Vadnagar
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
Vadnagar in history
A backgrounder
Ritu Sharma, Dec 23, 2022: The Indian Express
.jpg)
From: Ritu Sharma, Dec 23, 2022: The Indian Express
.jpg)
From: Ritu Sharma, Dec 23, 2022: The Indian Express
.jpg)
From: Ritu Sharma, Dec 23, 2022: The Indian Express
.jpg)
From: Ritu Sharma, Dec 23, 2022: The Indian Express
Vadnagar can be compared to the historic living cities of Mathura, Ujjain and Varanasi as cities inhabited since the early historic period and in the modern day. What is the process for inclusion in the UNESCO list and what is Vadnagar's status?
Two sites in Gujarat have made it to the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites: Vadnagar, and the Sun Temple of Modhera, both in the Mehsana district of northern Gujarat.
Vadnagar, a city known by names like Vridhanagar, Anandapur, Anantapur and Nagar, is said to have been inhabited uninterruptedly for over 2,700 years. Several archaeological excavations began here in 2006 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and highlighted the city as a centre of Buddhism.
What is World Heritage Site and how is a place declared as one?
A World Heritage Site is a location with an “outstanding universal value”. This signifies “cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity”.
According to the World Heritage Convention’s operational guidelines, a tentative list is an “inventory” of properties a country believes deserve to be a World Heritage Site. After UNESCO includes a place in the Tentative List, that country has to prepare a nomination document that will be considered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. This will be followed by a UNESCO evaluation and an inspection by their representative.
Eric Falt, UNESCO Director and Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, attended the conference. had told The Indian Express the first step would be “to acquire a body of evidence and research and bring it (Vadnagar) to the attention of people.”
A senior ASI official in Delhi said there are already 52 items on the list, and the approval may take time, depending on whether the government prioritises it. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs organised the ‘Vadnagar International Conference’ in May as part of the celebration of 75 years of Independence to mark World Museum Day and to give a push to the town’s inclusion in the list.
Vadnagar, an ancient ‘Living City’
The description of Vadnagar in UNESCO’s Tentative List reads: “The town represents a continuously evolving historic urban landscape/area which played a major role in the hinterland trade network of Western India. The continuity of the historic town proves its resilience and outstanding universal value unlike the sites like Harappa and Kalibangan, (Rajasthan) which were abandoned eventually.”
The town’s fortifications, arched gateways (toranas), temples, wells, residential structures (kothis) and excavated sites like Buddhist monasteries and dedicated stupas showcase the architectural influence of various cultural periods. The extensive water management system here has also played a role in the town’s continuity.
The study of the historical geography of ancient India reveals Vadnagar was situated at a strategic location of two major ancient trade routes: one joining central India with the Sindh and further northwest regions, while another connected the port towns on Gujarat’s coast to northern India. Excavated cowry shells traced to the Maldives further imply involvement in overseas trade. A gold coin, believed to be from the Mamluk dynasty of Egypt that dated back to the 15th century, was also found.
When were the Vadnagar excavations done?
The first excavations in Vadnagar happened in 1953-54 and were later taken up by the Gujarat state archaeology and museum directorate in 2006. In 2014, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took up excavations in Vadnagar’s Ghaskol, Darbargadh and Badi Garbano Sheri. The excavation was conducted till 2022 to create an Experiential Museum.
Consisting of two parts – excavation and museum – that will be linked through a bridge, the museum is expected to be completed by the end of next 2023, as per a state government official, and could help the UNESCO bid.
The excavations showed an unbroken sequence of seven successive cultures which establish its antiquity back to 750 BCE. Most excavations are from pre 2nd century BCE to the Gaekwad period. “Such a long period of human habitation is exceptional in the Indian scenario with very few sites claiming similar uninterrupted continuity,” states ASI’s submission to UNESCO.
A mound rises gently and the highest point in the middle of the settlement is 25 metres high, called Darbargadh. “Such types of mound on which Vadnagar is built are not available in other parts of India. As evidenced through literature, mythology and various scriptures, this town has been an attraction for ages,” said YS Rawat, the Officer on Special Duty at the Gujarat government’s Department of Archaeology and Museums.
