Vol-5 Number 2 – April 2020
Chief Editor: Vijay Kumar
Publisher: National Trust for Promotion of Knowledge, Lucknow
Mode of Publication: Online (e-Journal)
This article by Ankur Dutta & Dipannita Das gives details about rhino taxonomy, present day distribution with special reference to one horned rhinoceros in Indian subcontinent, origin and early history, human response to rhino during proto - historic times, ecology, behavioral aspect seen through tracks and trails, dung analysis, pollen identification and an update on the status of rhino population i.e., Kaziranga National Park in Assam. The article is a maiden approach towards documentation of fresh foot prints of several living rhinos in Kaziranga. The study of foot prints of rhino has been helpful in preparing a set of type specimens of rhino locomotion in its home range. This article includes a detailed profile of foot impressions of different age and sex of rhino as a reference material for future studies. The research will certainly help the future paleontologists to recognize the footprints of Rhinoceros unicornis, their locomotion, their behavioral pattern etc., in the archaeological field by comparing the fresh rhinoceros track ways. Likewise preparation of analogical record of dung specimens of Rhinoceros unicornis are collected and analyzed for pollen identification. The present research is a detailed review which includes recent methodological innovations viz. Trails and track ways and dung analysis which are very significant piece of documentation that can be treated as a beginner’s catalogue for analogical studies in paleozoology. The authors try to include almost entire life system of the great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros including his past distribution in India depending on various archaeological sources. Data pertaining to behavioral ecology available through pioneering researches on living rhinos, needs to be complimented by examining its dung specimens so that it could provide multiple lines of interpretations to augment a better picture of past ecology where these creatures lived and perished in slice of time.
This article by Vikas Kumar Singh, Manisha Singh, A. K. Pandey, Sudarshan Chakradhari, Brij Mohan, Aftab Alam & Gargi Chatterjee gives the details of the excavations of ancient settlement of Sakas, district Sasaram (Rohtas), Bihar, India during 2019. The most common material recovered during excavations was fragments of fired ceramic vessels of various types including Corded Ware, BRW, Burnished BRW, Burnished Red, Dull Red Ware, Dull Red Slipped Ware, Tan ware and a few with Rusticated incised design. Amongst the shapes mention can be made of Vase, Spouted vessel, bowl, lip basin, perforated bowl, etc. Bone points, beads of different materials including steatite, agate, carnelian and other semi-precious stones, hop-scotches, terracotta beads & wheels and an ear-ring made of copper are among the few remarkable antiquities found from different levels. In addition a good number of microliths have also been recovered including blade, flake, etc. along with core and raw materials. Most of the steatite beads have been reported in association with the Chalcolithic Period potteries while in Transition Phase and in Early Farming Period, their numbers are quite meager. Similarly, the numbers of microlithic tools are greater in the Chalcolithic period with some occurrence in Transition Phase but in Early Farming Period they are rare. The excavators have also found human burials.
This article by Prashant Srivastava, Sushil Chand, & Abhay Pratap Singh Rajawat takes up the study of water bodies like oceans, seas, rivers & lakes mentioned in Imperial Gupta Epigraphs. This study of water bodies and the waterless tract is interesting from the point of view of their status and their identification. The words Airāvata which denotes a waterless tract; Ambhonidhi which means large body of water, Gaṅgā, the river of Indo-Gangetic plain, Jalanidhi…dakshiṇaḥ which denotes Indian Ocean, Jambūnadī which denotes a river, Kālindī, the river Yamuna, Mahodadhi which denotes Arabian Sea, Narmadā, the famous river of Central India, Padmā, a river, Palāśinī, a river, Samudra which denotes sea, Sikatā denotes a river (?), Sindhu denotes river Indus, Sudarśana, the name of a lake near Junagarh and Vilāsinī, a river, which have been mentioned in different Gupta inscriptions have been taken up by the authors for detailed study
This article by Vijay Kumar, is the third part of the catalogue of the sculptures kept in the State Museum, Lucknow. The introduction of the article takes up the evolution of kirtimukha, dwarashakha, lalatabimba and floral scrolls from early historic period to the Modern period, besides giving the list of antiquities kept in State Museum, Lucknow. The part on kirtimukha discusses the change in the overall design and use of kirtimukha as decorative device in Indian sculptures & architecture. The part of introduction giving the evolution of Dwarashakha & Lalatabimba, is the supplement to the similar introduction of the article titled: Antiquities of Government Archaeological Museum Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, Part- II published in the 10th issue of Indian Journal of Archaeology (www.ijarch.org) written by the author. The evolution of floral scrolls is very interesting. From Mauryan to 1st century A.D., the creepers, trees, flowers are drawn in realistic style. From 2nd century A.D. to 6th century A.D, the floral scrolls are stylized but still look like real life flora. After 7th century A.D., the floral scrolls become highly stylized & don’t resemble any real flora.
