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Disha Ahluwalia

Disha Ahluwalia

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The forgotten legacy of ASI’s Institute of Archaeology

While the Institute of Archaeology established by Mortimer Wheeler in London evolved into one of the world’s leading archaeological research...

previous day 10

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Disha Ahluwalia

Jaipur’s havelis, bazaars are disappearing. Even UNESCO tag can’t protect heritage in India

When Jaipur continues to draw millions of tourists on the promise of its history, architecture, craft, and traditions, why is its heritage value being...

27.04.2026 20

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Disha Ahluwalia

Mohenjo-daro city is not older than Egyptian cities. Here’s what the recent dig really shows

Recent evidence from Mohenjo Daro does not suggest that urbanisation at the site is dated to 3300 BCE. Rather, it indicates that the site is rooted in...

13.04.2026 10

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Disha Ahluwalia

Was the ‘Dancing Girl’ from Mohenjo-Daro really a dancer?

The interpretation of this bronze statuette was shaped by the colonial officers who viewed the past through the lens of their own assumptions about...

23.03.2026 20

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Disha Ahluwalia

We celebrate Harappa excavation—and dismiss Keeladi, Sinauli archaeological digs as politics

In the storm around Sinauli, many academics dismissed claims of chariots being found. And the public misinterpreted the chariots as a device planted...

18.11.2025 30

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Disha Ahluwalia

Imbalance persists in ASI’s modus operandi. Bengal, Bihar demand more attention

The National Policy on Archaeological Excavation and Explorations, which was approved in 2015, mentioned the need for problem-oriented, long-term...

13.10.2025 20

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Disha Ahluwalia

Dogs built human civilisation. Calling them a menace now is betrayal

Human civilisation began with wolves by our side. Dogs were never supposed to be stray.

25.08.2025 20

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Disha Ahluwalia

Why this Indian archaeologist renamed the Indus Valley Civilisation

ASI survey led by Amalananda Ghosh proved with facts, evidence and precision that it’s not solely Pakistan or India but both were home to the...

11.08.2025 40

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Disha Ahluwalia

Maratha Military Landscapes’ UNESCO tag is a win. Conservation must catch up

The new requirements fail to account for how gold ownership works in Indian society. It’s often undocumented, inherited, and deeply personal.

14.07.2025 30

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Disha Ahluwalia

Early Harappan burial discovery is changing how we understand Gujarat’s past

The discovery of 5,300-year-old settlement in Gujarat's Lakhapar village indicates cultural interactions, not only with Chalcolithic groups but also...

30.06.2025 30

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Disha Ahluwalia

Who were Rajasthan’s Aharians—metallurgy masters with cultural ties to Central Asia?

Identified at 111 sites, many of them in Southeast Rajasthan, the Ahar culture had a sophisticated social structure centred around copper, lead, zinc,...

26.05.2025 20

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Disha Ahluwalia

Buddha’s gems at Sotheby’s shows Indian govt doesn’t have an eye on ‘colonial loot’

India pointed out that even if the colonial government of that time gave custodianship to William Peppé, his descendants had no legal grounds to sell...

12.05.2025 20

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Disha Ahluwalia

Excavation is just the beginning. Complex sites like Kaushambi need evidence-based approach

Kaushambi was forgotten after its excavation by GR Sharma. Then, in 2017, archaeologist BB Lal and a group of scholars returned to the site—not with...

21.04.2025 20

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Disha Ahluwalia

South India is the missing link to our Megalithic past. And it shows history isn’t linear

If the beginning of farming in peninsular India triggered a unique cultural dynamic that led to the formation of a Megalithic culture and ushered in...

24.03.2025 10

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Disha Ahluwalia

When archaeology wasn’t ‘ladylike,’ women still shaped the field, one dig at a time

For centuries, archaeology was more like treasure hunting — a kind of cowboy science where men travelled far and wide. By the mid-19th century,...

10.03.2025 20

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Disha Ahluwalia

From Kashmir to China—Aurel Stein’s expeditions helped unlock secrets of ancient civilisations

Although the survey of Central Asia is among Stein’s most renowned and celebrated works, he had also successfully surveyed a wide landscape from...

24.02.2025 20

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Disha Ahluwalia