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Land
of Ancient Civilisation & Epics |
Punjab
is the cradle of the Indus Valley Civilization, more than
4000 years
old. Archaeological excavations, throughout the state, have
revealed evidences of the magnificent cities of Harappa and
Mohenjodaro, that lived and died along the banks of the mighty
Indus and its tributaries. The Mahabharata, which narrates
life between the 7th and 5th century
BC, contains rich descriptions of the land and people of Punjab
at that time. It is believed that parts of the Ramayana too,
were written around the Shri Ram Tirath Ashram, near Amritsar;
and it was in these forests that Lav and Kush grew up.
Other great historical discoveries have been unearthed at
Ropar, Kiratpur, Dholbaha, Rohira and Ghuram. These relics
throw light on the culture and changing architectural styles
of Punjab, since the Harappan age. At Sanghol, in Fatehgarh
Sahib district near Ludhiana, sites associated with great
Mauryan Dynasty, have yielded remarkable relics that record
the presence of Buddhism in the region.
Ancient
Forts of the Punjab |