Marusthali and ancient Harappan culture in Rajasthan

Marusthali is the other name given to the Thar or the Great Indian Desert. Marusthali means ‘Land of the Dead’. This is the region that is dry and sandy. It is located in the extreme west of Rajasthan and covers about three- fifth of the state. The Thar or the Great Indian Desert is spread over the four states of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is an intersperse stretch of sand and not a continuous stretch. It constitutes various hillocks, plains, salt marshes and lakes.
It is said that long time ago the Thar Desert or Marusthali was not a desert. According to the archeologists it was covered with dense forests and many rivers used to flow here along with the legendary Saraswati. In the Fossil Park near Jaisalmer also remains of a 180 year old forest can be seen, which indicates that there was a time when the so called Thar Desert was having a warm and humid climate. There were dense forests and also a prosperous civilization flourished here. But due to some ecological changes the rivers dried up and the green plains turned into a barren and sandy desert. Yet the Marusthali is not fully barren, it is enriched with Sewan grass and trees like Khejri, a typical desert tree and Babul. These have proved to be an excellent fodder for camels and other cattle that are reared here for livelihood. The Luni Lake, also called as Salt River is enriched in the salt. This arises from the Nag hills near Ajmer and empties itself in the Rann of Kachchh. This is the only river that flows in the Marusthali. Another the legendry Saraswati River is said to flow undergrounds the Thar Desert. As the rainfall is scanty here that is about 10 to 12 cm a year so each and every drop of water is considered as invaluable and is stored in wells or tanks.

Ancient Harappan civilization has been found at Kalibangan. In 1952 Archaeologists founded Kalibangan, which literally means ‘black bangles’. Here pieces of terracotta bangles were found littered all over. The site is located in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan. Although much of the city lies buried here in the sand but the unearthed excavations gives a symbol of well laid out streets and efficient drainage system along with better water supply facility. Also a well has been found intact which was made of bricks and was circular in shape. Thus a planned city comparable to Mohan-Jo-Doro, Harappa and Lothal was revealed. Some of the other objects that were excavated and which throws the light on the life and activities of its inhabitants are seals with inscription, stone blade, weights of various shapes and size and many more. It is well known that Kalibangan is the only site in India where ploughed field has been found. These all evidences gives a sign that at that time also people used to live in a planned and cultural manner. The research is still in progress in a hope to get some more relics that could reveal and give more information about that era.