up to mid 18th Century. 

Even as a non- perennial river, it 

could not have been utilized for 

navigation at the time of Greek 

conquest of Sind, in 325 BC, and afterwards. 

As a perennial river, it did 

contribute to navigation and means of 

communication with the other Indus 

culture cities in Sind, Kathiawar and 

Gujarat. 

A study of ancient cultures gives 

indication that archaeological sites of 

the Early (3500 BC-2350 BC) and mature 

Indus Culture (2350 BC-2000 BC) existed 

along the ancient courses of the 

Saraswati, Ghaggar the main channel 

of the Saraswati on which flourished 

Kalibangan, and the Chautang. The 

Iron age or Grey Ware sites (around 

1000 BC) also existed along the upper 

reaches of Ghaggar, but not along the 

lower Saraswati (or Hakra proper). 

Along major courses of the 

Saraswati and the Dirshadvati, there is 

fresh ground water, especially along 

Dharmi Khu, Ghantial, Ghotarou and 

down to Shahgarh, where it is available 

at 30-40 metres depth. It appears that 

this ground water in the area moves 

under the old course from Himalayas 

in a slow movement which takes 

centuries. 

The ancient settlements along the 

banks of Hakra or Saraswati go back to 

the Indus culture times (2000 BC, in its 


Ancient river 

whole reach and 2350-1650 BC, below 

Naukot), and some of these have been 

located very close to its mouth in the 

Rann of Kutch, i.e, near Rahim-ki- 

Bazar and Sindhuri. 

Historical versions on Hakra, 

recorded mostly in the 17th century 

and afterwards, cannot be considered 

authentic, especially about the events 

which in this particular case, took 

place around 2000 BC, or even in 11th - 

13th centuries AD. Although 

historians of these works have been 

too assertive, the fact remains that 

their source of information was 

contemporary folklore. Folklore on the 

other hand is full of eulogies and 

exaggerations and the story tellers 

(Sugharhs) have given free rein to 

their imaginations and these have 

changed from occasion to occasion, 

according to how good a sugharh was. 

Folklore, therefore, is not a media to 

resolve an issue, totally contradicted 

as it is by the scientific evidence. 

Finding a river, which is history 

now, is worthwhile. But the concept of 

reviving the river again is not at all 

appreciating. In the present times, 

water has become a big issue. We are 

fighting against the scarcity of this 

life support element. We should save 

our already existing rivers which are 

on the verge of extinction. But over 

here we are failing miserably and to 

revive an ancient river seems a far 

thought. g 

The article is based on the researches 

of historian Mr M H Panwar

22 

COVER STORY 

Antiquity of 

Pehowa 

The modern day Pehowa was called 

Prithudaka in ancient times and was regarded 

as an important pilgrimage place of India 

Doorway from ‘Visvamitra Ka Tila’ in the Saraswati Temple 



Modern day Pehowa is a bustling 

grain market, thirty five 

kilometres from Kurukshetra. It 

offers a little clue to its antiquity. The 

town is like any other humdrum 

mandi town of Haryana or Punjab. 

Located on National Highway 65, 

Pehowa is a place where the Hindus 

come for the last rites of their 

departed relatives. They are greeted 

by ‘pandas’ or priests who perform 

the required pind-daan and then they 

depart. Close to the holy tank is a 

sprawling gurudwara and a busy busstand. 

The modern name Pehowa is a 

corruption of the Sanskrit word 

Prithudaka, which was the original 

name of the town as mentioned in the 

Garibnath Temple inscription of this 

place. Rajasekhara (10th century AD) 

has also mentioned Prithudaka as an 

outpost of Uttarapatha. The 

Mahabharata and the Puranas also 

refer to Prithudaka as a holy place. 

Traditionally, it derives its name from 

Prithu, son of king Vena who was a 

scion of Hiranyakasipu and was 

cured of his leprosy by bathing in the 

Saraswati. Prithu thought it his filial 

duty to do something for the good of 

his father. So after cremating his 

father's body, he performed the usual 

funeral rites and sat on the bank of 

the Saraswati for twelve days offering 

water (Udaka) to all comers. The spot, 

therefore, came to be known as 

Prithudaka (Prithu + udaka), i.e. 

Prithu's water or pool, and the city 

which he built on or near the spot 

was also named similarly. 

All the derivations, however, seem 

to be only the modern efforts to 

explain the name linguistically, of 

course, in the perspective of local 

history and tradition. The people say 

that Prithvi Raja built a temple and 

called it by the name Prithveswar. It 

stood in front of the place now 

occupied by Garibnath's 

establishment. Much sculpture has 

been found there. The word 

Prithveswar contracts more easily 

into Pehoa or as some call it Pehowa 

than does Prithudaka. Some scholars 

give another explanation for the name 

of the town. They believe that 

because of geo-tectonic changes and 

aeolian winds advancing from the 

west, the bed of the river Saraswati 

got choked resulting in the formation


Pasupatinatha (Sravananatha) Temple 

of a reservoir of fresh and deep water 

in its present bed. The place where 

abundant (Prithu means abundant 

also) water (udaka) was available was 

thus called Prithudaka. 

THE ANCIENT PRITHUDAKA 

Prithudaka has been regarded as one 

of the most important tirthas of 

India. It is situated on the bank of the 

Saraswati river which has been held 

as the most divine and the best of the 

rivers in the Rigveda. Famous in all 

the three worlds, it has been regarded 

as possessing many merits, remover 

of sins and auspicious. 

The town of Pehowa is built partly 

upon the low ground and partly on an 

old mound as lofty as that of 

Thanesar, or from 30 to 40 feet high. 

There is an inscription in the 

Garibnath Temple belonging to king 

Bhoja (Pratihara) and it is dated to 

882 AD. Another inscription from this 

place is now preserved in the Lahore 

Museum. It belongs to Bhoja's 

successor, Mahendrapala. These 

inscriptions reveal that Pehowa was a 

flourishing town in the ninth-tenth 

centuries AD. The fact of its being a 

famous town can be guessed from the 

fact that a certain scholar, 

Prithudakasvami, wrote a 

commentary at Kurukshetra on 

Brahmagupta's Brahmasphutasiddhanta 

(seventh century AD) 

shortly before AD 864 under the 

Pratihara king Bhoja. 

Renowned archaeologist 

Cunningham had found large sized 

bricks, 18 x 12 x 2.5-3 inches, from 

Pehowa. Another archaeologist, 

Rodgers has also recorded bricks of 

13.5 x 9 x 2.5 inches and fragments of 

sculptures and temple remains at 

Pehowa but it is difficult to date them 

precisely in the absence of 

illustrations. A terracotta figure 

obtained by Cunningham from 

Pehowa, amongst other remains, was 

illustrated by him and may be dated 

back to the Gupta period. Another 

brick¬-panel containing the figure of 

a dvarapala dated to circa 4-5th 

century AD has also come to light 

from Pehowa. Kushana and Kuninda 

coins recovered from the site by 

Rodgers push back its antiquity to 


about the beginning of the Christian 

era. Since a great part of the ancient 

mound is now under habitation, the 

early history of the town seems to be 

sealed under it. The earliest remains 

known so far, however, are in the 

form of potsherds which were 

collected from the southern and 

south-eastern part of the mound now 

under habitation. These potsherds are 

known to the archaeologists by the 

name of Painted Grey Ware which 

belong to the first half of the 1st 

millennium BC. 

Prithudaka had a very large 

number of tirthas. Such a large 

number of holy places could not have 

been established on the banks of a 

desiccated river. The sanctity of the 

Saraswati river and of the tirthas on 

its banks, eulogised so often in 

religious works, indicates that they 

were established on the perennial 

river as depicted in the Rigveda. 

Some of the tirthas, too, are 

reminiscent of the facts and events 

recorded in the Vedic literature. g 

The article is based on the researches 

of historian Dr Devendra Handa

24 

COVER STORY 

Battles 

that changed 

history 

The three battles of Panipat between 1526 

and 1761 changed the course of Indian 

history and firmly placed Muslim rule 

in India till 1857 


Historically, Panipat brings 

memories of the three major 

battles fought on this land. Every 

invader who came to loot and plunder 

after traversing Punjab had to fight a 

pitched battle in Haryana before 

reaching Delhi. 

FIRST BATTLE 

The first Battle of Panipat was fought 

between Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi of 

Delhi and Babur, on April 21, 1526. It 

gave a death blow to the Lodhi Empire 

and marked the end of the Delhi 

Sultanate's rule in India. It led to the 

establishment of the Mughal Empire. 

Mongol prince Zahir-ud-Din 

Muhammad, known as Babur, had 

promised to help Daulat Khan Lodhi, 

Governor of Lahore, to fight the 

Sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodhi. 

Ibrahim fought with a big army of one 

lakh soldiers whereas Babur 

possessed only 12 thousand soldiers. 

Superior battle tactics, better 

organizational abilities and the deadly 

use of cannons won for Babur a 

decisive battle over Ibrahim Lodhi. 

Lodhi was killed and Delhi and Agra 

passed into the hands of Babur. This 

laid the foundation of Mughal dynasty 

which ruled India for more than 200 

years. It was during this battle that 

artillery was used for the first time in 

India. 

At the time of the Babur's invasion, 

India was a house divided. In fact 

many historians believe that Babur 

was invited by both, Daulat Khan, 

Governor of Punjab and Rana Sangha. 

SECOND BATTLE 


On 24th January 1556 AD, Mughal ruler 

Humayun slipped while climbing down 

the steps of his library and fell to his 

death. His son, Akbar was only thirteen 

years old when he ascended the throne. 

At the time of Akbar's accession to the 

throne, the Mughal rule was confined to 

Kabul, Kandhar, and parts of Punjab 

and Delhi. Akbar was then 

campaigning in Punjab with his chief 

minister Bairam Khan. On February 14, 

1556, in a garden at Kalanaur, Akbar 

was enthroned as emperor. Hemu 

(Hemchandra) was a military chief of 

the Afghan King Muhammad Adil Shah 

who had established himself at Chunar 

and was seeking to expel the Mughals 

from India. Taking advantage of 

Humayun's death, Hemu marched to 

Agra and Delhi in October and


occupied it without difficulty, and 

became the ruler. 

To counter this, Bairam Khan 

(Akbar's guardian) marched towards 

Delhi. On November 5, 1556 both the 

armies met at Panipat. Hemu with a 

large army including 1,500 war 

elephants had initial success. There 

was a pitched battle and Hemu was on a 

winning spree when a stray arrow 

struck him in the eye. He fell 

unconscious. As in many other battles, 

the loss of the leader caused panic 

among the troops and turned the tide of 

the battle. The Mughals won the battle. 

There was a great slaughter of those 

who were captured and in keeping with 

the custom of his ancestors; Akbar had 

a victory pillar built with their heads. 

This battle, known as Second Battle of 

Panipat was an epoch-making event in 

the history of India as it resulted in reestablishment 

of the Mughal Empire in 

India. 

THIRD BATTLE 

The Third Battle of Panipat was 

fought on January 14, 1761 between the 

Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Abdali 

and Marathas, the protectors and 

friends of the Mughal emperor Shah 

Alam II. In this battle, the Maratha 

commander Sadashiv Rao Bhau was 

defeated by the Afghan commander 

Ahmed Shah Abdali. Bhau, the 

Peshwa’s young son and a number of 

Maratha commanders fell in the 

battlefield. This gave a fatal blow to the 

Maratha power. The battle proved to be 

disastrous as not only the Marathas 

had to bear tremendous losses, but the 

event also marked the beginning of the 

downfall of the Mughals. 

The Mughals remained in nominal 

control over small areas of India, but 

were never a force again. The empire 

officially ended in 1857 when its last 

emperor was accused of being involved 

in the Sepoy Mutiny and exiled. 

POLITICAL EFFECTS 

The verdict of Panipat decided that 

both the Marathas and the Afghans 

were not to rule over North India. They 

never regained any unity, and were 

soon under increasing pressure from 

the British. Their claims to empire 

were officially ended in 1818. 

Meanwhile the Sikhs, the original 

reason for Ahmad Shah Abdali’s 

invasion, were left largely untouched by 

the battle. They soon re-took Lahore. 

When Ahmad Shah Abdali returned in 

March 1764, he was forced to break off 

his siege after only two weeks due to 

rebellion in Afghanistan. He returned 

again in 1767, but was unable to win 

any decisive battle. With his own troops 

started arguing over a lack of pay, he 

eventually abandoned the district to the 

Sikhs, who remained in control until 

1849. 

Before the rule of the Mughals, India 

was divided into small kingdoms. A 

unified kingdom with improved 

administration came into being. Side by 

side the local chiefs were suppressed. 

Apart from this, the Mughals were 

familiar with advanced military tactics. 