Vadnagar: A centre of Buddhism
Ahead of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Gujarat in September 2014, Modi spoke of Vadnagar being a centre of Buddhism and how the religion had bonded China and India.
When the PM visited China in 2015, he presented archaeological drawings of excavations in his hometown, of “a burnt brick structure that has been identified as a Buddhist monastery” to Xi.
Chinese traveller Xuanzang or Hieun Tsang is said to have visited Vadnagar around 641 AD, referring to it as ‘Anandpur’ in his writings, which also record how more than 1,000 monks of the Sammitiya School or Little Vehicle lived in 10 monasteries at Vadnagar, suggesting it was an important centre of Buddhist learning.
ASI’s claims
The ASI has claimed in its submission to UNESCO that there was a “Roman connection” in the finding of an intaglio (a printing technique) in clay, in a coin mould of Greco-Indian king Apollodotus II (80-65 BC) and in the sealing of a Roman coin. There may have also been a connection to West Asia, it said.
Vadnagar is currently surrounded by the remains of older structures, such as a fortification wall punctured by a series of gates that mark the entry and exit points of the town. Primary entry and exit points are marked by elaborate single-storey stone gateways. Ambaji Mata Temple, the city’s oldest, dates back to the 10th -11th Century CE.
Two identical gates outside the fortification wall to the north of the town are Kirti Torans, built in yellow sandstone without mortar or any other cementing material.
Vadnagar can be compared to the historic living cities of Mathura, Ujjain and Varanasi as cities inhabited since the early historic period and in the modern day. “Internationally, the Historic town of Vadnagar can be compared to the Historical City of Masuleh in Iran, Quanzhou in China, and the Historic Town of Beypazarý in Turkiye,” ASI states in its dossier to UNESCO.
More details
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has carried out extensive excavations at Vadnagar in least three phases. It began in 1953-54 under noted archaeologist SR Rao. But, it remained largely unexplored for next over 50 years.
The second phase of excavation was carried out by YS Rawat of State Archaeology, Government of Gujarat at Vadnagar from 2006-2010 when Narendra Modi was the chief minister. The third phase began in 2014-15, after Narendra Modi became prime minister.
The latest excavation was aimed at, according to the ASI, finding the "lost city" at Vadnagar. The excavations are being carried out to corroborate the narrations of Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang, who visited the place about 1,400 years ago.
The excavations till date have pointed to existence of Buddhist monasteries as mentioned by Hieun Tsang in his travelogue. Hieun Tsang has said that he saw 10 big Buddhist monasteries at Vadnagar during his stay in the ancient city.
WHAT HIUEN TSANG SAID ABOUT VADNAGAR?
On his return to his homeland, Hiuen Tsang wrote his account in Si-Yu-Ki. It was translated into English for the first time by British scholar Samuel Beal in 1884. The English translation was published under title, The Buddhist Records of the Western World.
Hiuen Tsang has written about Vadnagar in his account, which is kept at Xian. Narendra Modi today said that during his visit to China, Xi Jinping took him to his hometown and personally read out to him from Hieun Tsang's manuscripts about Vadnagar.
Hiuen Tsang has pronounced Vadnagar as O-nan-to-pu-lo, which translates into Anandapura, the name for the ancient city. In Hiuen Tsang's words, "There are some ten sangharama with less than 1,000 monks. They follow the Hinayana sect of Buddhism and study in accordance with Sammatiya school. There are several big Deva temples, and sectaries of different kinds visit them."
Harshavardhana of Kannauj was the ruler of the region when Hiuen Tsang visited his court and also Vadnagar. Interestingly, Abul Fazl, the court historian of Mughal emperor Akbar, also mentioned Vadnagar as a flourishing town and a trade centre.
The city of Vadnagar was believed to have been built around Sharmishtha Lake. The ASI is now trying to bring out the ancient city out of the accounts of Hiuen Tsang and medieval writers.
