Hulaskhera Archaeological Site-Unearthing a 3000 year old Civilization

H.D.Images Site Location captured by Mobile Phone : 23.1.2017

Traditionally the capital of Uttar Pradesh lucknow city always famed for its Nawab heritage which gain importance after the fall of Mughal Empire and its role in igniting 1857 rebellion.But there is also a deep layer of thousands of years old history and civilization buried in its soil. Situated in the middle of the Indus-Gangetic Plain the city is surrounded by many rural towns and villages: the orchard town of Malihabad, Kakori, Mohanlal ganj, Gosainganj, Chinhat, and Itaunja. and to the east lies Barabanki, to the west Unnao, to the south Raebareli, while to the north lie the Sitapur and Hardoi.The site of Hulaskheda is one of them . While returning from Mohanlalganj leaving my wife and kid at her parents home for a week an arrow direction of  5 k.m inner located archaeological site from main highway electrified my imagination and i cant stop my urge to go and visit so i just turned steering of my car for a while and went to unknown exploration with slight hesitation and fear. This place is still very much untouched .

H.D.Images Site Location captured by Mobile Phone : 23.1.2017

Hulas Khera is a village near Mohanlal Ganj, Lucknow and it is an ancient site where excavations have revealed a cultural sequence beginning from the Pre-NBPW upto medieval periods. Northern Black Polished Ware culture is an Iron Age culture, succeeding the Painted Grey Ware culture. Having thoroughly analyzed artifacts like pottery, coins, terracotta images and brick structures, the archaeologists concluded that this place was first inhabited around 1000 BC (3000 years ago). Gradually a highly evolved civilization flourished here. The civilization reached its zenith between 200BC-200AD. During this period extensive civil engineering works were carried out; high class pottery was produced; art was encouraged and trade carried out. Brick made road of the same period is also a unique find. The most important finding is gold leaf image of Kartikeya, the God of War which is now at State Museum, Lucknow !

Gold leaf image of Kartikeya, the God of War which is now at State Museum, Lucknow !

The site was originally surrounded by horse-shoe shaped lake known as Karela lake and thus ideally suited for habitation. The lake that once proved the nemesis for the civilization has now almost disappeared in recent times, whereas archaeologists reached the site by boats during excavation which started in 1978 !

The vast mound of a more than  mile diameter surrounded the excavated structure represent that it was no ordinary human settlement.

Border wall of vast mound

H.D.Image taken standing at a border wall of mound

Archaeological Survey Information Board

THE FINDING OF DIRECTORATE OF ARCHAEOLOGY  GOVT. OF UTTAR PRADESH 

3000 YEARS OLD CIVILIZATION.

"Having thoroughly analyzed artifacts like pottery, coins, terracotta images and brick structures, the archaeologists deduced that this place was first inhabited around 1000 BC (3000 years ago). Gradually a highly evolved civilization flourished here. The civilization reached its zenith between 200BC-200AD. During this period extensive civil engineering works were carried out; high class pottery was produced; art was encouraged and trade carried out. The most important evidence of this period is gold leaf image of Kartikeya, the God of War (on display at the State Museum, Lucknow).

By 700 AD the civilization declined. There was a marked deterioration in the quality of life of the people. It is said that during this period the water level in the Karela lake increased due to silting. Communication was hampered. By 1000 AD it was curtains for this civilization. We do not know who were the people that lived here or who ruled over them. Theirs was possibly a closely knit community of farmers and artisans.

The Karela Jheel that once proved the nemesis for the civilization has now almost disappeared. But if Hulas Kheda is to be discovered by the world, it will only be possible if the Karela jheel is revived. If this happens there will be few places to rival the beauty of Hulas Kheda. Around thirty years ago, the Karela was brimming with water. Archaeologists say that they reached the site by boats."

Excavation Report  source:   http://archaeology.up.nic.in/exploration_excavation1_5.htm Excavations projects:directed and conducted 1983-87   Halaskhear,district Lucknow (Protohistoric to medieval period)  Project Director:   R. C. Singh, Hemraj, R. Tewari, R.K. Srivastava, Directorate of Archaeology Uttar Pradesh

 In Collaboration  Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow

Objective To understand the culture sequence of the site and to make a comparative study of the settlements pattern of the settlement patterns of the Kushan and Gupta Period Outcome The ancient site of Hulaskhera is located near Mohanlalganj.It is easily approachable by a metalled link-road connecting village Hulaskhera with the main Lucknow-Rai Bareli road.The site is surrounded by a lake,which secure it from all sides and thus ideally suited for habitation.The excavations have revealed a cultural sequence beginning from the antiquity has been placed around 1000 B.C.A gold plaque bearing an omage of Karttikeya,datable to 1st-2nd centuries BC/AD is a rare find form this site .Now it is kept in the State Museum Lucknow.Apart form that a brick made of the same period is also a unique find,which was built particularly across the strech submerged under lake water to connect the eastern site with the main habitation.