For the first time, artillery was used by 

Babur in first battle of Panipat. People 

of India also learned warfare methods 

from them. Mughals used horses which 

made them fast and people of India 

used elephants, so they also shifted to 

horses instead of elephants. 

EFFECT ON THE LANGUAGE 

Persian was the court language during 

the Mughal rule. The common people, 

however, spoke mixture of Hindustani 

and local dialect mixed with some 

Persian words. Gradual intermingling 

of the soldiers of the Mughal army 

with the local people gave rise to a new 

language, Urdu. Urdu became a popular 

language with the poets and writers 

and remained the official language in 

India for a long time. 

SOCIAL EFFECTS 

Muslim rule was no blessing to Indians 

particularly Hindus. They suffered 

cruelty and injustice. Only Muslims 

were appointed to high administrative 

posts. The jazia tax was imposed on 

Hindus. The Muslim rulers committed 

cruelties on the bulk of Hindus to make 

them embrace Islam. But during the 

rule of Akbar, jazia was abolished. 

However, both Hindus and Muslims 

changed a lot because of the close 

contact and social interaction between 

the two over a long period and this 

resulted in a new culture. It's an 

accepted fact that the ruling classes 

determine the culture of the common 

people. 

Muslim rulers used to keep men and 

women as slaves. Alauddin Khilji had 

as many as 84,000 slaves. As a result of 

contact with the Muslim rulers, the 

Hindu rulers also started keeping 

slaves in large number in their palaces 

and the condition of slaves also 

deteriorated with time. 


According to Buddha Prakash, 

former Professor of History in 

Kurukshetra University, “Though 

under Akbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan, 

Haryana enjoyed peace and saw the 

construction of roads, sarais, 

kosminars and wells, the condition of 

peasants did not improve. They shared 

the destitution and indigence of their 

fellows in other parts of the country. 

The government and its officials took 

away a major part of their produce in 

the form of taxes and other imposts." 

POSITION OF WOMEN 

There was no purdah in Hindus but, it 

was the gift of the Muslim rule in 

India. The position of women 

deteriorated with the coming of the 

Muslim rule. 

EFFECTS ON DRESS, FOOD AND 

AMUSEMENT 

Achkan and Salwar owe their 

introduction to the Muslims. Sharara 

and Kurta and Pathani suits were also 

brought by Muslims. The ornaments 

worn by women were mostly common 

except for the jhumar sui worn by the 

Muslim women on the side of the head. 

Mughals brought with them a rich 

non-vegetarian cuisine and a long list of 

tandoori dishes. They also made 

Indians familiar with summer fruits 

like water-melon, musk melon and 

grapes. 

Hunting, hawking, polo and many 

other games have the Muslim impact in 

their form and technique. Mughals 

were great lovers of flowers and 

gardens and this habit was also 

transmitted to many Hindus. They 

constructed beautiful gardens in 

Srinagar, Delhi, Agra, Lahore and 

Sirhind. 

EFFECT ON INDIAN ECONOMY 

Agriculture and trade touched new 

heights during the Mughal rule. 

Hundreds of traders from Bukhara, 

Samarkand, Balkh, Khurasan, 

Khwarizm and Persia used to come for 

trade. The Mughal government 

facilitated commercial relations with 

the European nations and also allowed 

them to establish industries in the 

coastal regions. This resulted not only 

in commercial contacts but also in 

exchange of customs and traditions. 

During the two hundred years of 

Mughal rule, towns and the cities 

prospered while the peasants suffered 

from excessive taxation. g

26 

COVER STORY 

Shadows of 

invasions 

Many invaders in the past 

entered India through 

Haryana owing to its 

geographical location and 

thus the region witnessed a 

number of bloody battles 

Ruchi Sharma 

Owing to Haryana’s geographical 

location and its immense riches, 

the land has witnessed many 

invasions in the past for loot and 

plunder. Several important battles 

were fought in the region that left 

impact on the history of India. 

Due to its proximity to the sea 

route in the west, many invaders 

came into India through this region; 

therefore it is also known as "The 

Gateway of North India". The 

successive streams of Huns, Turks 

and the Afghans invaded India and 

fought decisive battles on this land. 

11TH CENTURY 

During the rule of Pratiharas and 

Tomaras, Haryana reached the peak of 

progress in trade, art and culture. In 

the 11th century, the Tomaras, though 

independent of the Pratiharas, had to 

bear invasions of the Ghaznavi Turks. 

In 1014, Mahmud Ghaznavi raided 

Thanesar and desecrated its temples. 

The Tomara chief pleaded to other 

Indian princes for help to ward off the 

Ghaznavis in order to save north India 

from his depredation, but received no 

response. Mahmud invaded and 

plundered many regions marching 

through Haryana. 

Being thus cornered, the Tomaras 

formed a league of some leading 

chiefs of north India. In the meantime 

the chiefs of north India had seen the 

consequences of not responding to the 

plea of the Tomara king. Thus, they 

readily rallied round the Tomara chief 

and advanced to recover Haryana 

from the Ghaznavis. 

While the Ghaznavis were 

inflicting heavy blows on Haryana, 

the Lohara kings of Kashmir also 

launched an expedition, campaigned 

at Kurukshetra and conquered the 

territory upto the Yamuna. This 

disastrous calamity may have forced 

the Tomaras to make a patch-up with 

the Ghaznavis. 

12TH CENTURY 

In the 12th century, the Chauhans 

defeated the Tomaras by invading 

Haryana. In about 1156, Bisaladeva or 

Vigrahraja IV defeated the 

Bhadanakas, the people of Haryana, 

and captured Delhi and Hansi from 

the Tomaras. This victory made the 

Chauhans an all India power because 

under the Tomaras the possession of 

Delhi and Haryana had become the 

symbol of an all-India status. In that 

state of conflict, the invaders from the 

north-west made several bids to 

conquer the region but the Chauhans 

repelled all of them. 

Shihabuddin Mohammad Ghori 

occupied Sialkot in 1181 and five years 

later, captured Lahore from the last 


Ghaznavi ruler Khusrau Malik. From 

there he began his raids and razzias 

into the domain of the Chauhans in 

Haryana. According to tradition, he 

led eight invasions against the 

Chauhans. In seven battles, Prithviraj 

defeated Ghori. The seventh battle 

was quite momentous for in it the 

Chauhans had severely wounded and 

nearly killed Shihabuddin, but could 

not effectively pursue the invaders in 

West Panjab. 

With the defeat of Prithviraj at 

Terrain in 1192 AD by Ghori, a new 

chapter opened in the history of 

Haryana and left an impact on Indian 

history. The following 600 years 

covered the period of the Delhi 

Sultanate and Mughal Empire, when 

Haryana suffered the most owing to 

its proximity to the capital. 

13TH AND 14TH CENTURY 

In 1206, Qutbuddin Aibak sat on the 

throne of Delhi and inaugurated 

Turkish rule in north India. Their 

theory was that prosperity bred 

sedition and poverty was the 

guarantee of stability and peace. The 

people did not reconcile themselves to 

this tyranny and struggled to 

overthrow it whenever an opportunity 

occurred. After the death of Iltutmish, 

the Hindus revolted and shook the 

Sultanate for a while. 

In 1288, Jalaluddin Firuz Khilji


usurped power and two years later he 

himself ascended the throne. In 1291, 

a dreadful famine broke out taking 

heavy toll of life and the people again 

became assertive. This made the next 

ruler, Alauddin (1296-1315) deal with a 

hard hand. Such laws were framed 

which curbed the wealth and 

prosperity of the people. Revenue was 

raised to half the produce, besides 

grazing charges and other dues. The 

people were irked by oppressive 

policies and reacted strongly. After the 

Sultan died, Qutbuddin Mubarak 

Shah (1315-1320) acceded to the throne. 

He withdrew many harsh enactments, 

reduced revenue, remitted arrears and 

lifted the controls. But the 

discontented Indians raised the 

superficially converted Khusrau Khan 

to the throne in 1320. 

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq defeated 

Khusrau Khan and ascended the 

throne. He revived the repressive 

policies and laws of Alauddin. After 

him his son, Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq 

(1325-1351), adopted many fanatic 

schemes which goaded people to 

revolt. 

In 1351 Firuz Shah Tughlaq came to 

the throne and pacified the people and 

lifted oppressive imposts. He 

promoted agriculture by digging 

canals, planting groves and squaring 

up the revenue with the produce and 

also gave impetus to trade. His 

grandson, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq II 

ascended the throne in 1388. His 

uncle, Nasiruddin Muhammad battled 

with him and faced defeat. This was 

followed by invasion of Timur. 


Timur’s invasion affected Haryana 

vitally as he razed large part of the 

region by spreading terror and 

devastation. The martial communities 

of the area, the Jats, Rajputs and the 

Ahirs defied him at several places. 

He remained in Haryana for nearly 

one month and had to constantly fight 

with people there. At every step, Jats 

and non-Muslims gave him strong 

opposition. Thousands of people died 

in the defence of their soil. In contrast 

to this, the King of Delhi never 

thought of any resistance and rather 

advised the people to flee and save 

themselves. 

Even after the withdrawal of 

Timur, conditions did not improve in 

Haryana. The Jats and the Meos 

remained unrestrained. The sultanate 

was obviously disintegrating. During 

the 15th century, the Delhi 

government was not able to exercise 

authority over a wide area. The 

Hindus escaped persecution to some 

extent. The ‘Bhakti’ and ‘Sufi’ 

movements also rose in this period. 

Therefore, men like Kabir and Guru 

Nanak were able to preach without 

fear. 

With the consolidation of power by 

Sikander Lodi, persecution was 

revived. Under the last Lodi ruler, 

Ibrahim (1517-26) there was such great 

dissatisfaction that Babar who was 

encouraged to invade India repeatedly, 

succeeded at last at Panipat in 1526. 

This laid the foundation of the 

Mughal dynasty which ruled India for 

more than 200 years. 

At the time of Babar’s invasion, 

India was a house divided. Both 

Daulat Khan, governor of the Punjab, 

and Rana Sangha, are said to have 

invited Babar. The people of Haryana, 

however, refused to submit meekly. In 

1529 the Mandhar Rajputs of Nardak 

region rebelled against their chief 

and defeated the local Mughal troops. 

Babar took serious note of the 

uprising and despatched a huge army 

to Nardak. After fierce fighting, 

lasting several days, the rebels were 

defeated. 

The rule of his son, Humayun, with 

a brief spell by Sher Shah, followed 

uneventfully till the coming of Akbar 

who ruled for forty-nine years. 

Akbar, however, had to face a great 

battle of Panipat in 1556, the Delhi 

forces being commanded by a great 

Hindu general Hemu. His military 

skill was such that he is ranked 

amongst the greatest generals of his 

time. Akbar won by sheer accident. 

Hemu could as well have been the 

winner. Akbar, the greatest of the 

Mughals, was averse to the people of 

this region because of their rebellious 

and independent disposition. With the 

coming of Aurangzeb the picture 

changed and his intolerance hastened 

the end of the Empire. 

17TH CENTURY 

Though under Akbar (1556-1605), 

Jahangir (1605-1627) and Shahjahan 

(1627-1658) Haryana enjoyed peace and 

saw the construction of roads, sarais, 

kosminars and wells, the condition of 

the peasants did not appreciably 

improve. The recurrent natural 

calamities like famines and draughts 


in all parts of India took heavy toll 

on life. The disasters made people 

restless and rebellious. The Satnami 

uprising spearheaded this movement 

in Haryana. People from high and 

low professions though followed the 

path of faith and honesty but on 

offence, were ready to raise arms. 


The agrarian crisis at the end of the 

18th century threw the peasants, led 

by their zamindar chiefs, into 

rebellion over large parts of the 

country. In regions around Delhi, the 

Jats rose against the administration. 

Aurangzeb tried hard to subdue 

them. 

After the death of Aurangzeb in 

1707, the empire which Babar and 

Akbar had built and Jahangir and 

Shahjahan nurtured, crumbled to 

pieces where Haryana suffered much. 

All the aspirants to power of the 

Imperial city had to fight in the 

Haryana territory. The two foreign 

invasions of Nadir Shah and Abdali 

further added to the confusion. 

Delhi has always been the heart of 

political life of Haryana and the 

neighbouring territory. From the 

early 18th century, it underwent swift 

decline after the disintegration of the 

Mughal Empire. The main steps in 

this direction were the sacking of 

Nadir Shah and Abdali, the civil wars 

of the nobility or feudal lords, and 

the atrocities of Ghulam Quadir. This 

was followed by the internecine wars 

between the Marathas, the Sikhs and 

the Jats. The situation was finally 

resolved by the British who occupied 

the Mughal capital in 1803 after 

defeating the Marathas in its vicinity. 

