ASI approves excavation of tunnel near Mahabharata-era's 'Lakshagriha'

For representational purposes.

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has approved the excavation of a possible Mahabharata-era tunnel. The site located in Barnawa area of Baghpat district is believed to be the tunnel through which Pandava fled from ‘Lakshagriha’, the House of Lac, which Kauravas have ordered to burn.

As per a report in The Times of India, excavation will begin in the first week of December and continue for three months. The excavation has been approved after years of requests by archaeologists and local historians.

"Lakshagriha plays a significant part in the Mahabharata. The Kauravas had built the palace out of lac and planned to burn the Pandavas alive, but the brothers escaped through a tunnel,” the report quoted Retired ASI superintending archaeologist, (excavation) KK Sharma.

Sharma further said that Barnawa, where the site is located is, in fact, the twisted name of Varnavrat, one of the five villages that the Pandavas had demanded from the Kauravas to settle in after their exile.

As per ASI officials, the excavation will be conducted by ASI in collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology in Red Fort, Delhi. Students of the Institute of Archaeology will also take part in the excavation.

Dr SK Manjul, director, Institute of Archaeology, said that the site was selected because it had proximity to other important sites in the area, not because of its religious significance. “We chose this site primarily because of its proximity to other important sites like Chandayan and Sinauli. In Sinauli, excavations had revealed an important Harappan-period burial site.”

“We had recovered skeletons and pottery in large quantities in 2005. Similarly, a copper crown along with carnelian beads was found in Chandayan village in 2014."