History of Gujarat’s Vadnagar
Present circumstances:
- Recently, the Mehsana district of northern Gujarat’s Vadnagar and the Sun Temple of Modhera were both added to the list of possible UNESCO World Heritage sites.
- Vadnagar, also known as Vridhanagar, Anandapur, Anantapur, and Nagar, is thought to have been inhabited continuously for more than 2,700 years.
How can a place become a World Heritage Site? What exactly is a World Heritage Site?
- A place is referred to be a World Heritage Site if it has “outstanding universal value.” This statement refers to “cultural and/or natural importance that is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and be of common interest to present and future generations of all humanity.”
- A tentative list is a “inventory” of properties that a nation believes should be listed on the World Heritage List in accordance with the World Heritage Convention’s operational guidelines.
- Once UNESCO places a location on the Tentative List, a government must produce a nomination paper for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to examine. The next step will be a review and inspection by an official from UNESCO.
Vadnagar is a renowned “Living City”:
- According to UNESCO’s preliminary list, Vadnagar “displays a continually evolving ancient urban landscape/area that played a crucial role in the hinterland commercial network of Western India.” The historic town’s ongoing survival illustrates its toughness and unique global worth, in contrast to historically significant locations like Harappa and Kalibangan (Rajasthan), which were eventually abandoned. The town’s architecture reflects the impact of several cultural ages in the walls, arched entrances (toranas), temples, wells, dwellings (kothis), and uncovered sites such Buddhist monasteries and consecrated stupas. The extensive water management system in this region has helped to keep the town alive. According to studies on the historical geography of ancient India, Vadnagar was strategically situated between two crucial ancient trade routes, one connected central India with Sindh and other northwest regions, and the other connecting the port cities along Gujarat’s coast to northern India. The discovery of cowry shells during excavation that were connected to the Maldives suggests more involvement in world trade. In addition, a gold coin believed to date to the 15th century and come from Egypt’s Mamluk dynasty was found.
When were the Vadnagar excavations finished?
- The original excavations in Vadnagar were launched by the Gujarat State Archaeology and Museum Directorate in 1953–1954, and they were continued in 2006.
- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began conducting excavations in Vadnagar’s Ghaskol, Darbargadh, and Badi Garbano Sheri in 2014. Up to 2022, excavation was done to create an experience museum. – A state government official estimates that the museum, which would consist of two parts—the excavation and the museum—and be connected by a bridge—will be completed by the end of 2023. If successful, this would bolster the state’s UNESCO nomination.
- The excavations established its antiquity as far back as 750 BCE by revealing a continuous sequence of seven consecutive cultures. The majority of excavations focus on the Gaekwad era and earlier. “Such a lengthy period of human occupancy is unique in the Indian setting with only a few monuments claiming equivalent uninterrupted continuation,” the ASI proposal to UNESCO states.
Vadnagar: A centre for Buddhism:
- In September 2014, Modi cited Vadnagar as a Buddhist centre and how the religion has brought China and India together before Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Gujarat.
- During his 2015 visit to China, the PM delivered Xi sketches of archaeological digs in his hometown that revealed “a burnt brick edifice that has been identified as a Buddhist monastery.”
- The Chinese traveller Xuanzang or Hieun Tsang is thought to have visited Vadnagar sometime in the year 641 AD. In his writings, which say that more than 1,000 monks of the Sammitiya School or Little Vehicle lived in 10 monasteries at Vadnagar, indicating that the city was an important seat of Buddhist scholarship, he is credited with dubbing it “Anandpur.”
Claims made by ASI:
- The ASI claimed in its submission to UNESCO that the sealing of a Roman coin, the finding of an intaglio (a printing technique) in clay, and a coin mould of the Greco-Indian ruler Apollodotus II (80-65 BC) all had a “Roman connection.” It implied that there might have also been a link to West Asia.