The two powers, the Afghans and 

the Marathas, failed to capture Delhi. 

The Panipat combat between the 

Afghans and the Marathas was not 

decisive but it showed that neither 

was suited to the role of political 

successor to the great Mughals. Other 

powers around Delhi, the Sikhs in the 

north, the Rajputs chiefs in the west, 

and the Bharatpur Jats in the south, 

were not strong enough to influence 

the final result. After Panipat, the 

Afghans returned to the north and 

the Marathas to the south, leaving 

the Sikhs and the Jats to fill the void. 

Emperor Shah Alam remained a 

feudatory of the Marathas till their 

defeat at the hands of the British 

in 1803. g

28 

COVER STORY 

Vivek Dangi 

In the early decades of the last 

century, it was believed that there 

existed no civilisation worth the 

name on the Indian sub-continent 

prior to the invasion of Alexander in 

326 BCE. This was the view of almost 

all the western historians and 

scholars, though it was a well-known 

fact that Vedas existed and which 

according to some scholars like Max 

Muller were as old as 1200 BCE. It was 

in 1862, that Alexander Cunningham, 

the first Director General of the 

Archaeological Survey of India, 

during his excavations, found pottery 

and seals at Harappa. He found a seal 

with a humpless bull and the 

engraved Harappan letters on it. But, 

he was unable to identify these things 

and attributed it to foreign influence. 

Thus, the discovery of the great Indus 

Valley civilisation began, when 


HARYANA: 

Precursor of modern 

town planning 

excavations were started in 1920-22 by 

Daya Ram Sahni at Mohenjodaro and 

by R D Banerjee at Harappa. The 

remains found, pushed with a single 

stroke, the antiquity of the 

civilisation in Indian sub-continent to 

third millennium BCE. 

The large scale excavations at 

Harappa and Mohenjodaro yielded a 

detailed picture of this civilisation, 

which in many spheres excelled the 

Egyptian and Mesopatamian


Streets, lanes and house plan, 

Bhirrana (After L.S. Rao, 2007) 

civilisations. During the partition of 

India most of the famous sites were 

located in newly constructed country 

Pakistan. Only two sites viz. Kotala 

Nigang Khan in Punjab and Rangpur 

in Gujarat remained within the 

Indian border. After independence, 

scholars like A Gosh, Prof Suraj Bhan 

and J P Joshi carried out intensive 

explorations in north-western India 

and put thousand of Harappan sites 

on the archaeological map. 

The entire credit of putting 

Haryana on the archaeological map 

goes to Prof Suraj Bhan. He carried 

out extensive exploration in the 

Saraswati and Drisadvati valley and 

discovered about 250 sites belonging 

to various phases of Harappan 

civilisation and excavated Mitathal 

(Bhiwani district) in 1967. Later on 

excavations were carried out by 

different agencies at a number of 

sites viz. Banawali, Balu, Rakhigarhi, 

Kunal, Bhirrana, Farmana, Badli etc. 

Not even a single detailed report of 

the excavations is available, but on 

the basis of the available material we 

can know about the town planning of 

the Harappans. 

The striking feature of the 

Harappan town planning is citadel 

and lower town. All the important 

Harappan centers have both of these, 

but there are regional variations in 

them. Like Harappa, Dholavira and 

Kalibanga have separate citadel. But 

in Haryana the situation is quite 

different, here the entire settlement is 

fortified by a single defence wall and 


A burnt brick drain in Bhirrana 

there is an internal wall which 

separates the acropolis from the lower 

town. Apart from fortification, 

emphasis is laid on the streets and 

lanes. They are properly laid in such a 

way that each and every house has 

opening in the main street or lane. 

The main features of the Harappan 

town planning are discussed below: 

In the Harappan town planning, 

there was provision of a ‘Citadel’ and 

‘Lower town.’ Almost all the 

excavated sites like Banawali, 

Bhirrana, Rakhigarhi and Mitathal in 

Haryana or out of Haryana have 

yielded these types of divided cities. 

Just like Harappa, at Mohenjodaro 

and Kalibanga, citadel and lower town 

were located some distance away from 

each other and had separate 

fortification wall. 

In Haryana, the situation is quite 

different, here citadel and lower town 

are surrounded by a single defence 

wall and speared by the internal 

fortification wall. In Haryana, 

Banawali and Bhirrana are the two 

sites giving details of town planning 

of this period. Rest of the excavated

30 

COVER STORY 

Bathing platform, Farmana 

sites like Farmana, Rakhigarhi, Balu 

were excavated on large scale but in 

comparison to the size of settlements 

the excavated area was not enough to 

give much details about the town 

planning. 

At Banawali and Bhirrana, similar 

type of the planning was observed. 

The entire settlement was 

surrounded by a common defence 

wall and an internal parametric wall 

separated the citadel from the lower 

town. Evidences of citadel and lower 

town have come from Mitathal, 

Banawali, Rakhigarhi and Bhirrana. 

The fortification of wall of Banawali 

is trapezoidal in shape. Here no two 

arms of the defence wall were found 

either parallel to each other or equal 

in length. While at Bhirrana, it is 

more or less rectangular in shape, 

Balu is surrounded by a square wall. 

In Kalibanga, situated close to 

Haryana in Hanumangarh district of 

Rajasthan, the citadel was designed 

like a pentagon and lower town like a 

rectangle. At Rakhigarhi, the 

acropolis (RGR2) was surrounded by 

a mud brick wall. The internal or 

core of the wall was filled with the 

mud bricks whereas the interior and 

exterior were found lined with burnt 

bricks. The northern and southern 

arm of the defence wall was exposed 

up to 70 meters. 

Another feature of the Harappan 

defence system came from Banawali; 

entire settlement was surrounded by 

a ‘V’ shaped moat. This moat was dug 

about three furlong from the defence 

wall. It was about 5.70 to 6.50 m wide 

at the top and measured about 3.60 m 

in depth. The excavator was able to 

locate the moat along with the 

eastern and northern arm of the 

fortification. It was probably filled 

with water. So far as its utility 

purpose is concerned, it seemed to be 

a part of defence system. The space 

between the moat and the wall was 

enough for the movement of the 

security guards and others. It also 

acted as a beam against the water of 

ditch and fortification wall. The total 

floor occupied by acropolis at 

Bhirrana is 2.75 hectare which is 

about one-third of the total size of 

the site. 


Streets and lanes played an 

important role in the urban planning 

of the Harappa. At most of the 

excavated sites such as Mitathal, 

Bhirrana, Farmana, Rakhigarhi and 

Balu, streets and lanes intersect at 

right angle. At Farmana, the main 

street was about 4 m wide, but later 

encroachments reduced it to 3.6 m. At 

Mitathal, one street measuring about 

2 m and a lane were found. At 

Banawali, the formal arrangement of 

the streets and lanes was in cardinal 

direction and cut each other at right 

angle. Streets and lanes were 

managed in such a way that each 

house was like a separate sector. No 

two houses had a common wall. This 

type of plan was observed at 

acropolis, whereas in lower town, 

trapezoidal or conventional 

parallelogram shaped sectors of 

houses were found. Here a number of 

streets met at a point, in radial 

pattern. At one place near the main 

entrance, five streets met at a point, 

out of them three came from the 

interior of the town and two ran 

along the outer fortification wall of


the city. In Farmana, the main street 

was about 4 m wide, but later 

encroachments reduced it to 3.6 m. 

This space was enough for the 

bullock cart, which was the only 

means of transportation during that 

period. Some cart wheel impressions 

were also noticed at the southern end 

of the main street. The average width 

of the lane is about 1.50 m, and it 

intersects the main street at right 

angle. After it runs 19 m straight 

towards south-west, it turns in the 

right angle towards the south (see 

figure-1). Bhirrana excavations 

enrich our knowledge about the 

streets and lanes of the Harappan 

civilisation. Here the major street 

running north-south was 4.80 m wide, 

where as the width of the lanes 

varied from 1.60 m to 2.80 m. 

Drainage system and refuse water 

management, too, played a vital role 

in the urban planning of the 

Harappans. Sites like Banawali, 

Rakhigarhi, Bhirrana and Farmana 

give us detailed information about 

the Harappan drainage system. At 

A burnt brick drain in Farmana (courtesy V.Shinde) 

Banawali, not much evidences of 

drains were encountered, but some 

drains to let out rain water were 

found piercing through the defence 

walls and under gateways. Similar 

evidences have also been noticed at 

Bhirrana. A public drain made up of 

baked bricks was found and proper 

outlets from the houses were also 

observed. At Farmana, a drain made 

up of wedge- shaped burnt bricks and 

which runs east-west, was found 

during the excavation. Their 

sanitary arrangements depended on 

the use of sanitary pottery jars 

which served as washbasins, and also 

for soaking purposes and bathing 

platforms. Evidences of sanitary 

system came from Banawali, 

Rakhigarhi, Farmana and Bhirrana. 

Excavator of Banawali, R S Bisht 

claimed that at Banawali a 

multipurpose ground was observed 

in the acropolis. It was used for the 

stadium, performing ritual activities 

and open market. Similar evidences 

came from Dholavira, a Harappan 

site located in Gujarat. 


The evidences came from the 

excavated sites of Haryana proves 

that the people in Haryana, knew the 

concept of town planning 4500 years 

ago and town planning of Haryana 

Urban Development Authority 

(HUDA) is not unique. It is more or 

less a copy of Harappan town 

planning. Harappans were the 

masters of planning, exquisite 

monumental structures and aesthetic 

architecture. The concept of town 

planning, bathroom, washbasin, 

kitchen and courtyard was first 

introduced by the Harappans in the 

region. During the excavations, no 

objects like scales, compus, 

measuring tapes etc were found but 

the town planning itself proves that 

the Harappan people had good 

knowledge of trigonometry and other 

architectural calculations. In short, 

we can say that the land of Haryana 

has evidences of the earliest planned 

cities in the world and of the first in 

the Indian sub-continent. g 

The writer is a Research Scholar, 

Department of History, MDU, Rohtak

32 

COVER STORY 

Phases of 

civilisation 

PREHISTORY 

The prehistoric period in the history 

of humankind can roughly be 

calculated from 200000 BC to about 

3500-2500 BC, when the first 

civilisations began to take shape. The 

history of India is no exception to the 

above-mentioned fact. The first 

modern human beings or the Homo 

sapiens set their foot on the Indian 

subcontinent anywhere between 

200000 BC and 40000 BC and they soon 

spread throughout a large part of the 

subcontinent, including peninsular 

India. These primitive people moved 

in groups of few families and mainly 

lived on hunting and gathering. While 

the males in the group spent most of 

their time in hunting, fishing, and 

gathering food like fruits, roots, and 

berries, the females gathered food, 

looked after the children and the 

dwellings where they lived. 

STONE AGE 

Stone Age painting 

The age when the prehistoric man 

began to use stones for utilitarian 

purpose is termed as the Stone Age. 

The Stone Age is divided into three 

broad divisions- Paleolithic Age or the 

Old Stone Age (from unknown till 8000 

BC), Mesolithic Age or the Middle 

Stone Age (8000 BC-4000 BC) and the 

Neolithic Age or the New Stone Age 

(4000 BC-2500 BC) on the basis of the 

specialization of the stone tools, which 

were made during that time. 

PALEOLITHIC AGE 

The human beings living in the 

Paleolithic Age were essentially food 

gatherers and depended on nature for 

food. The art of hunting and stalking 

wild animals individually and later in 

groups led these people to make stone 

weapons and tools. First, crudely 

carved out stones were used in hunting, 


but as the size of the groups began to 

increase and there was need for more 

food, these people began to make 

"specialized tools" by flaking stones, 

which were pointed on one end. These 

kind of tools were generally used to kill 

small animals and for tearing flesh 

from the carcass of the hunted animals. 

These tools were characteristic of the 

Paleolithic Age and were very rough. 

By this time, human beings had come to 

make and use fire. 

MESOLITHIC AGE 

As time passed and the size of families 

grew in small communities. There was 

a constant need to feed all the members 

of the community and to lead a life of 

subsistence. In the Mesolithic Age, the 

stone tools began to be made more 

pointed and sharp. To ensure a life that 

had abundance of food and clothing 

(rough animal skin garments were 

being worn by the Stone Age man), the 

stone tools began to appear in 

increasingly specialized way. 

The simple handheld stone tools 

were now attached to thick branches 

from trees with rope made from animal 

skin and sinew. These tools are known 

as hand axes, which could be flung at 

fast-moving animals from a distance. 

Apart from hand axes, they also 

produced crude stone-tipped wooden 

spears, adzes, borers, and burins. This 

period also saw the domestication of 

plants and growing of wild varieties of 

crops. Because of farming, small 

settlements began to take shape. 

