Shillong, Jul 20 : Is Guwahati the site where the ancient kingdom of Kamrupa existed or is it the Meghalaya?
This and many more questions, which are still mired in controversy, could be answered when archaeologists excavate the entire Bhaitbari-Tikrikilla area in West Garo Hills district in the state.“Further excavations are likely to reveal the remains of the habitation, besides unravelling the historical antiquity of the plains-belt of the state of which very little is known from recorded history,” says senior government archaeologist Julies Marak.
This area of about 20 sq km hit the spotlight in 1992 when archaeological excavations revealed the existence of a fortified city with places of worship with exquisitely designed masonry oil lamps, besides a ’stupa’.
According to ASI officials, nothing is definitely known at present about the history of the site.
But on the basis of the deities like Ganesh, Parvati, Kubera and Yaksha - depicted on terracotta tiles scholars somehow have arrived at the conclusion that it was part of an ancient fortified city which might be contemporaneous to the reign of Harsha Vardhana, in the first half of the 7th century AD.
Again from the existence of ancient tanks of various sizes, it suggested that it was an important temple township, they felt.
Marak said many scholars say it could be the ancient city of Kamrupa.
“The structures of the ancient Kamrupa described in ancient literature bear resemblance to some of those excavated in the site,” Marak said.
The Meghalaya government is contemplating to tie up with the Northeast Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India to carry out excavations of the remaining areas in the ASI’s Bhaitbari site.
In 1992, A K Sharma of ASI, Nagpur excavated the site and unearthed the temples with numerous Shiva lingas besides the Buddhist stupa.
The mud-cum-brick fortification of the city runs at least five kilometres in a north-south direction in a horse shoe fashion with both ends on the bank of the Jingjiram river.
The fortification is about 15 sq km in area and has been laid taking advantage of the contours of the natural hillock. A deep moat exists outside.
A beautifully planned burnt brick temple lying under a mound was also unearthed.
An octagonal temple with eight miniature octagons each having shiva lingas was also found.
During the excavations the stupa was unearthed with the outer face lined with burnt bricks. It was the first stupa to be found in Meghalaya.
The archaeological findings are yet to be adequately carbon-dated.
It is only after the excavation of the residential area that anything concrete be said about its history, archaeologist said.
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