Indian Archaeology 1999-2000 A Review

390 Pages·2008·7.92 MB·English

by  Om Prakash

INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1999-2000

-A REVIEW

PUBLISHED BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
JANPATH, NEW DELHI
2005
Picture -1 Picture-3
Back

Picture -2 Picture -4

Front Cover: 1 and 2, Birchhabili Tila : Srutidevi and
inscribed pedestal; 3-4, Pathra : Navaratna Temple,
before and after conservation
Back Cover: Sirpur: Siva temple, view from north
2005

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Price: Rs. 750/-
Printed At: M/s VEERENDRA PRINTERS, 2216, Hardhian Singh Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110 005, e-mail: [email protected]
PREFACE
This issue of Indian Archaeology 1999-2000 — A Review is the forty-seventh in number which
incorporates the reports of various field works undertaken in the country by the officers of the Survey,
State Governments, Universities, Research Institutions and Museums. The issue contains the reports
on excavations, explorations, epigraphy and numismatics, palaeobotanical studies, museums, structural
and chemical conservation of monuments, horticultural activities and publications. For all these material,
I am grateful to the contributors.
I express my thanks to Dr. G.C. Chauley and Dr. B.R. Mani, Directors (Publication) for their co-
operation.
I would also like to place on record my deep appreciation for the hard work done by the entire team
of Publication Section in compilation, editing, proof reading, besides making this issue press-ready for
its final printing. For this work my special thanks are due to Dr. (Miss) Arundhati Banerji, Superintending
Archaeologist (Publication), Shri Hoshiar Singh, Production Officer, Dr. Piyush Bhatt and Shri Gunjan Kr.
Srivastava, Assistant Archaeologists and all the other staff members of the Publication Section. I also
thank Sh. Vijay Kumar, Chief Artist, Sh. Rakesh Chandar, Sr. Artist, Shri Kishan Singh, Sr. Draftsman,
Shri Baldev Singh, Draftsman Gr.ll, Shri Kewal Singh, Surveyor Gr.l for their support in improving the line
drawings wherever needed.
I would appreciate and thank Mrs. & Mr. Veerendra Kumar Malik of M/s. Veerendra Printers, 2216,
Hardhian Singh Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi for composing, layout, designing and printing of this issue.
New Delhi
08-07-2005