Prehistory: 800BC through archaeological discoveries
[Parth Shastri, From the archives, Dec 25, 2023: The Times of India]
C Asia invasions linked to climate, finds Vadnagar dig
The past two millennia recorded seven invasions from Central Asia into India, aphenomenon attributed in part to climatic conditions. Central Asia was reeling from a long dry spell, while India was a fertile land with a flourishing economy sustained by a good monsoon, reports Parth Shastri. A recent study by researchers from IIT-Kgp, ASI, Physical Research Lab, JNU and Deccan College delved into the influence of climate on these invasions. The study uncovered insights from archaeological excavations at Vadnagar in Mehsana, the hometown of PM Modi. The team identified an unbroken climatic record spanning 2,800 years.
Climate link to Central Asian invasions, suggests Guj dig
Parth Shastri, TNN
Ahmedabad : The past two millennia recorded seven invasions from Central Asia into India, a phenomenon attributed in part to climatic conditions. Central Asia was reeling from a long, dry spell, while India was a fertile land with a flourishing economy sustained by a good and regular monsoon. A study by researchers from IIT Kharagpur, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Deccan College, among others, delved into the influence of climate on these invasions.
Published in the Quaternary Science Reviews journal, the study uncovered insights from archaeological excavations at Vadnagar in Mehsana district, the hometown of PM Narendra Modi. By examining small molluscs and shells, the team identified an unbroken climatic record spanning 2,800 years.
This historical town within fortifications has been extensively excavated and pre dates the advent of Jainism and Buddhism in India, with evidence of human activity dating back to the 8th century BCE or around 2,800 years ago. This era is considered crucial, potentially linking post-Harappan settlements to Mahajanpads like Gandhar, Kosala, and Avanti.
Lead author Prof Anindya Sarkar said the influence of these climatic conditions on Vadnagar’s cultural deposits, including artefacts reflecting Greco-Bactrian to Saka and Indo-Sassanian influences. The study linked these invasions to periods when the Indian subconti nent experienced robust agriculture due to a stronger monsoon, while Central Asia faced severe droughts, making it uninhabitable.
Examining oxygen isotopes in freshwater mollusc shells from Vadnagar, the team correlated their growth patterns to the adjacent Sharmishtha lake. This research highlighted that big invasions coincided with prosperous monsoons in India, contrasting with droughts in Central Asia. “The inference is strengthened by the fact that no major invasion happened when India was facing famine and droughts,” Sarkar said.
Connections with Buddhism
Buddhist vihara (monastery)
Uday Mahurkar
May 7, 2009
From the archives of India Today
The Gujarat Government’s extravagant plans to sell the state as a destination for Buddhist tourists have just got an unexpected boost.
Archaeologists have excavated a Buddhist vihara (monastery) in Vadnagar, considered the crown jewel among historical sites in Gujarat. A votive stupa has also been discovered.
They were built by devotees to pay their gratitude to Lord Buddha on fulfilment of their desires. Over the past five decades, many historical sites have been excavated in this area but this is the first time that a Buddhist vihara has been unearthed. Gujarat director of archaeology Y.S. Rawat says, “In archaeological terms, we have discovered a gold mine since it proves what Hieun Tsang had written.” Tsang was the famous Chinese traveller and historian who in his travels in India from 629 to 645 A.D had described many towns that he visited. One of them was Vadnagar, which archaeologists regard as one of the few Indian towns to have remained continuously inhabited for the past 2,200 years.
It has lived through the Buddhist era, the Solanki era, the Sultanate and Mughal periods and Gaekwad rule. On Vadnagar, Tsang wrote there were 10 Buddhist viharas in the flourishing town and 1,000 monks lived there. Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is a native of Vadnagar and the force behind the drive to sell Gujarat as a Buddhist destination, is understandably upbeat. During a recent visit to the state, Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda promised that the country will look at Gujarat as a Buddhist tourist destination.
Not just this, the monastery also received global recognition recently when known British expert Robin Conningham, who is engaged in research on the great Buddhist site in Anuradhapur in Sri Lanka, called it a significant discovery. Till now, Gujarat’s main Buddhist site has been Devnimori, which was excavated by noted archaeologist S.N. Chaudhary in 1959. Like in Sarnath and Sanchi, there are many stupas across India which have stone or brick structures containing the Buddha’s relics in caskets buried inside stupas where they usually can’t be seen. The Devnimori casket, believed to contain the ashes of Lord Buddha, is one of the few which can be seen and touched.
