Archaeological Museum, Lothal Ahmedabad Entry Fee
- 5 per person
- 0 Free entry for Children upto 15 years of age
Archaeological Museum, Lothal Ahmedabad Phone
090999 99999
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Archaeological Museum, Lothal Ahmedabad Address: Saragwala Village, Dholka Taluka, Gujarat, 382230, India
People who visit Ahmedabad more often should plan a day in their itinerary for a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Lothal. Lothal near Ahmedabad was one of the prominent discoveries made forty years after the world unearthed the existence of the 2400 BC old Indus Valley and Harappa Civilization. From the evidence found at this site, it seems like Lothal was an industrial site during that age.
Archaeologists found semi-precious stones and metals, statues, beads, weapons, ornaments, seals and workshops at this dig site. Another important discovery made here was that of a dockyard. It is believed that this dockyard was used to ship the weapons and other things made in Lothal to other civilizations that existed during those times.
The Archaeological Museum at Lothal celebrates these fragments and relics of history by displaying them in their restored glory. The Museum pays an ode to the civilization that flourished way before our times.
History of Lothal
The quaint town of Lothal is right between the Sabarmati River and its tributary Bhogavo. In 1950 when exploration was undertaken for the Sabarmati region, archaeologists discovered Lothal and several other sites that could be associated with the Harappa and Indus Valley Civilization. Before the discovery of Lothal, it was believed that these civilizations only existed between the regions of present-day northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India.
During the days of this civilization, boats could sail right from the Gulf of Cambay during high tides to Lothal but today the sea is over 19 km away from here. It is believed that this civilization existed in the basins of River Indus and River Saraswati, which dried up later.
The excavation in the Sabarmati Valley lasted for almost seven years, from 1955 to 1962 and the museum was set up at this site in 1976. Lothal is one of the important sites when it comes to both these civilizations as it served as the link between this part of the sub-continent with regions like Mesopotamia.
The Layout of Lothal
Archaeologists have panned out the layout of Lothal as a rectangular city surrounded by a burnt brick wall that was earlier made out of the mud. The main compound had an elevated section which was where most streets and lanes, residential buildings, bathing pavements, and drains were made. Outside the exterior wall, there was a cemetery or burial ground.
Image Gallery of Archaeological Museum, Lothal Ahmedabad
The Artifacts at the Archaeological museum, Lothal
The museum is situated on the banks of the famous Sabarmati River which adds to its charm. During the archaeological expeditions conducted here, almost five thousand items were discovered but not all of them have been put up for public display.
The museum showcases a selective eight hundred items out of these. Every artifact at display here at the museum is a masterpiece in itself and makes you awestruck. Right at the entrance to the museum, you will find a pictorial representation of the Harappa Civilization along with a write up about the same, that sets the tone for your museum tour.
One of the important displays at the museum is a collection of various kinds of beads. The remains of a bead making factory were found at Lothal and similar kind of beads had been found earlier at the excavation sites at Mesopotamia. This has led to the hypothesis that active trade relations existed between these two regions. Along with beads, there is also an extensive collection of shells at the museum which suggests that Lothal was an active exporter of shells as well.
The museum also showcases intricately crafted seals, weights, and jewelry pieces. One of the interesting facts about the discoveries made here was the tiny animal figurines found during the excavation. This was evidence of the fact that animals like gorillas and rhinos existed during that period, a fact which was not known earlier. It was also a testimony to the fact that the landscape during the time of these civilizations was green and salubrious enough to support the existence of these animals.
There are seals on display here which are made out of terracotta and there are many unicorn-shaped seals. Some of the metals and materials that existed during those days were shell, ivory, bronze, and copper and you can witness gorgeous items made out of these here.
It is a delight to see perfectly crafted earthen vessels and painted pottery preserved inside glass cases. Another glass case displays the games that were played during the days. The pieces include marbles, sling balls, toy cart animals and games along with gamesmen. Outside the museum building, you can see the remains of the brick buildings of those days. There is also a large water-filled tank on the museum grounds.
