Come and explore 50 years of Indian excavation history

A 14th Century blue-and-white Chinese porcelain plate discovered at Firoz Shah Kotla in 1961 is something all Delhiites can look forward to at an exhibition by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), reports Nivedita Khandekar.

A 14th Century blue-and-white Chinese porcelain plate discovered at Firoz Shah Kotla in 1961 is something all Delhiites can look forward to at an exhibition by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

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"This pottery was brought from China and has inscriptions on its back that these were part of the royal kitchen of Firoz Shah," said ASI officials BR Mani and Daljit Singh.

Such pottery with fine designs is part of an exhibition by the ASI, showcasing its achievements in the field of explorations and excavations during the last 50 years.

On Wednesday, Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Minister of Culture, will inaugurate the exhibition, last the big-ticket event marking ASI's 150 years celebrations.

"This is not only an attempt to showcase excavations and explorations but also at providing a new narrative of how we look at the changes in India's past," said Gautam Sengupta, director general, ASI.

A major attraction is fibre replicas of relief panels from Kanaganahalli near Sannati in Karnataka, including a panel having Asok and his consort with 'Raya Asoka' label, a landmark discovery of Indian history having the first sculptural representation of the great Mauryan King.

There are 307 antiquities including four real-life size replicas in fibre selected from all periods — pre-history to modern history — and from different regions of India. It also has photographs of the actual site excavations and explanatory charts.

Post Independence, when most of the Harappan sites fell in Pakistan, the focus shifted to identifying and excavating Harappan culture sites in India.

This exhibition has a wide range of artefacts comprising pre-historic tools used by the primitive man; pottery from Neolithic period; inscribed seals, beads and terracotta figurines from Harappan culture; a clay model plough and a

furrow, evidence of agriculture activity at Kalibangan from Harappan period; gold ornaments and of course, sculptures and figurines from various periods of history.