Vadnagar promises more, however. What Rawat and his team of four have discovered is a 16x16 m structure with a 7x7 m courtyard surrounded by a dozen cells in which monks lived. The excavated artifacts are small in size but confirm that it was a Buddhist settlement. There is small plaque carved in stone which shows a monkey offering honey to Lord Buddha, part of a famous tale depicted at many Buddhist sites. Then there is a disfigured head of the Buddha inscribed on a stone with the prabhamandap (aura) depicted around the head. A votive tablet showing the footprint of the Buddha has also been discovered.
Archaeologists also excavated what is called Northern Black Polished Ware. Associated with Buddhist settlements, some bear inscriptions in the Brahmi script saying, “Shakasya” (probably another name for Buddha who was also called Shakyamuni), “Devrishi” (another name for Buddha) and “Dhamma” (religion). Another important find was a finely sculpted head in the Gandharva style. More fascinating is the discovery of pieces of Roman pottery in the form of amphoras, as well as decorative pieces of classical Greek art. Dalip Kushwaha, an archaeologist who assisted Rawat, says, “The discovery of these artifacts clearly indicates that Vadnagar must have had a trade link with the Romans and possibly even the Greeks.”
Excavations by the team at two other spots have also confirmed Vadnagar’s historicity. The findings show successive phases of occupation and construction over the past 2,200 years. The artifacts also reflect the socio-economic condition of different periods. These include coins of different dynasties and are of copper, silver, lead and potin (an alloy).
The most famous Buddhist settlement in Gujarat is at the foot of the Girnar Hills on Junagadh’s outskirts in the form of inscriptions, caves and a water system built by Emperor Ashoka who spread Buddhism after embracing it following the Battle of Kalinga. The rock edict of Ashoka near Junagadh has 14 inscriptions describing the Buddhist edifice on which his empire was shaped. There are other Buddhist caves in Sana near Una and at Prabhas Patan, both in Junagadh district. Then there are two Buddhist caves in Talaja near Bhavnagar and Khambalida near Rajkot. The one at Khambalida has two large sized sculpted stone figures of Bodhisattavas— Padmapani and Vajrapani.
But the pride of Gujarat is undoubtedly Devnimori. According to the two inscriptions on the casket, there is a copper box inside which contains the Buddha’s ashes. The inscriptions also name two monks who brought the Buddha’s relics to Devnimori and built the stupa and the monastery around it in the 4th century A.D. Before a dam submerged Devnimori village, important remains of the monastery, including the casket, were removed. Modi now plans to build a majestic Buddhist temple around the relics of Devnimori to draw South-east Asian Buddhist tourists.
Vadnagar has a huge, exquisitely carved “Kirti Toran”, a gateway believed to be part of a great temple complex built during the Solanki era (also known as the Gujarat’s golden age) before it was destroyed by Muslim rulers of the Sultanate period. A similar gateway was recently resurrected by the Archaeological Survey of India. The two victory towers located near the main lake now make a splendid picture. With the latest discovery, Vadnagar’s golden age may have just returned.
The lost world
1. It’s the first time that a Buddhist monastery has been found in Vadnagar, establishing it as an ancient Buddhist settlement
2. The excavations also establish Vadnagar as one of the few towns in India which has remained continuously inhabited over the past 2,200 years
3. The discovery bolsters Vadnagar's age-old claim to be listed as a world heritage site
4. Discovery of artifacts, coins and pottery provides proof of ancient trade links with the Greeks and Romans
Buddhist nunnery?
The Times of India, Apr 6, 2016
Was Vadnagar monastery home to Buddhist nuns?
Paarth Shastri
The monastery excavated in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hometown Vadnagar, dating back from 2nd to 7th century AD, was probably housing Buddhist nuns. So far, there is no archaeological evidence of a Buddhist nunnery existing in India.
Two Indologists - Oskar von Hinuber and Peter Skilling - have concluded this in a paper titled 'An Inscribed Kusana Bodhisattva from Vadnagar' in Tokyo-based Soka University's annual report of the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology (IRIAB) in late March. The researchers have re-interpreted the inscription on the Bodhisattva statue excavated from Vadnagar in 1992. The inscription, according to them, reads as "Gift of a Bodhisatva by the nun from 'Swamsthamta' (name of an unidentified place)..."