NEOLITHIC AGE 

The Neolithic Age (4000 BC-2500 BC) or 

the New Stone Age was the last phase of 

the Stone Age and is characterized by 

very finely flaked, small stone tools, 

also known as blades and burins. These 

stone blades are so sharp that the 

modern blades cannot match their 

smooth surface and cutting edges. The 

Neolithic Age also saw the 

domestication of cattle, horses, and 

other farm animals, which were used 

for dairy and meat products. An 

important invention of this time was 

the making of the wheel. 

The Neolithic Age quickly gave way 

to a number of small "cultures" that 

were highly technical. These people 

used copper and bronze to make a 

range of utilitarian tools. This phase 

or period is termed as the Chalcolithic 

Age (1800 BC-1000 BC). g


Kavita Singh 

From the time immemorial, artists, 

writers and thinkers have been 

found standing in the front row to 

bring about change in the society 

through their creative tools and 

farsightedness and have been 

successful in infusing fresh blood in 

the way all rational persons should 

think and act. It becomes a sort of 

sacred, moral and creative duty of an 

artist to reach the masses in order to 

enlighten them about the rapidly 

changing patterns in human values on 

the fabric of society. Though writers 

and poets create wonderful lyrics and 

poems on the theme of social change, 

foremost among the themes being the 

importance of girl child and her rights, 

but the visual impact created by artists 

in their creations on the said theme has 

more profound impact on the minds of 

the targeted population. As aptly 

summed up, a picture can easily carry 

a weight equal to a thousand words. 

Visual impact on the mind of the 

beholder is instant and enigmatic. 

The skewed sex ratio and the gender 

bias in favour of male child in Haryana 

has compelled the pundits of policymaking 

to formulate campaigns, which 

may undo this unjustified and unholy 

bias against the girl child. ‘Value the 

Girl child’ was the theme of one such 

artists’ workshop in Government 

college for Girls, Chandigarh which 

saw the participation of eminent 

artists as well as the student painters 

who gave vent to their creative 

thoughts and talents and produced 

some fantastic works of art on this 

theme. This truly is in the right 

direction as through artistic pleadings 

one can educate and implore the 

masses to bring up the girl child and 

give her equal importance, amenities 

and opportunities. Merely equating a 

girl child to a devi will not suffice. 

Concrete steps have to be taken in this 

direction and art is the best medium 

one can think of. Scores of imaginative 

campaigns comprising powerful visual 

content can initiate the change of 

mindset. 

It is very heartening to note that 

United Nations Population Fund 

(UNPF) has also taken note of this 

gender disparity and has launched a 

campaign titled ‘Ladli’ which awards 

ART AND CULTURE 33 

Woman painter’s palette 

-for girl child 

Artists are lending a helping hand to government and society in 

creating a safe place for the girl child 

Painting by the author 

prestigious prizes to the journalists 

who are instrumental in spreading 

awareness about this curse which is 

plaguing the society. Though Haryana 

Government has also started many 

schemes for the benefit of girl child yet 

it is pertinent to mention here that 

government alone cannot start a 

revolution and the participation of 

general public is of immense value. 

The campaigns which can remove 

gender bias have to be high on artistic 

content and low on loud eloquence. The 

situation has presented a challenge to

34 

ART AND CULTURE 

the artistic fraternity to join hands and 

defeat the negative aspects of this ageold 

stigma through their paintings, 

songs, lyrics and posters. Dedicated 

efforts through mass media can change 

the thinking of the people and they will 

develop love for the girl child. 

The legendary woman artist Amrita 

Shergil was perhaps the first such 

painter who touched upon the plight of 

a girl child and painted some moving 

and heart-rending paintings of frail 

rustic girls and ladies in pensive 

moods. More recently, the other famous 

woman artist who was moved by this 

theme is Arpana Caur of New Delhi. 

She has narrated the pangs of being a 

girl in her own inimitable style 

juxtaposing symbols of needles, 

threads, scissors, embroideries, stars 

and gotta tilla in awe-inspiring works 

which speak volumes of the drudgery 

and plight of a girl child and a woman. 

Anupam Sud has bared some of the 

upper pseudo cultural layers of maledominated 

society and has delved deep 

into the depths of a woman’s mind 

buried under the loads of injustice and 

gloom. In a masterly etching titled ‘The 

Laundry’ she has expressed her desires 

to be free from the strings of strange 

culture and traditions which weigh 

heavily on her emotions and 

aspirations. 

Perhaps the most evocative amongst 

the women artists is well known artist 

Anjolie Ela Menon who through her 

works of young women with blank eyes 

and mute expressions on their faces 

has uncovered the undercurrents of 

inherent abhorrence of a female child 

in our society peeping from behind the 

half shut doors and windows in search 

of openings and flights. Women 

trapped in situations not of their own 

making and the lurking fears and 

shadows of gloom inside them are 

depicted with poetic expressions. 

Similarly, Gogi Saroj Pal’s painting 

of a woman/beast not only has 

mythological connotations but is 

fraught with all the Freudian 

implications of a subliminal 

autobiography. These pictures though 

a bit shocking in stance and 

appearance narrate the tales of 

deprivation and unequal limitations 

and chains thrust upon a female. There 

is a yearning to become an equal if not 

better or bigger person than a male. 

One of the most sensitive female 

artists, Arpita Singh has used body of 

symbols to express the desires and 

aspirations of a woman through her 

free flowing scribbling. Her drawings 

which have a flavour of an urban 

woman caught in the whirlwind of 

modernity and unjustified values and 

her daily struggles for a rightful place 

in home and professional life. ‘A 

woman with a girl child II’ is a very 

sensitive rendering of her thoughts on 

this theme and the lurking male 

violence engulfing her in unfathomed 

and unsaid sorrows. Similar views and 

pleadings are the content of 

marvellous poems written by famous 

poetess Nirupama Dutt in her 


Painting by Amrita Shergil Painting by Anjolie Ela Menon 

Painting by Arpana Caur 

collection of poems titled ‘The Black 

Woman’. The creative contribution of 

other leading woman artists like 

Vasundhara Tiwari, Navjot Altaf, B. 

Prabha, Madhavi Parekh, Nalini 

Malini, Jaya Ganguly, Jayashree 

Chakravaty, Rekha Rodwittya, 

Shakuntala Kulkarni, Elena Banik 

have lent deep insight into the realms 

of women’s fight for equality. These 

artists have painted scores of 

paintings, drawings and graphic prints 

highlighting the urgency to treat 

women as equal partners in all walks 

of life through the symbols of paper 

boats, dolls, pixies, butterflies, utensils 

and lanterns. Other series comprise of 

a ‘Girl Child in Cactus Garden’ and 

some with horrifying crows and 

sharks lamenting their sorrows and 

plight. 

This should be treated as a neverending 

artistic crusade to place the girl 

child and the rights of a woman on the 

same pedestal so that much desired 

harmony, peace and love prevails in 

our society. I expect more woman 

artists to come forward and paint this 

theme in their own style so that we 

may set the ball of change in motion 

especially in Haryana. 

The brush of an artist will dispel 

the darkness from the minds of people 

and a new dawn will emerge where one 

will be able to see healthy, happy and 

protected girls smiling all the way. g 

The writer is Assistant Professor, 

Department of Fine Arts, Punjabi 

University, Patiala


The 4th Municipal 

General Election 


The 4th Municipal General 

Elections for 35 wards of 

Municipal Corporation, Faridabad, 266 

wards of 10 municipal councils and 

436 wards of 28 municipal committees 

are to be held on 20 May 2010 in 

Haryana. The election code had come 

into force from 26 April 2010 and will 

remain in force till 25 May 2010. 

However, the seven newly established 

municipal corporations at 

Yamunanagar, Panchkula, Ambala, 

Rohtak, Panipat, Karnal and Hisar will 

not go for the polls. 

The State Election Commission has 

purchased 5,314 electronic voting 

machines (EVMs) and remaining 

EVMs would be taken from the Chief 

Electoral Officer, Haryana. Haryana 

State Election Commissioner Dharam 

Vir said, “This is for the first time in 

the country that EVMs are being used 

in the elections of municipal bodies in 

the state, hence Haryana gets the first 

distinction in this respect.” 

The votes polled will be counted 

immediately after the polling is closed, 

at the polling station itself on the 

same day that is May 20, itself. The 

election result would be declared 

immediately after the account of ballot 

papers received from the Presiding 

Officers of the polling stations of the 

constituency (ward) is consolidated by 

the Returning Officer. The election 

process will be completed on May 25. 

According to Dharam Vir the 

criminalization of politics is a cause of 

concern. Hence, to stop persons 

convicted by court of law for criminal 

offences, from entering into the 

election fray and contesting elections, 

SPECIAL REPORT 35 

10 municipal councils and 28 municipal committees in Haryana to go 

to the polls on 20 May 2010 

Dharam Vir, 

Haryana Election 

Commissioner 

a contesting candidate is required to 

submit in writing his criminal 

background, if any, details of 

moveable or immoveable assets and 

educational qualification. Also, he has 

to submit along with his nomination 

paper, an affidavit stating that he is 

not suffering from any disqualification 

as provided in section 13 A of the 

Haryana Municipal Act, 1973, rule 21 

of the Haryana Municipal Election 

Rules, 1978 and section 8 of the 

Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 

1994, in respect of election to 

municipal council or committee or 

corporation. 

The limit of the expenditure that 

may be incurred by the contesting 

candidates or his authorised election 

agents in connection with the election 

is Rs 75,000 for a member of municipal 

corporation, Rs 50,000 for a member of 

municipal council and Rs 35,000 for a 

member of municipal committee. The 

contesting candidates are also 

required to maintain account of 

election expenditure and submit the 

same within 30 days from the date of 

declaration of the result of the 

election to the Deputy Commissioner 

or with any other officers specified by 

the Commission, failing which the 

defaulting candidate shall be liable to 

be disqualified. 

Meanwhile, in an important 

decision, the Punjab and Haryana 

High Court cleared the decks for 

holding Panchayat elections in the 

state in two phases in May and June. 

However the court made it clear that 

the fate of these elections would 

depend on the outcome of the petition 

filed by the residents of Bhiwani and 

other areas. The term of the elected 

panchayats has already expired on 

April 30; therefore elections are to be 

held before May 31. g

36 

PHOTO FEATURE 

Shades of 

Haryanvi life 

Before the glimmering landscape fades, 

On a hard race, oh my oxen run fast. 


Art photographer Rajkishan Nain has over the years captured many shades of 

Haryanvi life in its various colourful facets. He has become a living legend through his 

years of devotion to his art; capturing on camera, the ploughmen, the colurful belle, the 

trees, the cattle, the ponds and the havelis spread across the length and breadth of this 

ancient land of Haryana. With his camera in his bag, he travels around taking 

whatever available mode of transport, recording social life, economic activites and the 

village folks. Haryana Review offers its readers a glimpse of his wonderful 

photographs.


The ploughman homeward plods his weary way 

PHOTO FEATURE 37 

Rest oh! weary man, let you and 

the oxen have a hearty meal

38 

PHOTO FEATURE 

Picking the sweet-scented flowers 


Behold my son! 

your father's fields 

are awash with 

flowers


PHOTO FEATURE 39 

A tight embrace for a 

dear daughter before 

she departs

40 

PHOTO FEATURE 

The haunting music, the 

steely muscle and the 

wonder clay

42 

SPECIAL ARTICLE 

Gender equality: 

Miles to go 

To attain development in the true sense, 

women need to be liberated from gender 

inequality and injustice 

Dr Pankaj Mittal 

The empowerment of women is 

central to the UN’s efforts to address 

social, economic and political 

challenges across the globe. The 

movement from the first UN world 

conference held in Mexico in 1975 to the 

fourth world conference on women held 

at Beijing in 1995 has been a journey in 

search of equality, development and 

grant of rightful place to women. Until 

women are liberated from poverty and 

injustice – peace, security and 

sustainable development stand in 

jeopardy. 

One of the proudest achievements of 

our Constitution is the recognition of 

right to equality as a fundamental right. 

India holds the proud distinction of 

being one of the first countries in the 

world to give women the right to vote. 

The provisions of universal adult 

franchise, non-discrimination on the 

basis of sex and positive discrimination 

in favour of women are of the 

Constitution. There has been a 

recognizable shift from viewing women 

as targets of welfare policies in the 

social sectors to regarding them as 

critical actors of development. India is 

witnessing, increased compliance of 

international standards laid down 

through Beijing Platform for Action, 

Millennium Development Goals and 

Convention for the Elimination of 

Discrimination against Women, 

through progressive legislations and 

significant judicial decisions. Many 

gender responsive policies and 

programmes have been adopted by the 

government to increase opportunities 

for women in several critical areas. In 

recent years, the government has 

articulated comprehensive policies for 

empowerment of women through 

gender mainstreaming and gender 

budgeting focusing on an explicit vision 

of equal partnership of women in all 

walks of life. 

