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Haryana pushes for UNESCO world heritage status for Rakhigarhi
Saini said ₹188 crore had been earmarked for the next phase of the Rakhigarhi Museum and Interpretation Centre, whose civil construction is nearing completion
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Blurb: CM inaugurates seven-day festival, ₹188-cr earmarked for next phase of museum
Haryana is pursuing UNESCO World Heritage status for Rakhigarhi, one of the largest known Harappan sites, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Monday as he inaugurated a seven-day heritage festival at the archaeological site in Hansi district.
The state government is developing Rakhigarhi as a major heritage tourism destination. Saini said ₹188 crore had been earmarked for the next phase of the Rakhigarhi Museum and Interpretation Centre, whose civil construction is nearing completion.
The chief minister also announced a grant of ₹51 lakh for the village gram panchayat.
Inaugurating the Rakhigarhi Mahotsav 2026, organised on the theme ‘Mati Se Mahotsav Tak’, Saini said the site offered valuable insights into ancient settlement patterns, agriculture, craftsmanship and community life. He stressed the need to preserve the archaeological heritage and connect younger generations with it.
He said Rakhigarhi was among five archaeological sites identified by the Centre for development as iconic sites. The state was also planning a ‘Saraswati-Sindhu Civilisation Corridor’ to improve connectivity and coordination among important archaeological destinations.
An international conference is being held during the festival, bringing together scholars and experts to discuss archaeological evidence, recent discoveries and future research opportunities at Rakhigarhi.
Saini also inspected the museum under construction, visited exhibition stalls and witnessed an excavation demonstration organised by the archaeology department. Haryana heritage and tourism minister Arvind Sharma was also present.
