CAMBRIDGE HERITAGE CLUB

                                                 HERITAGE TOUR REPORT

On 14 December 2013, a team of three teachers and twenty six students visited the historic sites of Ropar and Sanghol. The group travelled by school bus. The first destination was the historic of Ropar situated on the banks of river Sutlej, where Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Governor General Lord William Bentick settled several boundary issues on 26 October 1831. Ostensibly, the Governor General met the Maharaja to show to the world that he and the Maharaja were friendly.

The second site visited by the group was a palace situated on a mound, which is under renovation by Archaeological Survey of India. Local people confirmed that the palace is associated with Maharaja of Nalagarh.

The team also visited the archaeological museum of Ropar. It is situated about 40 kms North- East of Chandigarh. It was opened to public in the year 1998. Students saw there the archaeological remains of excavated site near Ropar, which is the first Harappan site excavated in Independent India. The excavation revealed a cultural sequence from Harappan to medieval times. Important exhibits include antiquities of Harappan times, Painted Grey ware, implements of Saka, Kushana, Gupta times, images of Vina Vadini and Yakshi, copper , bronze and gold coins of Chandragupta period. Besides, the visitors can had a glimpse of important protected monuments of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh as well as World Heritage monuments. Students also bought some books published by ASI.

The next destination was the Archeological Museum of Sanghol, which was closed for the two years for renovation purpose. The ruins of a Buddhist stupa are at a walking distance from the museum. It is a very calm and serene area. The people of ASI who explained the historical importance of the place were also awardees by Sangeet- Natak academy Delhi. They have performed in 32 countries. The team grabbed the opportunity and requested them to perform for ten minutes. They also talked to the students about the folk musical instruments ‘Algoze’ and ‘Tumbi’. The group enjoyed a folk composition and thanked them for being so nice and affectionate.

At the end of the day students were quite happy and satisfied after unfolding the chapters of our rich culture and heritage. Their cameras were full of memorable moments captured on these sites.