One important move for empowering 

women was taken in 1993 through 73rd 

and 74th constitutional amendment to 

enhance the women’s representation in 

local governance. Today, one third of 

seats in local Government bodies are 

reserved for women and 1 million 

women are members and chairpersons 

of local governance bodies. This has 

brought about a “silent revolution” in 

India. Elected Women Representatives 

are prioritizing provision of drinking 

water, health, hygiene, establishment of 

mother and child care centres, road 

construction etc. A number of them 

have placed high priority on literacy. 

They have also been active in 

campaigns and drives against 

alcoholism. A few of them have 

displayed commendable performance of 

service. 

Panchayats in India have become 


more responsive to demands of health 

care and housing since women entered 

them. The newly elected women 

sarpanches are slowly learning the 

intricacies of the administration and 

procedures. They are now becoming 

vigilant but need special training to 

make them confident to meet their 

responsibilities. 

In spite of the success story at the 

level of village Panchayats, the women’s 

political participation at higher level 

remains low. Political parties tend to 

choose the male candidates and avoid 

women candidates because they feel 

that they lack the skills and the 

connections necessary to succeed in 

politics. These processes are 

disadvantageous for women who are 

also constrained by their family 

responsibilities and cannot devote as 

much time to political activities as their 

male counterparts. 

Not only in the sphere of politics, the 

representation of women in almost all 

jobs relating to decision-making process 

has not crossed “critical mass.” While 

in Indian Administrative Services and 

Indian Police Services it is 7.6%, at 

present, women occupy less than 10% of 

Parliamentary Seats, less than 6% of 

Cabinet Positions, less than 4% of seats 

in High Courts and Supreme Courts and 

less than 3% of the administrators and 

managers are women. The 

representation of women in State 

Assemblies is also very low. Even after 

62 years of independence, India has not 

seen even a single woman Chief Justice 

of India. Only four women have been 

able to reach the Supreme Court so far 

but none to the post of Chief Justice of 

India. 

Even in sphere of education, in spite 

of increasing number of women 

teachers, the number of women vicechancellors 

in universities other than 

women universities is not more than 2% 

and same ratio holds good for women 

principals in co-educational colleges (9 

out of 471). 

Thus in a country like India where 

half of its population is women, their 

entry into decision-making bodies, 

policy making institutions and upper 

echelons of the society is restricted 

which minimizes their role in Indian 

governance and democracy. 

Indian women are marginalized in 

governance by a variety of processes 

that begin right from infancy. Girls are 

encouraged to play passive roles and are 

given very little opportunity to make


decision or to develop leadership 

skills outside the family context. 

Instead, they are taught to accept 

the decisions that others – 

parents, teachers, brothers and 

husbands make on their behalf. 

As a result women tend to lack 

the self-confidence and skills 

needed to function effectively in 

the private and public sphere. All 

these facts show that women in 

India are silent victims of 

societal prejudices. Looking at 

this dismal state of affairs, we 

need to take urgent remedial 

steps to correct the situation. 

When we educate a girl today, 

we help to create a leader for 

tomorrow, a leader within the 

family and community – perhaps 

a teacher, an engineer, a lawyer, a 

doctor, or a mother of a healthy 

and educated children, a woman 

who is working hard to make her 

life and the lives of her family as 

good as it can be. Education is 

recognized throughout the world 

as a powerful tool for a child, for 

a family and for a whole society to make 

progress. More and more women 

leaders are required to come forward to 

break the gender barriers. 

It is absolutely necessary that a 

climate of change is created for the 

women by women themselves. We must 

never doubt for a moment that each and 

every one of us when we work together 

can meet injustice and create a climate 

for change. Women have always drawn 

on the power of collective action to 

change the world. 

India presents a very complex 

educational context where progress 

made in girls’ education in the past 10 

years is quite visible but more needs to 

be done to realize gender parity. The 

rapidly growing economy of India is yet 

to bring equitable benefits for girls and 

women living in backward and rural 

areas in terms of their participation in 

education. 

The most significant barrier to a 

girl’s education is poverty. The majority 

of Indian people live in villages, where 

most of the domestic roles are 

consciously or subconsciously assumed 

by women. In a poor family, young 

school-age girls are required at home to 

help the family with essential household 

chores or as a wage labour. Thus, 

sending girls to the school has an 

opportunity cost which the poor parents 

are unwilling to bear. 

SPECIAL ARTICLE 43 

over the three decades and the 

growth of female literacy has in 

fact been higher than that of male 

literacy rate. While in 1971 only 22 

per cent of Indian women were 

literate, by the end of 2001, 54.16 

per cent of females were literate. 

At present, the growth of female 

literacy rate is 14.87 per cent as 

compared to 11.72 per cent of male 

literacy rate. But it is interesting 

to note that although female 

literacy rate has increased from 40 

per cent in 1991 to 54 per cent in 

2001, the absolute number of 

illiterates has remained almost 

the same (193 million in 1991 to 

198 million in 2001) mainly 

because of population explosion. 

At the same time, there has 

been a 100 per cent increase in the 

enrolment of women for higher 

education since Independence. 

While in 1950-51, approximately 

40,000 women enrolled for higher 

Inspecting education, today this number has 

and guiding 

multiplied over 100 fold to the 

current level of over 42 lakh 

Educating a daughter, especially in a women. 

poor family, is perceived not only as an The objective is not gender parity 

unnecessary luxury but also as a alone, but rather gender equality “in, 

liability. As dowry is still a widely within and through” education. The 

practiced cultural norm, the birth of a power of education lies not just in 

daughter in the family is, in the first imparting formal literacy to women, 

place, a huge financial burden. Secondly, but rather in acquisition of multiple 

a girl is expected to marry a man who vocational skills to improve their 

should be in a better social position economic, social, political and civic 

than her. Therefore, an educated girl can conditions. 

only marry a more educated boy, and if To conclude, India needs to make 

dowry payments increase with the “gender discrimination” a history. 

education of the groom then, an 

Gender justice is the only way to 

educated girl is likely to be more 

achieve gender equality and freedom 

expensive to marry off. For a poverty- from want and fear. This calls for 

stricken family, it is unthinkable to meet accountability on the part of 

the dowry demand of an educated Governments, parliamentarians, 

groom. 

judges, jurists, educationists, women’s 

The Government has taken many groups, non-governmental 

affirmative steps to address these organizations (NGOs) and all of us 

issues. The National Policy on 

present here, in providing the impetus 

Education, 1986 and programme of for change. We all must continue to 

Action 1992 also reaffirmed the 

work together so that from the smallest 

government’s commitment to 

village to the largest city, the voices of 

improving literacy levels, by providing women are heard at the ballot boxes, in 

special attention to girls and children. the legislatures, in the executives, in 

The 86th Constitutional Amendment the Court room, in classrooms, in 

Act, 2002 made free and compulsory corporate groups and above all within 

education, a fundamental right for all the walls of their homes. The initiative 

children in the 6-14 age group which has for promoting peace and prosperity 

now been translated into “Right to should come from within the walls of 

Education Bill”. This has shown results, each home. g 

and there has been significant progress 

The writer is Vice-Chancellor, BPS 

in the literacy rates. 

Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Khanpur 

Women’s literacy rate has grown 

Kalan, Sonepat

44 

REPORT 


The census is the most credible 

source of information on a 

country's economic, social, cultural 

and most of the other issues. It 

brings out details on demography, 

economic activity, literacy and 

education, housing and household 

amenities, urbanisation, fertility and 

mortality, Scheduled Castes and 

Scheduled Tribes, language, religion, 

migration, disability and many other 

socio-cultural activities. India 

organised its first census in 1872. 

This is the only source of primary 

data at village, town and ward level. 

It provides valuable information for 

planning and formulation of polices 

for central and state governments 

and is widely used by national and 

international agencies, scholars, 

business people, industrialists, and 

many more. 

India has kick-started 'Census 

2011', the biggest-ever census exercise 

done in the history of mankind. It 

will provide details of the country's 


Counting the heads 

Census 2011 is the biggest-ever census exercise done in 

the history of mankind 

Neerja Shekhar, Director, Haryana Census Department, gives details of census operations in Haryana and their significance 

1.2 billion people and will classify 

residents according to their gender, 

religion, occupation and education. 

The substantial exercise, to be 

spread over next 11 months, will 

mark a milestone as the first-ever 

National Population Register (NPR) 

will also be prepared. All persons 

aged above 15 years will be 

photographed and fingerprinted to 

create a biometric national database. 

With this, India will probably become 

the first democratic nation in the 

world which will have its population


fingerprinted. 

The 15th National Census exercise, 

since 1872, will see over 25 lakh 

officials capturing the socioeconomic-cultural 

profile of its 

citizens. It will cost around 22 billion 

rupees while the expenditure on NPR 

will be Rs 3,539.24 crore. The exercise 

will consume more than 11 million 

tonnes of paper. 

The enumerators for the first time 

will collect information like 

ownership of mobile phones, 

computers, internet, having treated 

or untreated drinking water facility 

and usage of banking services. They 

will also seek additional information 

for the creation of NPR. No 

information will be collected on 

castes as no caste-based census has 

ever been conducted in independent 

India. But a debate is going on in the 

Parliament in this regard. 

Census will be conducted in two 

phases. The first phase, called the 

House listing and Housing Census, 

will be conducted between this April 

and July. The second phase, called the 

Population Enumeration phase, will 

be conducted simultaneously all over 

the country from February 9 to 28, 

2011, and the entire exercise would be 

completed by March 5, 2011. Census 

2011 would be 15th in India since 

1872, seventh since Independence and 

fifth since formation of Haryana. 

With about two-thirds of the 

Indian population in rural areas, the 

census is the main source of data for 

everyone from manufacturers of cars 

and marketers of toothpaste to 

government officials planning and 

implementing key programmes. 

Since the first census in 1872, it has 

also been the key to drawing up 

constituencies for local and national 

elections. 

With the government stepping up 

the rollout of massive programmes 

for the poor such as rural jobs and 

health insurance, the data should 

also help plug leakages, which a 

former prime minister once 

estimated at about 85 percent of the 

total outlay. 

The data will also help take the 

guesswork out of companies' 

investment and marketing plans in 

Asia's third largest economy. The 

government will also, for the first 

time, spend about 35 billion rupees 

on preparing a National Population 

Register (NPR), which will have 

photographs and fingerprints of all 

persons above the age of 15 years. 

The NPR will pave the way for the 

ambitious Unique Identification 

scheme, which aims at issuing a 

smart card and unique identity 

number to every Indian citizen, 

enabling easier access to banking, 

welfare payments and to boost tax 

collections. 

It will be for the first time that 

every person over the age of 15 will 

be counted and photographed to 

create a biometric national database. 

From exclusive apartment blocks in 

Mumbai to remote rural villages, the 

11-month exercise will create a 

comprehensive picture of modern 

India — and modern Indians. The 

census-takers also plan to include 

millions of homeless people. 

In Haryana, the exercise began on 

May 1 and it will continue up to June 

In India 

REPORT 45 

g 11-month exercise will enumerate country's 1.2 billion population. 

g 2.5 million enumerators will be engaged 

g All 640 districts, 5,767 tehsils, 7,742 towns and more than six lakh 

villages will be covered. 

g Census staff will visit more than 240 million households 

g Total cost is estimated at Rs 6,000 crore, 

g Estimated cost of the Census is 22 billion rupees and will consume at 

least 11million tonnes of paper. 

g Computer and mobile phone ownership has been added for the first 

time. 

In Haryana 

g 53,000 enumerators for census in Haryana 

g First phase from May 1, 2010 to June 15, 2010 

g Second Phase from February 9 to February 28, 2011 

g 21 districts, 71 tehsils, 106 towns and 6764 villages of the state will 

be covered. 

What is the National Population Register? What is its use? 

The NPR would be a register of usual residents of the country. The NPR will 

be a comprehensive identity database that would help in better targeting of 

the benefits and services under the government schemes/programmes, 

improve planning and help strengthen security of the country. This is being 

done for the first time in the country. 

Whom to contact if your house is not covered? 

The local Tehsildar/Ward Officer of your area is the designated officer. In 

case of need, you can also contact the Collector/DC/DM of your District or 

the Commissioner of your Town. 

15. It will involve house listing and 

housing census in all 21 districts, 71 

tehsils, 106 towns and 6764 villages of 

the state. 