This article by Cibele Aldrovandi examines the pre-Portuguese sacred landscape in Goa, with particular emphasis on the female deities and goddess Santeri, through a detailed survey conducted in the earliest Forais (Municipal Charters) from the provinces of Salcete, Ilhas (Tiswadi, and Bardez, Goa, India. These documents compiled in Portuguese during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, contain systematic records of the land that used to belong to Hindu temples in the Old Conquests and their following transference to the Christians. Therefore, uncovering the textual stratigraphy in these sources provides a distinctive portrait of the social and religious transformations under way in that region, at a time when all those temples were completely destroyed by the newcomers. Moreover, reassessment of that data allows for a better understanding of the sacred landscape associated with goddess Santeri, the prevailing female deity in the Forais, and her connection with Śāntādurgā Devī, nowadays Goa’s most popular goddess.
This article by Aditya Kumar Singireddy gives the details of the inscription kept in the temple of Jyothiswarashaym Bhole Nath Mandir at village Sekara, taluk Khaniyadana, district Shivpuri, M.P. This inscription contains 11 lines. It is in Nāgari script and the language is local dialect. It seems to record the erection of a memorial in the honor of Srī Bhavānī Dēvī and Srī Rōjādagē sīm֗ gh. It bears date Vikrama year 1743 (A.D. 1686 in the Gregorian calendar), kīsala year, Vaisās a (vaisākha) month (a month of the Hindu calendar that corresponds to April/May in the Gregorian calendar). The male came from the lineage of Pradīti and his gotra was Samasa. He belonged to village Sēkarā
This article by M. K. Pundhir gives the details of tomb of Diwanji Begum, situated in the locality known as Muhalla Diwanji near Basai Kalan to the south-east of the Taj Mahal on the western bank of River Yamuna. Once it exists in the Centre of Char bagh, which at present has been encroached by the modern habitation. Diwanji Begum was the mother of Mumtaj Mahal and wife of Asif Khan who was the brother of Nurjahan and son of Itmad ud Daula. The tomb of Diwanji Begum is a double storey structure, where lower storey is subterranean or underground. The tomb is aligned along north south axis. All the corners are conceived in the form of octagonal bastion type structures where three sides of the octagon are merged in the main structure. The underground storey is composed of a central chamber and four small chambers situated in the corners of the structure. The entrance is provided on the south side in the Centre in the form of staircase which leads to an underground vestibule which is connected with a passage that leads to the central chamber. The second or upper storey has been destroyed completely besides a superstructure of the arches and the base of the dome which are extant at present.
This article by Alok Ranjan gives the details of a copper plate inscription preserved in the Garhwal University Museum in tehsil Srinagar, district Pauri Garhwal, Uttrakhand. The characters of the inscription are Nāgarī and the language is Gadhavālī variety of Hindi. The donor of the grant is Mahārajādhirāja Pradyumna Śāha who is identified with the Garhwal King of Panvāra Dynasty Pradyumna Śāha who reigned from 1785 to 1804 A.D. and who was son of Lalita Śāha (reign 1772 – 1780 A.D.). The inscription records the grant of the land to the temple of the Nāgarājā of Sēma. The grant is addressed to the priests of Nāgarājā of Sēma. It is said in grant that in thoka of Molyan, half jyuli of land of Ghara jyula type-half jyuli land in Mukhēma which is below the land of langdi and half juli land in Khātali-beyond khalundi and in Molyan by making it free for performing rituals like śankha pāṇi was granted to Nāgarājā dēvatā for consuming and enjoying this land within its limit. It says that Annual dues of land were to be expended on Bhōga and lighting of the idol God.
© 2025 Created with RytCliq Production
