PM Modi¡¯s Hometown Vadnagar To Highlight Gujarat's Ancient History With Museum, Aqua Screen Projection

Did you know that Vadnagar town in the Mehsana district of Gujarat is home to one of the oldest-known human settlements in the world?

Vadnagar, which is also the hometown of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set for a boost in tourism, and to showcase its ancient history to the world.

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Water screen projection of Vadnagar's history

Recently the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) initiated a project to hold a water screen projection show over Sharmishtha Lake. It aims to showcase the history of Vadnagar town through an Aqua screen projection show, in addition to a musical fountain and lighting.

This is the latest effort to highlight Vadnagar's ancient past, which dates back to around 800 BCE and had been a multi-cultural and multi-religious (Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Islamic) settlement.

Museum to display Vadnagar's artifacts

Last year, the Union Ministry of Culture began setting up a museum in Vadnagar that will feature over 40,000 artifacts recovered during excavations in the area.

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The museum will use technologies such as AR/VR, 3D displays, replicas, and dioramas will enhance the visitor experience.

Archaeological excavation in Vadnagar

Earlier this year, Researchers from IIT Kharagpur, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Deccan College had found evidence of human settlement that is as old as 800 BCE in Vadnagar.

"Excavation in its several deep trenches revealed the presence of seven cultural stages (periods) namely, Mauryan, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian or Shaka-Kshatrapas, Hindu-Solankis, Sultanate-Mughal (Islamic) to Gaekwad-British colonial rule and the city is continuing even today. One of the oldest Buddhist monasteries has been discovered during our excavation," ASI archaeologist Abhijit Ambekar said.

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According to him, the new-found evidence makes Vadnagar the oldest living city within a single fortification unearthed so far in India.

"The earliest settlement period in Vadnagar started at least at 800 years BCE i.e. early Iron Age or questionably Late Vedic period and pre-dates both Buddhism and Jainism. This period continues into the Mauryan rule and ends with its fall around 150 year BCE. After the downfall of the Gupta Empire, large-scale de-urbanisation, drying up of water bodies, famines and population contraction across India occurred", IIT professor Anindya Sarkar said.

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Earlier this week, the Gujarat Government had announced plans to build an airport in Vadnagar, due to its increase in popularity and tourism potential.

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