As per Neerja Shekhar, Director, 

Haryana Census Department, 56,000 

enumerators and supervisors have 

been appointed and trained for the 

exercise of database collection. The 

census will be done in two phases. In 

the first phase, listing of houses 

would be done by enumerators and 

after that National Population 

Register would be prepared. She 

asked the residents of Haryana to 

assist in the collection of data by 

providing correct information to the 

enumerators, who would visit their 

houses from May 1. The second phase 

i.e population enumeration will be 

conducted from February 9 to 

February 28, 2011, with a revision 

round from March 1 to 5, 2011. g

46 

SPORTS 

Keeping track 

of athletics 

Vaibhav Sharma 

What is the first thing that hits 

your mind when you think of 

sports? The medals, the money, the 

fame or the scandals? Actually none of 

these. For sports is, and will always be 

about one thing: triumph of hope over 

a dismal reality. And this triumph has 

been at the heart of Haryana as the 

state has gone from one milestone to 

another, crossed many a hurdle to 

make a place, a name for itself in the 

field of sports. From the dusty, wearylooking 

villages have emerged men of 

immense resolve and great 

accomplishments. 

But while sports like boxing and 

wrestling have flourished, there has 

been a somewhat unexplainable 

drought of talent in the field of 

athletics. Although the state has been 

upgrading and creating more and 

more infrastructure, the results have 

somehow not been anywhere close to 

the level of expectations. Of course it 

is easy to question and form an 

opinion without getting the right 

perspective, but this indeed is an 

intriguing state of affairs. 

The Haryana government, with an 

eye on a richer medal haul in future 

tournaments, has been regularly 

updating their infrastructure. In 

addition to the existing stadiums and 

sports complexes already in place, 

there is a modern sports complex 

coming up in Rohtak in an area of 

about 83.13 acres. 

Another one is the Regional Centre 

of Sports Authority of India (SAI) 

being set up in an area of 83 acres at 

Joshi Chauhan Village in district 

Sonipat. This centre will provide 

international standard playing 

facilities to players. 

Also a Special Sports Training 

Centre at CCSHAU, Hisar has been 

established by SAI to impart coaching 

to 100 boys and girls in athletics, 

boxing, judo and table tennis. 

In addition to these, the Haryana 

Urban Development Authority 

(HUDA) has completed the work on a 

sports complex in sector 3, Panchkula, 

which is equipped to provide training 

and competition facilities for cricket 

and a complete athletics stadium 


along with room for other sports like 

volleyball, basketball and badminton. 

There is also a sports complex 

being developed in Sector-38, Gurgaon, 

by HUDA. Although the complex is yet 

to be fully operational, the work on 

the athletics track has been 

completed. Another sports complex of 

international standards has been set 

up at Faridabad in collaboration with 

the Government of India. 

So the big question is that with all 

the ingredients for grooming athletes 

in place, why has the state not been 

able to go medal hunting? Why are 

there no star athletes from Haryana, 

much like their boxing or wrestling 

counterparts? The answer is pretty 

much wrapped within the question 

itself. Sports like boxing and wrestling 

have a rural background in the state. 

Wrestling especially has been a big hit 

with the rural folk and even with 

modern techniques coming in to the 

picture, the interest has not waned. 

That is where athletics misses a sense 

of belonging. The sport has not been a 

part of the evening talks and heroic 

bed-time stories. Despite some 

promising athletes like Bhupinder 

Singh and Seema Antil (discus throw), 

being consistent performers at the 

national and international level, there 

has not been one fairy tale that could 

have changed the face of athletics in 

the state. 

But with willing people and the state 

ensuring abundant infrastructure, it 

should not be too long before athletics 

finds its due place in Haryana. The state 

has the potential, and compared to other 

Indian states, much more facilities and 

infrastructure too. 

Also with the Commonwealth Games 

and Asian Games lined up for this year, 

and time for the London Olympics also 

flying away briskly, this might be the apt 

time for young athletes to devote 

themselves to preparations for the 

events and make most of the 

opportunity to achieve dizzying heights. 

The country is looking for its heroes 

who can achieve such levels in athletics 

which can inspire others. Even after so 

many years this looks like a challenge. 

The nation wants its own Bolts, 

Johnsons and Lewis….but how many 

states can actually reply back is a 

different question. Haryana surely 

can….but will it? That again is a 

different matter. g 

The writer is Sports Correspondent 

with The Tribune, Chandigarh


Poor man’s 

refrigerator 

Moulding clay, Prajapati Mansukhlal 

Raghavji has created a wonder fridge which 

is the best bet for the poor 


Summers are here. With 

temperatures running high and 

weather turning dry, the mantra to 

beat the heat is everything “thanda 

thanda cool cool.” Immediately the 

picture of a refrigerator stocked with 

ice-cream, pudding, fruits, juices, icecubes 

and beautiful water bottles 

neatly lined on the door shelves comes 

to the mind. But only those who can 

afford to have a refrigerator can 

fantasize such delicacies. What about 

the poor? Leave apart the chilled 

beverages; they cannot even have a 

glass of cold water to quench their 

thirst. 

Prajapati Mansukhlal Raghavji will 

get a thousand blessings from the poor 

for he has invented a poor man’s 

refrigerator from the good old clay. 

Now it is possible even for the poor 

man to eat and drink everything 

chilled and cold in the scorching 

summers. Priced at Rs 2,000, the 

refrigerator cools naturally without 

using any electricity. It is ideal for 

rural areas with an erratic power 

supply. 

Mansukhlal belonging to a 

community of potters in Gujarat has 

proved that inventions are not the 

prerogative of the highly qualified 

individuals; sometimes simple folks 

like Prajapati can come out with novel 

ideas and innovations. 

Just by thinking out of the box and 

toiling for days, Mansukhlal came up 

with the ingenious innovation of 

Mitticool refrigerator. Touted as mud 

fridge, it has two large water tanks at 

the top and bottom that cool the sides. 

Akin to the clay pots, or ‘matkas’ that 

keep water cool in summer, Mitticool 

can lower the temperature by about 8 

degrees Celsius in comparison to the 

room temperature. The USP of 

Mitticool lies in the quality and 

density of mud used which ensures 

that everything kept inside is protected 

from the heat outside. 

Mitticool refrigerator weighs 20 kg 

(height 18.5’’ and width 11’’) and works 

on the simple principle of evaporation. 

Water from the upper chambers drips 

down the side, taking heat from the 

inside and gets evaporated, leaving the 

chambers cool. 

The upper portion of the 

MODERN TECHNOLOGY 47 

refrigerator can store about 20 liters of 

water, while the bottom cabinet has 

separate space for storing fruits, 

vegetables and milk. The natural 

cooling process inside the refrigerator 

can keep vegetables and fruits fresh for 

around five days, while milk can be 

preserved for three days. 

Mansukhlal was born in a potter’s 

family in 1965 in a vil¬lage called 

Nichimandal in Morbi in district 

Rajkot. He started his journey as a 

supervisor in a company 

manufac¬turing roof tiles in Gujarat. 

But he wasn't happy. The entrepreneur 

in him com¬pelled Mansukhlal to start 

his own venture. He took a loan of Rs 

30,000 from a money-lender to start an 

earthenware manufacturing factory in 

1988. 

The idea of fashioning a fridge out 

of clay came to Prajapati during the 

2001 earthquake. He was inspired by a 

caption that said that ‘the earthquake 

did not even spare the poor man’s 

fridge.’ The use of the word ‘fridge’ 

made him think of making an 

affordable eco-friendly fridge for the 

common man. It is rightly said that 

necessity is the mother of invention! 

After more than three years of 

continuous efforts and failures, in 2004 

Prajapati's clay fridge model worked 

successfully. He called his product 

'Mitticool.' Mansukhlal finessed the 

Mitticool refrigerator after the Gujarat 

Grassroots Innovation Augmentation 

Network (GIAN), Ahmedabad, helped 

him with design inputs. Although it 

took Prajapati months to fabricate the 

first fridge, it now takes him 8-10 days 

to make one Mitticool. 

It’s time for potters in Haryana to 

take cue from this invention and start 

manufacturing Mitticool refrigerators 

so that they can both, earn and serve. g

48 

ENVIRONMENT 

Purifying the 

Elixir of Life 

Follow simple methods to purify water at 

home and make it potable 


With two thirds of the earth's 

surface covered by water and 

the human body consisting of 75 

percent of it, it is evidently clear 

that water is one of the prime 

elements responsible for life on 

earth. Water circulates through the 

land just as it does through the 

human body, transporting, 

dissolving and replenishing 

nutrients and organic matter, while 

carrying away waste material. 

Further in the body, it regulates the 

activities of fluids, tissues, cells, 

lymph, blood and glandular 

secretions. 

An average adult body contains 

42 litres of water and with just a 

small loss of 2.7 litres, he or she can 

suffer from dehydration, displaying 

symptoms of irritability, fatigue, 

nervousness, dizziness, weakness, 

headache and consequently reach a 

state of pathology. Since the water 

we drink provides for cell function 

and its volume requirements, the 

decrease in our daily water intake 

affects the efficiency of cell activity. 

As a result, chronic dehydration 


causes symptoms that equal 

disease. 

OUR WATER TODAY 

The population decline of the 

marine and riparian life, the 

appearance of green algae in the 

rivers and the stench and slime that 

comes as a result of putrefaction in 

water, are clear signs of the depth 

and extent of disruption that has 

been caused to this intricate 

ecosystem. For example, the river 

Yamuna has been turned 

practically into a flowing sewage in 

it onwards journey from Delhi. 

Our drinking water today is far 

from being pure and it contains 

some two hundred deadly 

commercial chemicals. Add to this, 

there are bacteria, viruses, 

inorganic minerals (making the 

water hard) and you have a 

chemical cocktail that is unsuitable 

(if not deadly) for human 

consumption. The onus of 

awareness and action lies entirely 

upon us, as we need to become our 

own educators, physicians and 

innovators in order to ensure pure 

drinking water for ourselves.


HOME REMEDIES TO PURIFY 

WATER 

Having continuous access to a 

supply of clean water is necessary 

for survival. Today this is 

especially true as toxic 

contaminants and disease-causing 

pollutants become more of a 

concern worldwide. People in 

industrialized societies tend to 

rely most on municipal water 

treatment facilities for their water 

purification needs. Here are 

several simple methods of 

purifying water at home or in an 

emergency situation. 

1. Choose a reliable filtration 

system. This can include using a 

filter that attaches to the tap on 

your sink. The tap-mounted unit 

removes impurities as the tap 

water is released. Another type of 

filter that can be used is the 

filtration pitcher. This looks 

similar to a water pitcher but it 

contains a water filter and a 

holding tank. You fill the pitcher’s 

tank with plain tap water. The 

tank passes a controlled amount of 

water through its filter and then 

deposits the filtered water into the 

pitcher below for your use. 

2. Purchase and maintain a supply 

of purification tablets. Considered 

to be vital to any disaster relief 

kit, water purification tablets are 

an excellent addition to any 

emergency supplies that you may 

have set aside. As these may differ 

slightly in potency depending on 

the brand, refer to the 

manufacturer’s instructions to 

determine how much water can be 

treated with one tablet and how 

long the water will remain safe to 

use. 

3. We can purify water with iodine 

and it is found to be an effective 

way. For this, add 2% tincture of 

iodine in the water i.e. 20 drops 

per 4 litres of water. Add 40 drops, 

if the water is cloudy. Stir the 

solution and allow it to stand for 

about 30 minutes. Similarly 

dissolve a heaping teaspoon of 

high-test granular calcium 

hypochlorite into 8 litres of water. 

Stir this water well, to make a 

disinfecting solution. And finally 

add the solution to 800 litres of 

water. This would purify the water. 

4. Use unscented chlorine bleach. 

Only pure and undiluted 

household bleach should be used 

for water purification purposes. 

The amount used depends upon 

how much water in a container 

needs to be purified. Using a 

standard eyedropper, 15 or 16 drops 

is usually enough, even for several 

gallons or 3.8 to 4 litres of water. 

The water should be stirred or 

agitated well, then allowed to sit 

for a few minutes. A slight 

chlorine scent will be noticeable, 

but pathogens would be killed and 

the water will be rendered safe to 

drink. 

5. Boil water to purify it. If you 

have the ability to do so in an 

emergency, it is always a good idea 

to boil water in a heat-resistant 

container in order to destroy 

microbes and clear away 

impurities. An open fire or 

propane stove will suffice if you 

are outdoors or camping. Bring the 

water to a rolling boil for up to 5 

minutes. If sediments are present, 

they will rise to the surface in a 

thin layer. Skim this off with a 

wide spatula or a large metal 

spoon and discard it. When the 

ENVIRONMENT 49 

water has cooled, it may be stored 

for later use. Using potassium 

permanganate is also quite 

effective in purifying water. For 

this, you need to add about 3 or 4 

crystals of the chemical compound 

per litre of water. Stir the solution 

well and leave it for about 30 

minutes. 

