Department of Archaeology & Museums

Haryana

Art Design Building, Sector 10, Chandigarh

Email: archaeology@hry.nic.in

Department of Archaeology & Museums

Haryana

Past

Established in 1972

Act- 1964 (State Act)

Monuments, Sites & Museums

Present

Excavations

Site Protection

Collection, Display & Management

Promotion

Future

Haryana State Archaeology Museum

Rakhigarhi Museum

Heritage Corners

Workshops, Publications

Haryana: The Cradle of Indian Civilization

Active Works & Projects

In achieving these targets the Vision of department looks ahead to create a progressive plan that coversschemes such as Heritage Corners for School Children, Workshops for youth and researchers alike,Publications that will cater to audiences of all ages, and similar related promotional events that will protect,promote and propagate the Heritage of Haryana to the masses.

The Department has a vision that functions according to “The Punjab Ancient Historical Monuments andArchaeological Sites & Remains Act. 1964”. It has the following 6 Plan Schemes:

• Archaeological Excavation/Exploration Programme• Publication/ Publicity Programme• Protection/ Preservation and Development of Ancient Monuments/Sites• Preparation of Plaster Casts of Antiquities• Setting up of State Archaeological Museum• Setting up of Zonal Museum

Zonal Museums There are five zonal museums namely (a) Jahaj Kothi, Hisar; (b) Jayanti Archaeological Museum,Jind; (c) Guru Govind Singh Martial Art Museum at Kapalmochan, Yamuna Nagar; (d) Deen BandhuSir Chhotu Ram Smarak Museum, Rohtak; (e) Panipat Museum, Binjhol, Panipat. Also (f) one SiteMuseum at Bhima Devi Temple, Pinjore.

(a) (b) (c)

(d) (e) (f)

Glimpses of Sites and Monuments

Stupa, ChanetiChhatta Rai Balmukund Das,Narnaul

Bhima Devi Site Complex, Pinjore Rakhigarhi

Mirza Alijan Ki takht & Baoli, Narnaul

Victoria Memorial Hall, Karnal

There are an array of 36 sites under the Department that comprise of ancient mounds at Kirsola, Balu;fort structures, water structures like Baoli and Tanks; Palaces and Havelis, Tombs, Cupolas,Cemetery, Indo-British structure like Victoria Memorial Hall; Temple complexes, Buddhist Stupa etc.

Glimpses of Site Museum : Bhima Devi Complex

The Bhima Devi Temple Complex, also known as Khajuraho of North India for its erotic sculptures, comprises the restoredruins of an ancient Hindu temple dated between 9th and 11th century AD, together with the adjacent 17th century Pinjore locatedin Panchkula. Scientific clearance on site revealed a Panchayatana style of temple architecture.

Temple was decorated with variety of sculptures as visible from the remnants, which depicts Shiva & Parvati, Agni, Surya,Vishnu, Ganesha, Chaitya windows, Miniature turrets, and other social, animal and plant motifs.

Ganesha

Shikhara Ishana with attendants

Going ahead : Future Projects The Department has been acquiring collection since inception through various means like excavation of sites,collection inhouse on sites, structures that are vulnerable due to weather and vandalization also have somedismembered collection, and findings and reporting that come to notice and are taken in safe custody forfuture protection and display.

Meeting the Motto of Heritage Protection and Promotion in Haryana; two museums one at largest Harappansite of Indian subcontinent Rakhigarhi Site Museum and Interpretation Centre and second is StateArchaeological Museum at Panchkula are upcoming endeavors that will make Haryana a center of Academicand Touristic attraction. These museums are being researched & consulted by experts in field as they will besignificant contribution to society and future generations.

Rakhigarhi Site & CollectionKunal, Fatehabad

Department Strategies to Propagate & Promote

Promotion Outreach Services

❖ The Department has activewebsite, social media page, whichis open to all digital sourceaccessible to students, scholarsand educators.

❖ Travelling exhibitions are timeto time conducted to promote andcirculate collection such as atInternational Gita Mahotsav,Kurukshetra; and similar atInternational Saraswati Mahotsav,Pehowa; India International TradeFair, New Delhi.

