The search for the lost city of Hastinapur has been renewed after decades. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) plans to carry out excavations at the town of Hastinapur near Meerut in Western Uttar Pradesh to find evidence regarding the historicity of Mahabharata. Professor Brajsunder Gadnyak, the superintendent archeologist of the newly formed Meerut division, said that the first phase of the excavation will focus on preserving the ruins already unearthed and restoring the ancient temples. The terrain ariund these sites will also be changed to suit them. The actual excavation itself will begin after September when the monsoon ends.
The last major project of this size took place in 1952 Archeologist B B Lal, known for correlating history and religious legends, stated that the Mahabharata period likely took place around 900 B.C.E. He is also accredited with the discovery of temple pillars beneath the Babri Masjid, eventually leading to the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement.
The 2020 Fiscal Budget by the Centre allocated funds for the remodeling of the settlements of Adichallanur (Tamil Nadu), Dholavira (Gujarat), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh), Rakhigarhi (Haryana) and Sivasagar (Assam). These excavations at Hastinapur are part of this project.
Dr. K K Sharma, associate professor of history at the Multanimal Modi College in Modinagar, said that the discovery discoveries of burial grounds near Sinauli, about 90 km from Hastinapur, in 2006 and a bronze war chariot in 2018 pinpoint Hastinapur as a promising archeological site.
