Research Projects

Chandravati, a late historical and medieval township is located near Abu Road in Sirohi district. The surface survey of this site was carried out by M.S. University way back in 1979. It was undertaken for excavation due to the invitation of the State Department of Archaeology of Rajasthan. It is a joint venture of Sahitya Sansthan and Archaeology and Museum Govt. of Rajasthan under the direction of J.S. Kharakwal, Director Sahitya Sansthan. We have successfully completed three field season’s work and have discovered three fold cultural sequences which include three forts, a few watch towers, remains of about three dozen temples, residential and royal structures, inscriptions and so on. The discovery of township here is extremely important because it may have been controlling a variety of trade activities in and out of the Aravallis. This project will continue until 2018. The final report writing work is of the project is in progress.

Kanmer is a unique Harappan township located in Rapar tehsil of Kachchh district of Gujarat. It is an Indo-Japanese research project, the first phase of which was spearheaded by J.S. Kharakwal, Director Sahitya Sansthan. Currently Doshisa University, Kyoto, Japan, Department of Archaeology, Government of Gujarat and Sahitya Sansthan are the collaborators of this project under the general direction of Y. S. Rawat. Kanmer is a small Harappan township and has a very strong fortified settlement. After the decline of the Harappans, the historic and medieval settlements were also found the site. We have identified that the Harappans were doing resource management at the site since it is located very close to the little Rann of Kachch. The first phase of excavation (2005-06 to 2008-09) is over and its bulky report has already been published from Japan. The second phase of work is in progress. We plan to wind up this project by 2017. The final report writing of the project is going on.

This research project has been initiated to document all the archaeological sites and monuments of Girwa tehsil in Udaipur district in Rajasthan. Since many ancient sites area disappearing very fast the Indian Council for Historical Research, New Delhi has funded this major research project for documentation.  In the first phase of this project, about a dozen new Chaloclithic and later ancient settlements have been discovered and documented, besides dozens of monuments. 

With the kind permission of Archaeological Survey of India we conducted salvage archaeology operation in the winter of 2020 to retrieve an ancient zinc smelting furnace from Zawar. Zawar is the oldest zinc production center of the world. A report of the same is under preparation for Archaeological Survey of India. 

From 19th January 2019 to 20th February 2019 an exhibition of Prehistoric rock art was launched jointly with Indira Gandhi National Center for Arts, New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Prof. Kavita Sharma, President, South Asian University, New Delhi. On this occasion other dignitaries like Dr. Banshi Lal Malla, IGNCA, Dr. Yoganand Sastri, former chairman Delhi Legislative Council, and Prof. S. S. Sarangdevot, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor,  were also present. Prehistoric paintings from many parts of the country, besides China, Europe and Africa were included in the exhibition. Also was depicted tribal art of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. A large number of students from different colleges and institutions and others visited the exhibition. Apart from raising the exhibition, school students were invited to participate in a drawing competition. Many of them copied the prehistoric drawings from the exhibition.

The Sanskrit Department of this institution has completed live documentation of Nav Chandi Yajna in the month of August 2021, the financial assistance to which was provided by Government of Rajashtan.