❖ Department has createdSouvenirs and Replicas which areon sale for collection memorabiliaand awareness about the reservecollections as well.

❖ Heritage corners for schools inHaryana are planned to makeschool children aware of thecollection accessible to them thatis related to their curriculum.

❖ Workshops on Numismatics,Geospatial technology, StructuralConservation and Masonary,Harappan seals, Sculptures etc.have been conducted and few areplanned as upcoming events.

❖ The Department has active librarycollection which is accessible tostudents and scholars.

❖ Guest lectures are conducted onrequest in colleges and Universities.

❖ Walks and training given on ongoingexcavation sites by various staff.

❖ Excavation Onsite training ofcollege/university students from allover India.

❖ Digitization and Photography ofcollection in ongoing that will supportresearch publications and furtherprojects within State and country.

Glimpses of Events

Harappan/Proto-History

Early Historic

Early Medieval

Medieval

Colonial

Archaeological

collections such as

seals, beads, TC

figurines; gold, silver

and copper objects;

stone weights,

pottery, ornaments;

shell, faience and

steatite objects etc.

Sculptural collections

that comprise of

artefacts made of

terracotta, stone,

metal etc. Ranging

from structural

elements, figurines of

Gods, humans, floral

and faunal motifs.

Coin collections that

comprise of coins

made with different

molding techniques

on various metals

such as copper,

gold, silver and other

metals. Department

usually has findings in

hoards or gifted

collections.

Structural fragments such as decorative elements

of monuments that got dismembered during

weathering or other disturbances, ornamented

pillars, door jambs, lintel fragments etc. They also

reflect the beauty of structure and indicates its

significance.

1.

4.

6.

2.

8.

3.

7.

5.

1. Gold Beads, Banawali 2. Faience bangle fragments, Mithathal 3. Objects found from village Pur, recovered from Bhiwani 4. Steatite Seals, Banawali

5. Shell objects, Banawali 6. Steatite beads string, Banawali 7. Terracotta biconical beads string, Banawali 8. Etched Carnelian beads, Banawali

4.

5.

7.

1. 2.

9.6. 8.

3.

10.

1. Vishnu, Jhajjar 2. Surya, Beri 3. Uma Maheshvara, Beri 4. Hari Hara, Beri 5. Makara Mukh, Gujjar Kheri 6. Sati Stone, Sunam (Punjab)

7. Buddha head, Rohtak 8. Female head, Pinjore 9. Vishnu head, Kasan 10. Stupa (on Suchi), Lalpura

1. 2. 4.

6. 7. 8.

3.

9.

5.

1. Jain Tirthankar, Bhiwani 2. Vamana, Bawal, Rewari Dist. 3. Surya, Gujjar Kheri 4. Vishnu, Kalsara 5. Buddha with attendant, Jhajjar

6. Vaikuntha, Pehowa 7. Krishna killing Putna, Pehowa 8. Mallinath, Narnaul 9. Part of Door Jamb, Gujjer Kheri

Futuristic Approach The programs or events initiated by Department has received positive response in past from people thus onsimilar lines further projects have been planned and in process of execution.

1) Amalgamation of Digital technology and Dioramas in display at Museums, for more interactive approach.LEDs and Projectors are being introduced to make experience virtual and lively.

2) Heritage Corners in schools to inculcate a sense of belongingness amongst youth to safeguard andpromote their heritage.

3) Digital and Social media events to enhance the footfall at sites are being planned.4) Mobile Exhibition (Loan Box) which is a powerful concept to rotate exhibition related information in far

flung areas. As if people cannot reach the site or museum, then the collection highlights will reach them.It’s the mobile exhibition that spreads information about the collection. This way the awareness can becreated among all variety of audiences.

5) Teacher’s Training Program: Educating the educators enables us to create a snowball effect of heritageprotection and promotion. Thus an effective tool to propagate the department activities and updates bycreating a pool of human resource for future events.

6) At many sites, the Signage have already been updated to newer more informative content. This way thevisitors will feel more satisfied with the information they wish to know when on site, correlating to thestructures or key highlights of the site in totality.