(C. Babu Rajeev)
Director General

CONTENTS
I. Explorations and Excavations .... .... .... .... 1

Assam, 1; Bihar, 9; Goa, 16; Gujarat, 22; Haryana, 30; Himachal Pradesh, 33;
Jammu and Kashmir, 52; Karnataka, 63; Kerala, 76; Madhya Pradesh, 77;
Maharashtra, 102; Orissa, 106; Punjab, 125;Rajasthan, 128; Tamil Nadu,
147;Tripura, 155; Uttar Pradesh, 157; West Bengal, 197
II. Epigraphy .... .... .... .... .... 208
Sanskritic and Dravidic Inscriptions, 208
Andhra Pradesh, 208; Assam, 208; Karnataka, 210; Madhya Pradesh, 210;
Manipur, 212; Orissa, 212; Tamil Nadu, 212; Uttar Pradesh, 216
Arabic and Persian Inscriptions, 219
Delhi, 219; Maharashtra, 219; Tamil Nadu, 220; Uttar Pradesh, 220
III. Numismatics and Treasure Trove .... .... .... .... 224
Gujarat, 224; Haryana, 224; Kerala, 224; Uttar Pradesh, 226; West Bengal, 226
IV. Other Important Discoveries .... .... .... .... 227
Assam, 227; Goa, 227; Gujarat, 229; Haryana, 229; Himachal Pradesh, 230;
Jammu and Kashmir, 230; Meghalaya, 230; Tamil Nadu, 231; Uttar Pradesh, 232;
West Bengal, 235
V. Palaeobotanical and Pollen Analytical Investigation .... .... .... 236
VI Museums .... .... .... .... .... 238
VII Architectural Survey .... .... .... .... 247
Temple Survey, Northern Region, 247; Building Survey Project (North), 248
VIII. Preservation of Monuments .... .... .... .... 259
Monuments of National Importance, 259
Agra Circle, 259; Aurangabad Circle, 265; Bangalore Circle, 267; Bhopal Circle, 271;
Bhubaneswar Circle, 277; Chandigarh Circle, 277; Chennai Circle, 295;
Dharwad Circle, 299; Guwahati Circle, 302; Hyderabad Circle, 304;
Jaipur Circle, 308; Kolkata Circle, 311; Lucknow Circle, 315;
Mini Circle, Goa, 317; Patna Circle, 320; Srinagar Circle, 322; Thrissur Circle, 331;
Vadodara Circle, 335
Monuments Maintained by the States, 340
Delhi, 340; Haryana, 341; Manipur, 341
IX. Archaeological Chemistry.... .... .... .... 342
Treatment of Monuments and Paintings, 342
Andhra Pradesh, 342; Assam, 347; Bihar, 348; Daman & Diu, 350;
Delhi, 350; Goa, 351; Gujarat, 352; Himachal Pradesh, 353;
Jammu & Kashmir, 354; Karnataka, 354; Kerala, 355; Madhya Pradesh, 357;
Maharashtra, 360; Orissa, 363; Rajasthan, 366; Tamil Nadu, 370;
Uttar Pradesh, 371
Treatment of Excavated Objects and Museum Exhibits, 374; Chemical
Treatment of Antiquities in the Zonal Laboratory at Delhi, 374; Monitoring
of Air Pollution, 375; Research and Analysis, 377
X. Archaeological Gardens .... .... .... .... 378
Andhra Pradesh, 378; Delhi, 378; Gujarat, 379;
Karnataka, 379; Orissa, 379; Rajasthan, 379; Tamil Nadu, 379;
Uttar Pradesh, 378-379; West Bengal 379
XI. Publications.... .... .... .... .... 380
Publications of the Survey, 380
Other Publications, 380
INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1999-2000-A REVIEW

ASSAM

Brahmaputra in north and by Meghalaya State in
south. Kamroop district lies east of Surya-Pahar
1. EXCAVATION AT SURYA PAHAR, DISTRICT while Dhuburi district encloses it from the west
GOALPARA and the River Brahmaputra flows about 1 km north
of this site.
In continuation of the earlier work {Indian
Archaeology 1997-98 - A Review, pp.5-6)1, The mound is locally known as Dasabhuja
Excavation Branch - III, Patna, in collaboration after a multi-armed sculpture carved near the
with the Guwahati Circle, of the Archaeological mound over a huge boulder. But actually this rock-
Survey of India2 carried out excavation at the site, cut sculpture is of Visvarupa Vishnu having twelve
under the joint directorship of G.C. Chawley and hands.
Muhammed K.K., assisted by D.K. Ambastha,
This year's excavation was carried out with
N.K. Sinha, S.P. Gupta, T.K. Srivastava and O.P.
the two main objectives: (a) to trace the complete
Pandey. plan of the structure buried under the mound and
(b) to establish complete cultural sequence of the
Surya-Pahar is situated about 140 km west
of Guwahati in Goalpara. As reflected by its name site.
it is a mountain with a rock-cut sculpture of Surya Trenches were laid out in horizontal pattern
(Sun God), carved on a boulder, now kept in a and attempts have been made to trace the
modern unfinished temple, being constructed over extension of the partly exposed structures (fig. 1).
the remains of ancient one. Besides the Surya
In the course of excavation, the remains of a
image, other deities of Hinduism and Jainism are
brick temple having a sanctum (garbhagriha) and
also carved. A few boulders have been given the
a porch (mandapa) enclosed within an enclosure
shape of Siva-Iinga and votive stupa.
wall (pls. 1 -2) constructed directly over natural soil
Surya-Pahar is enclosed by River was unearthed. Though the evidence of atleast two
1 This publication is referred to in the following pages by the year only.
2Archaeological Survey of India is referred to in the following pages as the Survev only.