The slightly damaged statue dating back to 2nd century was found from a field while ploughing in 1992. The statue, one of the five of its kind found across India, traces its origin to Mathura. Senior archaeologist Y S Rawat, appointed officer on special duty for sequencing of Vadnagar town and its Buddhist legacy, said that re-interpretation of inscription has opened up new possibilities.
"The discovery of monastery in Vadnagar town was a peculiarity as other Buddhist dwellings of those times were away from human habitations. While it might be too early to say for sure that the monastery was a nunnery, the residential complex complete with a stupa might be in ancient city for nuns due to security reasons," he said.
A bronze statue of Lord Buddha, with inscription stating it as a gift from a Buddhist nun, is preserved in Kutch. Daddadevi, sister of Valabhi ruler Dhruvsen, had also made a number of donations specifically for nunneries in the 5th century. It is also believed that Therigatha, a collection of verses in Pali talking about the life and times of Gautam Buddha, is the world's first collection of writings by Buddhist nuns, some of whom belonged to coastal Gujarat.
PART B
VADNAGAR IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Civil hospital
2016-19: expansion
Akhilesh Singh, Sep 16, 2019: The Times of India
From: Akhilesh Singh, Sep 16, 2019: The Times of India
A sub-district hospital in Vadnagar with space for barely 50 outdoor patients until three years ago has been transformed into a major healthcare hub in the region, catering to thousands of people in the area and adjoining districts.
Attached to the newly developed Vadnagar Medical College where admissions for three batches have already been done after MCI clearances, the Civil Hospital in PM Narendra Modi’s hometown has turned into a stateof-the art 400-bed hospital with its OPD catering to over 1,000 patients daily.
“I have made no payment for the surgery I went through recently. We are offered food and all services are free. Earlier, we had to travel at least 40 km to reach Mehsana district hospital for such treatments,” says mother of six, 45-year-old Mehroon Ben Anu Bai Salu, who underwent uterus removal surgery three days back.
The hospital is one of several development works which have taken place in Vadnagar since Modi took over as the country’s PM. Another patient in the general ward Amritbhai Kunwarji Thakur, who was operated for infection in the leg after an accident, is equally satisfied with the treatment and other amenities including food provided in the hospital.
Dean of the medical college, who also works as in-charge of the hospital, Dr Nilesh A Shah, says, “We have had bed occupancy of over 225 patients on a regular basis for over three years of which maximum are women coming for deliveries. The hospital has witnessed over 100-130 deliveries per month since facilities were upgraded.”
After retiring from the prominent BN Medical College of Ahmedabad, Shah, a gynaecologist, shifted to Vadnagar hospital in 2016 and has been performing three to four caesareans almost every day. His presence in the hospital highlights the relevance of quality doctors in rural areas, which can curb the rush of people to cities seeking better treatment.
“We receive patients even from the nearby districts like Patan, Radhanpur and also Mehsana, the district headquarters of Vadnagar town,” Shah says adding, “The neonatal ICU and the ICU are equipped with best facilities”. The hospital provides free treatment to all patients including caesarean operations which can cost around Rs 30,000 in a private nursing home. “The hospital has proved to be a boon for the poor patients, who could not afford these expensive treatment processes,” Shah says.
He says he has performed over 10 tubo-plasty, a complicated surgery, for which patients come from nearby towns regularly. “Hospital expansion has curtailed the waiting period for patients, which once used to be of two-three months,” Shah said.
The medical college with 600 students is another success story as it has stood first among all colleges affiliated to North Gujarat University. “92% students passed this year, which was the best result in the North Gujarat University,” Shah added.
State government funded Gujarat Medical Education Research Society is the nodal agency for the medical college and the hospital and it has already spent over Rs 350 crore of the allocated fund of Rs 600 crore. A science college and polytechnic have also been set up recently in Vadnagar, other than renovation of several lakes in the town and covered drainage. There are over 360 lakes in the town and many of them have been developed as tourist spots.
