Historical treasures to be on show

Some of the rarest archaeological finds in India in the past half a century - including one dating back 1.5 million years will be on display at a month-long exhibition starting here Wednesday.

The Archaeological Survey of India is showcasing for the first time, some of the greatest finds since 1961 under one roof.  The exhibition will also mark the ASI’s 150th year.

“The exhibition will bring alive the sequence of human creativity in the Indian context and help rediscover India,” said Gautam Sengupta, who heads ASI.
The exhibition which begins at the National Museum near on December 27 and ends January 31 will focus on the next 50 years of ASI.

An array of priceless tools, seals, implements, artefacts, pottery, figurines, sculptures, ornaments and inscriptions will be on display. There will also be maps, photographs and other textual panels to support the objects on display and to help visitors appreciate the significance of these objects and their relevance to the understanding of India's past.

 There will be stone tools that date back 1.5 million years, bone implements, the only portrait of Emperor Ashoka ever excavated, a 6th century stone image of Lord Vishnu, a 4th century stone statue of Mahishasuramardini, and an elegant 13-14th century Garuda in bronze.

 Also seen will be a 9-10th century Standing Buddha that was discovered in Bodh Gaya but had been illegally exported to the US, where it was confiscated and sent back to India. Another attraction will be the now rusting iron implements of 1000 BC found in Kottayam district in Kerala.

The archaeological treasures have come from Bhimbetka and Sirpur (MP), Burzhom and Gufkral in the Kashmir Valley, Harappan sites at Dholavira (Gujarat) and Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Mathura and Vaishali (Bihar).

In all, 307 antiquities, including four replicas, will be on display.