After the hustle and bustle of Delhi, the journey towards Rakhigarhi was an experience in itself. When we reached the remote railway station at Jind, 21km from Rakhigarhi, we had no idea how to reach our destination from there. Probably seeing 8 clearly clueless backpackers, the Ticket collector enquired where we were going. He not only guided us to the auto, but also haggled with the driver and got us a reasonable price. Eight people in an auto with all luggage seemed impossible but driver managed to squeeze all of us together. Seeing other autos jam packed with local villagers commuting from the nearest town got us thinking of the lack of transportation facility in small villages. Cocooned in the luxury of cities, we often take the comfort of travelling in cars and metros for granted, but reaching from one point to another is luxury for many. The journey was just a prologue to the life and struggles of the people who live and work in such places.

We were welcomed by Balram, the founder of Astitva Heritage at the Rakhigarhi Resort and farm. Balaram, who refers to himself as student of archeology, walked us past through the tiny villages of Rakhigarhi and started our tour with a brief introduction of Rakhigarhi over a cup of chai and samosa. Combining the names of two villages divided by a street, Rakhi and Garhi, Rakhigarhi is the world’s biggest Indus Valley Civilization site spread across 550hectors. It was a metropolitan city 4500 years ago, with population of around 45 – 50 thousand. The entire site of Rakhigarhi is made up of 7 mounds with each mound having its own importance.

My previous experiences at archeological or historical site visits were guided by sign boards and placards, which got boring after a point. Balaram being an experienced guide and an archeologist himself, stitched those parts together to narrate a story that would have otherwise gotten lost in translation. While walking through the lanes of villages Balaram explained the details buried under the mounds, artifacts found nearby and parts of the civilizations which no longer exists but are only part of imagination now.

I think watching the excavations in process is what made this visit even more special. Rakhigiri being one of the few live archeological sites in India, understanding the process from the experts on site was fascinating. Conversations with the supervising archeologist, Ms. Disha Ahluwalia, and osteoarcheologist Mr. Sathye, made us realize the efforts behind the scenes of unearthing and preserving our heritage. In scorching heat, even having lunch inside a shaded tent wasn’t an easy task for us! I wonder how they work day in and day out for excavation!

Disha showed us around the live site and educated us on the minute details of excavations: how it starts, how sites are identified and marked, and logic behind every element found. Tools used for excavations are mostly just the hand tools and digging has to be done slowly to avoid damages to the fragile pieces. Only people with energy, drive and shear passion for archeology can survive extreme climate and dig with so much patience, I truly felt archeologists and anthropologists are really underrated in our country, especially when efforts put by them open up so many mysteries and stories of our past glory. 

The lifestyle and culture of the previous civilization was understood from the remains found on site. From the burnt terracotta balls found in small pits within a house-like structure, Balram explains that it was possibly the kitchen, and the balls may have been used to increase the burning time of the fire. Carlenium stone found at the site, which is not native to the land, proves that the civilization was in active trade with Iran.

It was interesting to note that mostly what was uncovered are the things that the previous civilization left behind – in today’s terms, garbage. Most of what was found in Rakhigarhi were made of natural elements. One day the modern civilization will be buried under the mound too.  The question is, how would we like to be unearthed after few thousands of years later?  What would our garbage tell about us? Are we going to leave rich cultural heritage and sustainable lifestyle or landfills of plastics and toxic waste which wouldn’t have decomposed even then?

At the end of the day, walking in 38 degree heat for 6-7 hours was no joke and drained everyone physically, but all thanks to Balaram, Disha and Sathye sir , we felt it was all worth it. Rakhigarhi, you had my heart and I am definitely visiting more archeological sites with knowledgeable guides. Hopefully Archeo tourism flourishes and is as immersive as wildlife/agro tourism and teams like Astitva heritage leads the path in right direction.

Odyssey 2022, India's first travel scholarship initiative by Shoshin Tribe, powered by goStops.