After the excavation at this site was completed, archaeologists had come up with conjectural plans for the town, which included the site of the bead factory and the dockyard. There is a small reference library where one can find informative material not just about the artifacts but also about the Harappa and Indus Valley civilization. A publication counter at the museum sells publications related to archaeological monuments.
Another interesting feature of this museum is the burial site of two people together. This grave was brick-lined and was one of the most fascinating finds at Lothal during the excavation. You will find a replica of this grave at the museum. The items recovered from the cemetery, which was in the northwest section of the settlement, outside the enclosing walls, are also on display here.
Places of interest near Lothal
1. Lothal Port and the excavation site: After you have taken a tour of the museum you must visit the entire excavation site here along with Lothal port or the dockyard. Lothal was the only port of the Indus Valley civilization and this dockyard gave Lothal an important status in history.
The dockyard is spread over an area of thirty-seven meters from east to west and almost twenty-two meters from north to south. Archaeologists and historians consider Lothal dock to be one of the greatest works of maritime architecture. There is however a fraction of archaeologists who are of the strong opinion that the structure which appears to be a dockyard may have been a large tank that may have served as a reservoir.
2. Nagnath Mahadev Temple, Dholka: This temple pays homage to Lord Shiva and a lot of people from the nearby areas frequent it, especially on Shivratri to take the Bhang prasad. The temple is not as popular for its architectural qualities as much as it is visited by devotees out of faith.
3. Kali Kund Jain Tirth, Dholka: This Jain temple pays homage primarily to the Moolnayak idol of Shri Kalikund Parshwanath Bhagwan along with several other idols in the temple. These idols were established here by Jain devotees of the area. Dharamshala and Bhojanshala facilities with all necessities are available at this temple for the visitors.
4. Utelia Palace: This heritage property which was a palace earlier is about 4 km from Lothal and is a good place to stay and enjoy a sumptuous meal when you plan to visit Lothal. The palace, however, is closed during May and June.
Other places that you can explore while visiting Lothal are Moti Boru, Gayatri Mandir, and Shri Vishvakarma Mandir. Since Lothal is very close to Ahmedabad, you can stay there and make a day trip to the Lothal museum. Most tourists club their Ahmedabad trip with a trip to Lothal.
Entry Fees and Timings of Archaeological Museum, Lothal
The Archaeological Museum at Lothal is open from 10 am to 5 pm on all days of the week except on Fridays.
To visit the Archaeological Museum at Lothal, the entry fee is INR 5 per person for adults. For children up to 15 years of age, there is no entry fee collected.
Location of Archaeological museum
The Archaeological Museum is located at Saragwala Village, Dholka Taluka, Lothal.
Best time to visit Lothal
The city sees pleasant weather from November to February and this period is perfect to enjoy a place like Lothal. March to May sees the mercury levels rise and it gets too hot to venture into open places. June to October is the rainy season here and not an ideal time to visit Lothal where a large part of sightseeing is in the outdoors.
How to Reach Lothal
If you are planning to visit Lothal you can take a train to the nearest railhead which is Bhurkhi on the Ahmedabad to Bhavnagar railway line and Yawarpura railway station. You can also enjoy a bus journey to Lothal from Ahmedabad which itself is well connected to all major cities through a railway network. Lothal is at a distance of 78 km from Ahmedabad. The distance can be covered in almost 1 hour and 50 minutes.
The main stations here are Gandhinagar station and Kalupur station. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport of Ahmedabad is an international as well as domestic with flights to all major cities in the country and direct flights to countries like Dubai, Singapore, UK, and the USA.
One can also opt for a private cab from top car rental companies in Ahmedabad and visit all the important sightseeing places of Ahmedabad in the comfort of a private cab.
Ahmedabad is a city that can be visited by each and every kind of tourists, be it nature lovers or history buffs or adventure seekers. To visit this happening city in the best possible manner, we at Ahmedabad Tourism, a division of Holidays DNA have designed Ahmedabad tour packages that are quite affordable.. So, what are you waiting for? Choose the package that suits you best and fill the Contact Us form to help us serve you better.