6. The most interesting one is the 

solar water disinfection method. 

For this, you need to pour water 

into clear plastic PET bottles and 

expose it to direct sunlight, for at 

least 6 hours. The UV rays present 

in the sun rays help in killing 

many microbes and also results in 

clean water. But before using such 

water, make sure it is left in open 

so that it is aerated. After all the 

water has been purified make sure 

it is stored in a clean container. 

For better taste the water can be 

aerated between two clean 

containers by pouring water from 

one container to another and then 

vice-verse, repeating not less than 

6 to 7 times. For sweet taste one 

can add a pinch of salt to purified 

water. 

Though these household 

methods are quite effective in 

purifying water and making it 

suitable for drinking, yet some 

chemical and pathogens cannot be 

removed. The home made filters 

which use reverse osmosis are the 

best for purifying water from all 

impurities. But what is essentially 

required is that we human beings 

start respecting the natural 

resources and take care of them as 

if we own them. We should not 

waste this precious resource and 

make sure we do not pollute the 

water bodies whether we go on 

excursions or on a pilgrimage. g

50 

TOURISM 

Glitzy Malls 

Ruchi Sharma 

Situated in the foothills of Shivaliks, 

Panchkula not just offers scenic 

spectacle for the lensman but there is 

lot more to it. Where the city wears a 

fresh look in the morning, there it 

dazzles at night and tempts one to 

explore the varied facets of the city. 

Panchkula touches the tri-city 

Chandigarh and in its vicinity are 

prominent towns like Pinjore, Kalka 

and Morni which are known tourist 

spots. Thus the city and its 

surroundings hold something for 

everyone - adventurers, spiritually 

inclined people, nature lovers and 

aesthetic lovers. 

The Cactus Garden, Asia’s largest 

outdoor landscaped cacti and 

succulents’ garden, is in Panchkula. It 

showcases a large variety of over 2,500 

species of cacti. The diversity in sizes 

and rarity of cactus plants is the 

unique attraction of the garden and a 

major turn on for botanists. Every year 

in the month of March, a major Cactus 

Show is organized here and people from 

all over the region visit it. 

Lush green and well maintained 

parks of Panchkula are a delight for the 

denizens as well as outsiders. Vatika 

garden with it serene surroundings and 

a small water body offers a beautiful 

view which is soothing to eyes. There is 

an eating joint inside the garden which 

offers delicious food. Travellers who 

wish to relax and eat peacefully can 

plan a stopover here. Adjoining this is 

Topiary Park which has large figures of 

animals made with green shrubs, and 

fountains which illuminate evenings 

with its coloured lighting. 

There are a number of eating joints 

in the city to choose from like Domino's 

Pizza, Pizza Hut, KFC, Subway, Cafe 

Mughal gardens, Pinjore 

Panchkula: 

On the tourist map 

Offering a variety of places of tourists’ attraction, Panchkula is 

surely a treat for visitors 

Coffee Day and Hot Millions. Tourists 

can spot their favourite eating joint 

where they can relish their favourite 

food. 

Malls like Fun Republic, Shalimar in 

Panchkula and City Centre Mall in IT 

Park open wide options of 

entertainment. One can choose to 

watch any on-going popular movie or 

make a choice of eating from the food 

variety available in the food court. The 

thought of shopping prominent brands 

under one roof also excites one, 

especially women. 

HEALING SIDE 

At a distance of 20 kms from 

Chandigarh, the village Dab Kori of 

Panchkula offers perfect destination for 

nature lovers. The Emerald Green 

Orchard spreading over an area of 10 

acres opens one to a beautiful sight of 

fruit orchards. The gush of fresh wind

and the soothing green cover welcomes 

the visitors. This farm is a perfect 

getaway for those who live in towns but 

their heart remains in the countryside. 

One can enjoy sporty activities like 

badminton, cycling and cricket. Its 

surrounding villages hold an ideal 

rural ambience that allows visitors to 

have the feel of rural life by feeding 

cattle, milking cow, splashing fresh 

water from tubewell and riding on 

tractor and bullock cart. 

About 11 kms drive from Panchkula, 

Thapli offers an exotic setting for those 

who look for an escape in peaceful 

surroundings. For bird lovers, it’s a 

treat. One can plan a night stay and 

have a worthwhile experience by living 

in tent house and enjoy on tree house 

especially meant to be with the nature. 

Dining in the open inside a Gol Ghar 

made of wood gives a different 

pleasure. A sitting pergola outside 

amidst the greenery gives an 

opportunity to visitors to catch a 

glimpse of a variety of birds chirping 

on trees or flying in the sky and have 

the feel of fresh air. 

FOR VENTURERS 

Morni hills with matchless scenic 

beauty are a perfect escape for the 

venturers. Adventure lovers often visit 

this place to taste the fright and 

excitement involved in trekking, 

camping and boating. Covered with 

pine trees, it offers suitable climate for 

trekking. 

Many nature starved people frequent 

Race boating in the lap of nature, Tikkar Taal, Morni 

the hills in their private vehicles. A 

large number of resorts and rest houses 

are available on the way for tourists. It 

is mostly crowed during weekends 

when families plan a picnic to the hills. 

The months of September till March 

are the best time to visit. The two small 

man-made lakes called Tikkar Taal, 

bada tikkar and chota tikkar are the 

major attraction for tourists and 

campers. Campers can experience the 

thrills of living in tents by the lakeside. 

Boating in lake and sports activities on 

the lawn are other attractive options for 

the visitors. 

RESTORING HISTORY 

About 22 km from Chandigarh, the 

Bhima Devi Temple Complex in Pinjore 

showcases and restores the ruins of an 

ancient Hindu temple of 8th century to 

11th century AD in a museum. 

Situated adjacent to the temple is the 

17th century Pinjore Gardens, globally 

known as Mughal gardens. It was built 

by Aurangzeb’s foster brother using 

much of the ruins of the Hindu temples 

destroyed by the Muslim invaders from 

13th to 17th century. It is perhaps the 

loveliest and the oldest garden in 

northern India. Away from the 

maddening crowd, set over 1,800 feet 

above sea level in a beautiful valley 

overlooking Shivalik hills which is a 

perfect place for the harmony of mind 

and spirit. 

SPIRITUAL SIDE 

The Mansa Devi temple in Panchkula 

TOURISM 

51 

was built by Maharaja Gopal Singh, 

the ruler of Manimajra in 1815 AD. 

The temple is very popular among 

spiritually inclined people even of 

other religions. During holy days of 

Navratras, the devotees throng in 

lakhs to pay their obeisance. 

Adjoining it is a large temple built by 

the Maharaja of Patiala. Patiala royal 

family helped in the development of 

the temple. Now government has 

taken over the charge of the temple 

and it's one of the best managed 

temples. Devotees throng twice during 

Navratras. 

About 10 kms away from Mansa 

Devi Shrine, the prestigious 

Chandimandir Cantonment 

Headquarters of the Indian Army 

Western Command with an impressive 

entrance is located. In Chandimandir, 

there is a very old temple which is 

dedicated to goddess Chandi. 

Nada Sahib, situated on the banks 

of river Ghaggar, is a pilgrim place for 

Hindus as with the Sikhs. After the 

Battle of Bhangani in 1688, Guru 

Gobind Singh halted here while 

travelling. Nadu Shah of nearby 

village served him and his followers 

with food and milk. Later the sacred 

spot was discovered and raised by 

Bhai Motha Singh to perpetuate the 

memory of the Guru's visit. Every 

month thousands of devotees visit 

here on the full moon (Purnima) day. 

Such beautiful spots and sights are 

no doubt making Panchkula popular 

among tourists. g

52 

FESTIVAL 

Baisakhi: 

the festival 

of harvest 


Come April 13 and one can hear the 

beats of dhol reverberating in the 

sky. Jubilant farmers and their 

womenfolk shaking a leg together on 

the beats is the usual sight in 

villages. All roads lead to the nearby 

places of worship and rivers. River 

banks are thronged with people to 

take a dip into the holy water of the 

rivers. Men, women and children 

adorned in the best of their apparels 

can be seen offering prayers in the 

gurdwaras and participating with 

enthusiasm in langar. Processions 

with bands playing religious tunes 

are carried out at different places in 

cities. All this fervor and feasting is 

to welcome the festival of Baisakhi. 

Baisakhi is basically a festival of 

farmers to celebrate the joy of 


Baisakhi festival is rooted in the peasant culture 

and is secular in nature. It denotes arrival of 

harvest season and is harbinger of prosperity 

harvest. A farmer is all smiles as he 

is about to get the fruit of his whole 

year’s hard labour. One of the most 

popular festivals of northwest India, 

Baisakhi is celebrated on a large 

scale particularly in the states of 

Punjab and Haryana. It marks a New 

Year’s time for the farming 

community as it is time to harvest 

Rabi crop. On Baisakhi, farmers 

thank god for the bountiful crop and


pray for good times ahead. They buy 

new clothes and make merry by 

singing, dancing and enjoying the 

best of festive food. Everyday farming 

scenes of sowing, harvesting, 

winnowing and gathering of crops 

are expressed through zestful 

movements of the body to the 

accompaniment of ballads and dhol 

music. 

The Baisakhi festival is an ancient 

harvest festival. Harvest festivals 

have been held as long as 

people have been sowing 

and gathering food. 

Peasants from various 

cultures all over the world 

celebrate the gathering of 

the harvest. For 

Americans, this harvest 

festival is held on the 

fourth Thursday of 

November and is called 

Thanksgiving. Yam festival 

in Ghana, Chinese Harvest 

Moon Festival in China, Chu 

Suk in Korea and Trung Thu 

in Vietnam are celebrated to 

mark harvesting. 

Baisakhi Festival falls on 

the first day of Vaisakh 

month (April-May) according 

to Nanakshahi or Sikh 

Calendar. For this reason, 

Baisakhi is also popularly 

known as Vaisakhi. According 

to English calendar, the date of 

Baisakhi corresponds to April 

13 every year and April 14 once 

in every 36 years. This 

difference in Baisakhi dates is 

due to the fact that day of 

Baisakhi is reckoned according 

to solar calendar and not the 

lunar calendar. The auspicious 

date of Baisakhi is celebrated all 

over India under different names 

and different set of rituals and 

celebrations. Baisakhi date coincides 

with 'Rongali Bihu' in Assam, 'Naba 

Barsha' in Bengal, ‘Puthandu’ in 

Tamil Nadu and 'Pooram Vishu' in 

Kerala. 

It is heartening to note that 

Baisakhi is a secular festival which 

transcends all barriers of religion 

and community. Though the reason 

and way of celebration differs from 

religion to religion, it is equally 

significant for all. 

Baisakhi has a special meaning 

for the Sikhs. On this day in 1699, 

their tenth Guru Gobind Singh 

organized the order of the Khalsa. On 

this day he administered amrit 

(nectar) to his first batch of five 

disciples making them Singhs, a 

martial community. Yet another 

legend says that on the day of 

Baisakhi, Guru Arjan Dev was 

martyred by the Muslim rulers who 

in an act of barbaric cruelty threw 

him alive into a cauldron of boiling 

oil. Also, the tragic Jallianwala Bagh 

FESTIVAL 

53 

massacare took place on Baisakhi day 

in Amritsar in 1919. 

The day of Baisakhi Festival is 

also important for the Hindus as it on 

this day in 1875 that Swami Dayanand 

Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj - a 

reformed sect of Hindus who are 

devoted to the Vedas for spiritual 

guidance and have discarded idol 

worship. 

For the Buddhists, the day of 

Baisakhi Festival is significant, as 

according to a popular legend it was 

on this auspicious day that Gautam 

Buddha attained enlightenment or 

Nirvana under the Mahabodhi tree in 

the town of Gaya. For this reason, the 

day of Baisakhi is celebrated as 

Buddha Purnima is several parts of 

the country. 

Colourful Baisakhi Fairs are 

organized to celebrate the day. People 

participate in these fairs with lots of 

enthusiasm and charm. Major 

attractions of Baisakhi fairs are the 

bhangra and gidda performances 

besides wrestling bouts, singing and 

acrobatics. Performance of folk 

instruments - vanjli and algoza is also 

quite popular. Food stalls and shops 

selling trinkets make these fairs even 

more joyful. 

As the festival has tremendous 

importance in Sikh religion, major 

activities of the day are organized in 

gurdwaras. People wake up early to 

prepare for the day. Many also take 

bath in the holy river to mark the 

auspicious occasion. After getting 

ready, people pay a visit to their 

neighbourhood gurdwara and take 

part in the special prayer meeting 

organized for the day. At the end of 

the Baisakhi ardas, congregates 

receive specially prepared Kara 

prasad or sweetened semolina. This is 

followed by a guru ka langar or 

community lunch. 

Another high point of Baisakhi 

celebrations by Sikhs is the Baisakhi 

procession or nagar kirtan carried 

throughout the city under the 

leadership of Panj Piaras or the Five 

Beloved Ones. Men, women and 

children alike participate in the 

Baiskhi processions with enthusiasm. 

Mock duels, bands playing religious 

tunes and performance of bhangra 

and gidda dance make Baisakhi 

processions quite colourful and 

enchanting. 

Thus, every year Baisakhi brings 

joy and prosperity for everyone. g

54 

SUCCESS STORY 

Haryana Review Bureau 

Cerebral palsy is an incurable 

disease. But if one has the will 

power, nothing is impossible. A perfect 

example of this is Ritesh Sinha, who 

with his resolve has turned his 

disability into a strength. 

Karnal-resident Ritesh, 36, was 

suffering from the disease since birth. 

There was a time when he could not 

move without a wheel chair. He took it 

as a challenge, completed his studies by 

attending school and college regularly. 

He secured a certificate in computing, 

and a postgraduate diploma in 

computer application. He also did B Sc 

and attained a Master’s degree in 

information technology. 

Furthermore, Ritesh’s 

determination to fight his disability 

made him practise yoga for an 

improvement in his physical condition. 

Earlier, he was not able to balance his 

body and had frequent falls. The yoga 

practice had a magical effect on him 

and he felt more relaxed while writing 

and performing other activities. Now 

he has a better control over his body. 

He says, “My self-confidence has 

increased and the frequency of 

incidental falls has reduced drastically. 

Now I am physically disabled but not 

helpless.” 

He was in search of a platform 

where he could guide other patients 

suffering from cerebral palsy, but there 

was no hope of assistance from 

anywhere. This did not deter him. He 

created his own blog 

‘ritesh.blogspot.com’ and formed a 

community of patients suffering from 

cerebral palsy on Orkut. 

He says, “Through online 

networking sites and blogs, I propagate 

yogic mudras for the benefit of the 

people suffering from cerebral palsy 

and reach out to more such people.” 

For such sufferers, he has also 

developed new methods of writing 

through mudras, which help in speedy 

cure of the disease. Ritesh says, “These 

mudras have shown amazing results in 

the concentration of mind. They help 

in manipulating and redirecting the 

energy through hands and fingers and 

back to the body like reflection through 

mirror and each mudra establishes a 

different link with specific effect on 

body and mind.” 

Ritesh, since his childhood, had a 

keen interest in reiki, numerology and 

spiritual healing, mudras and their 

effect on human health. With the 

consultation of the doctor, he developed 

mudras which relaxed his body. 

Ritesh also made a film on Vayu 

mudra and participated in the Indian 

International Disability Film Festival 

where his film, “60 Seconds to Fame” 

was screened. 

He has become a source of 

inspiration for others. g 


Ability to challenge disability 

Ritesh at work accepting the challenge 

“The mudras have shown 

amazing results in the 

concentration of mind. They 

help in manipulating and 

redirecting the energy 

through hands and fingers 

and back to the body like 

reflection through mirror 

and each mudra 

establishes a different link 

with specific effect on body 

and mind.” 

-Ritesh 

Physically 

challenged prove 

their mettle 

The district rehabilitation centre 

run by the District Red Cross 

Society at Yamunanagar organised a 

T20 cricket match between 

physically challenged persons of 

Yamunanagar and rest of Haryana. 

Here the aim was to bring out 

hidden abilities of physically 

challenged persons. 

The physically challenged proved 

their mettle as equal by winning the 

match. They proved that they are 

equal to any normal person and no 

burden to their family or society. 

After winning the toss, the team 

of physically challenged players 

elected to bat first. They gave the 

target of 133 runs to the rest of 

“I wanted to set an 

example for the physically 

challenged persons that 

we are not less in any 

field as compared to 

normal persons.” 

-Sourav 

Haryana team. With one run the 

Yamunanagar team won the match. 

Sourav was elected man of the 

match and was awarded a cash prize 

of Rs 500. The winner team was 

given a cash prize of Rs 4,100 and the 

runner-up Rs 3,100. Sourav said, “I 

wanted to set an example for the 

physically challenged persons that 

we are not less in any field as 

compared to normal persons.” 

Parveen Kumar, captain of the 

Yamunanagar team, said he was 

working as accountant and was not 

dependent on his family and instead 

taking care of his family members. g


Dr Dinesh Dadhichi 

Afew years ago, this young poet was 

perceived as a precocious child, 

who had the knack of penning down 

verses imbued with the ‘modern’ spirit. 

Today his poems are read with an awed 

expectation that is usually reserved for 

recognized luminaries in the field of 

Indian poetry in English. As a matter of 

fact, he represents the fast promising 

class of talented young men and women 

from Haryana, who have carved out a 

niche for themselves beyond the 

boundaries of the state in various fields. 

Samartha Vashishtha has an array of 

achievements to prove his acumen. 

Born on June 10, 1983 at Nabha 

(Punjab), he had the advantage of 

belonging to a family of poets and 

intellectuals in Haryana. His 

grandfather, Khushi Ram Vashishtha, 

who belonged to Meham, rose in his 

time to a position which won him the 

coveted title of the State Poet of 

Haryana. Samartha’s father, Dr. 

Jitendra Vashishtha, is also known for 

his poems and ghazals in Hindi. 

Understandably, therefore, fertile 

ground had been prepared for Samartha 

to venture forth in the same field, but he 

choose the medium in which he had 

received his education, though fluently 

writing poems in Hindi also, using 

modern idiom and style. When his first 

collection of poems in English, 

curiously entitled Anhadnad, came out, 

he was hardly seventeen years old. It 

includes his early poems, with a preface 

by the present author. A second one, 

titled Shadows Don't Live In Walls, was 

published in 2004 by Writers Workshop, 

Kolkata. 

Apart from these books, Samartha 

has also contributed to some prominent 

Indian literary journals. His work in 

English has appeared in Chandrabhaga 

(Cuttack), edited by Jayant Mahapatra, 

Sahitya Akademi’s Indian Literature, 

The Journal of Literature and Aesthetics 

(Kerala), The Journal of the Poetry 

Society (India) and Poetry Chain 

(Mumbai). 

Besides, he translates to and from 

Hindi and Punjabi and has published 

transliterations of his poems in the 

leading Hindi journals, Pahal, an 

influential literary magazine brought 

out by Gyanaranjan from Jabalpur and 

Vartaman Sahitya (Ghaziabad), as also 

in some daily publications. He won the 

Chosen Poet - II award in The Poetry 

Society (India) - Poetry Chain Annual 

Poetry Prizes 2003. Samartha is also a 

classical vocal musician. 

His poems stand out as a creative 

medley of innovative evocations of 

strikingly rich and fresh images of our 

humdrum existence. The following 

extract from a poem, “For Father on His 

Fiftieth Birthday,” aptly brings out the 

sharpness of his expression: 

“I dream of wax wings melting 

and splashing onto walls and floor 

as we pass by burning slopes 

arguing on poetry and love.” 

Similarly, in his poem, “Dadiji: The Last 

Recollections,” he states with disarming 

realism: 

“I hoped the whole day 

she would rise 

and throwing away the cotton plugs 

in her nose 

would smile through her fallen oral 

castle; 

and listen to my exaggerated 

accounts 

of my mother’s cruelties 

(she seemed to be the only one who 

could scold her). 

She didn’t.” 

His glowing tribute to Swadesh Deepak, 

a renowned author from Haryana, is 

GUEST COLUMN 55 

Weaving Magic with words 

A young poet from Haryana transcends boundaries of language to pen 

beautiful verses which deal with complex human emotions 

Samartha Vashishtha 

also remarkable for its intuitive sharing 

of experiences captured in paradoxes 

and striking juxtapositions: 

“I know you and I know your smoke 

filling the room and my lungs - 

a rally of slender charminars 

conspiring against God - 

or the ice in your fiery eyes 

that only knowing death can give. 

I know you, sir 

with your metaphors run amok 

your wrist without a watch 

walls sans a clock.” 

Quite often his explorations into the 

essence of experience take on a 

philosophical hue, as in the following 

lines from “Innocence”: 

“She came to my corner of the 

room. It was dark as if 

the dark was not the absence of 

light 

but a way of living; a metaphor 

beyond meaning for her.” 

An engineer by education, he currently 

works as a technical writer with Adobe 

Systems. 

In the past, he has served as the 

Editorial Coordinator of LINUX For 

You, a magazine focused on Linux and 

open source software. 

Samartha is also a co-translator 

(along with Shailendra Shail) of 

Soumitra Mohan's long Hindi poem, 

Luqman Ali into English. The 

translation was published in 

Chandrabhaga 14/2007. 

One feels quite confident about the 

future of this brilliant young poet of 

Haryana, who has very suitably 

summed up the whole point of being a 

poet in the following words: 

“There was this man – 

fiery eyes, cannon balls – 

who went to the little teashop by the 

road 

daily 

yet no one knew him by name 

But still when he talked 

he talked of no less than 

changing a world.” g 

The writer is professor of English at 

Kurukshetra University

56 

BOOKS 

To know more, read on... 

The Culture and Civilisation 

of Ancient India 

in historical Outline 

By D D Kosambi 

Publisher: Vikas Publishing House Pvt Ltd 

ISBN 0-7069-6454-3 

Medieval India 

The Study of a Civilization 

By Irfan Habib 

Publisher: National Book Trust, India 

ISBN 978-81-237-5255-6 

Haryana : A Historical 

Perspective 

By S C Mittal 

Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, New 

Delhi 1986 

Ancient Kuruksetra, 

Studies in Historical & 

cultural Geography 

By O P Bhardwaj 

Publisher: Haryana publication House, New Delhi 

ISBN 81-85151-40-7 

Haryana : Ancient and 

Medieval 

By H A Phadke 

Publisher: Harman publishing House, New Delhi 

ISBN 81-85151-34-2 

A Few Pages From The 

History of Haryana 

By Bhim Sain Tyagi 

Printed at: The Himalia Press, Chandigarh 1985 

Haryana Through the Ages 

By Buddha Prakash 

Publisher: Kurukshetra University 

Ancient India 

An introductory Outline 

By D N Jha 

Publisher: People’s Publication House, New Delhi 

ISBN 81-7007-039-2 

An Epic Pilgrimage 

History and Antiquity of Pehowa: 

Ancient Prithudaka 

By Devendra Handa 

Publisher: Aryan Books International, New Delhi 

ISBN 81-7305-272-2 

Jaina Bronze from Hansi 



ISBN 81-7305-234-4 

History of Hisar 

From Inception to Independence 

(1354-1947) 

By M M Juneja 

Publisher: Modern Books company, Hisar 1989 


Sculptures from Haryana 

Iconography and Style 



ISBN 81-7305-307-3 

The problems of the 

Sarasvati River 

and Notes on the Archaeological 

Geography of Haryana and Indian Punjab 

By Dilip K Chakrabarti, Sukhdev Saini 


ISBN 978-81-7305-381-8

Amazing historical 

facts about ancient India 

v India invented the number system and Aryabhatta invented the number zero. Chess 

(Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India. 

v The art of navigation was born in the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word 

'navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Navgatih’ and the word 'navy' is also 

derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Nou’. 

v The world's first university was established in Taxila in 7th century BC. More than 

10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. 

v The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest 

achievements of ancient India in the field of education. 

v Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds 

of years before the astronomer Smart did. The time taken by earth to orbit the sun 

as mentioned in 5th century BC text is 365.258756484 days. 

v Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, who wrote 

‘Charaka Samhita’, a book dedicated to Ayurveda, 2500 years ago, is regarded as the 

father of medicine. Today, Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place. 

v Budhayana first calculated the value of pi, and he explained the concept of what is 

known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century BC, long 

before the European mathematicians. 

v Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software as reported in Forbes 

magazine in July 1987. 

v Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India; quadratic equations were by 

Sridharacharya in the 11th century. 

v The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 10 6(10 to the power of 

6) whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 1053 (10 to the power of 53) with specific 

names, as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest 

used number is Tera 1012(10 to the power of 12). 

v The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra by Saka King 

Rudradaman I of 150 CE. This reservoir was called 'Sudarshana' and was constructed 

on the hills of Raivataka. 

v Sushruta who wrote ‘Sushruta Samhita’ in 3rd or 4th century AD is the father of 

surgery. 2600 years ago, he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated 

surgeries like caesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and 

even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anaesthesia was well-known in 

ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipments were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, 

aetiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also 

found in many texts.

Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India, RNI No 10412 

Postal Regd No CHD/123/2009-11 

On this side of history

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