incredible gujarat: from 4,400-year-old lothal to 120-year-old utelia

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I was first introduced to Lothal on my visit to Dholavira, another five millennia old Harappan site across the white salt pans of Kutch in Gujarat. Multiple references had been made to it: of Lothal’s significance in the bigger scheme of things in the Indus Valley civilization and the incredible finds unearthed from its excavations.

Now at Lothal three years later, as I sat under a tree in the deserted site, the sun bounced off the satin-silk waters of the dock lined by 4,400-year-old sun-dried bricks. I could almost hear the banter between the dock-hands in the 24th Century BC as they loaded and unloaded the boats with bags full of carnelian and steatite beads, ready to set out for distant lands beyond the seas. Over the distance of time, traders, both rich and poor, in the nearby market haggled with buyers using stone weights and gold discs based on the first ever instance of the decimal system. In the intersecting narrow side lanes, little children played with clay animal figurines, marbles and cowries, punctuated with gleeful peals of laughter.

A flock of sparrows flew over the waters, breaking into my reverie, and I was brought back to reality, and into the present scattered with ruins and remnants of personal belongings. Those lives are all dead now. But Lothal still carries their echoes in its ancient stones.

When India was partitioned in 1947, all the key sites of the Indus Valley Civilization discovered to date, including Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, ended up on the other side of the border, in present-day Pakistan. Convinced of the presence of equally significant towns east of the border, the Archaeological Survey of India led a massive exploration exercise from 1954 – 58 unearthing more than 50 sites, extending the ancient civilization’s footprint by 500 kilometres.

Lothal means “Mound of the Dead” in Gujarati, a name given by the local villagers with reference to the presence of human remains in the ancient mound. It was one of ASI’s key finds in more ways than one. Lothal showed up the earliest known “dock” in the ancient world, a bead-making technique which has stood the test of time of 4,400 years, and the third largest collection of Indus Valley seals. 5,089 objects were unearthed in Lothal, 800 of which are on display at the site’s museum.

Since the Indus Valley script remains undeciphered, one can only conjecture at what these evidences point to. Whilst the accepted hypothesis states Lothal was a tidal port and manufactured beads to export to Sumer and Egypt, as well as other Indus Valley sites, some scholars claim the port to be too small by modern standards and was instead a large irrigation tank with a water canal.

Whatever be the case, two periods of continuous occupation made the site one of the longest occupied in the Indus Valley collective. In its first phase, the Harappans arrived at Lothal to settle among an indigenous people already knowing the use of copper and bead-making. A minor flood around 2350 BC destroyed the village, providing the Harappans the opportunity to rebuild Lothal using Indus Valley architectural plans.

To protect the city from floods, the houses were now constructed on sun-dried brick platforms one to two metres high on which 20 – 30 houses of thick mud and brick stood. The town was also now divided into two parts: The Citadel where the ruler of Lothal and important manufacturing activities took place, with paved baths, underground and surface drains made of kiln-fired bricks, and a potable water well. Next to it was the Lower Town with markets and workshops flanking a north-south main road, and residential areas.

The focus of local activity was, however, Lothal’s dockyard and the adjacent warehouse on a 3.5-metre-high podium to store goods for export. 218 metres long and 37 metres wide, the dock had an inlet in the northern arm and a spillway in the south and was connected to the sea through a river [now dried up]. A massive flood in 1900 BC washed the town away in a single stroke, for good.

It was afternoon by the time I could bring myself to tear away from Lothal. My next stop was Utelia [also spelled Uthellya] Palace, 6 kilometres away—a turn of the 19th Century mansion owned and lived in by the 12th generation of Utelia’s royal family.

Bhavsinhji, a descendant of the Vaghela clan who ruled large parts of Western India from the 11th to 14th Centuries, had founded the State of Utelia in 1646. The Indo-Saracenic home of the royal family currently functions as a homestay.

I came across Utelia whilst reading up on Lothal. The chance to visit a historical heritage property in its original form was too tempting to give a miss. After much asking around I managed to find myself, finally, outside its towering gates. A Rs. 50 tip to the guard, and I was on the other side of the property, inside a crumbling, dilapidated edifice straight out of the past filled with Edwardian furniture, teak doors, and Minton floor tiles. Creaking staircases took me to the upper floors with picture postcard views of Utelia village. Four-poster beds and crystal chandeliers told stories of its past residents. To tell you the truth, part of me was completely spooked. 😊

– – –

If Lothal took me back many millennia, Utelia took me back into Victorian India—both in a flash. From 4,400 years to 120 years. That is the magic of Gujarat, and the joys of travel summed up. Where else can you time travel through thousands of years in a few kilometres? How else can you experience so much in just a day? Incredible Gujarat in more ways than one. This is also why I will always remain a traveller at heart. ❤

[Note: Click on an image to enlarge it and read the caption. Use the arrow keys to navigate through the set.]

Bead-making is believed to have been the mainstay of Lothal’s economy. Made from semi-precious stones and other materials, they were exported by sea to West Asian countries and other sites of the Indus Valley civilization.
Where there is trade, there are bound to be seals and sealings. Made of ceramic or clay, they were used to seal the rope tied around the goods. More than 215 seals and sealings have so far been discovered at Lothal.
Indus Valley artisans at Lothal produced beads of various shapes and sizes ranging from less than a millimetre in diameter to 5 centimetres in length. Some were tipped with gold while some were etched with line decoration to be strung together into necklaces with pendants.
The Harappans of Lothal constructed the first ever known dock. A tidal dock measuring 218 metres long and 37 metres wide, it was built in 2350 BC, 4,400 years ago. For the next 400 years and more, it played a pivotal role in the economic prosperity of the town.
4,400-year-old bricks. Lothal was built around its port using the same plans and building materials as other Indus cities. The houses were constructed on sun-dried brick platforms, separated by streets laid out in a grid.
Lothal’s Citadel perched on a hill close to the port housed the ruler’s mansion, paved baths for ceremonial purposes, covered underground and surface drains, and a well. Important manufacturing activities such as ivory-working also took place here.
Apart from the dock, the other most outstanding structure in Lothal was its warehouse. A massive edifice with a series of platforms, it was built near the dock and the ruler’s mansion, indicating the active role of the ruler in Lothal’s trade.
The Lower Town was divided into a main road for trading activities and an area where manufacturing of beads and copper tools was carried out. Remains of a bead-maker’s house has been discovered complete with a kiln and a pot full of beads in various stages of production.
Detail, four-poster bed at Utelia Palace in Utelia Village, dating back to the turn of the 20th Century.
Utelia Palace is owned by the descendants of the Vaghela clan who ruled large parts of Western India from the 11th – 14th Century. Bhavsinhji founded the Princely State of Utelia in 1646.
The current palace, commissioned in 1875, replaced an earlier teak structure which was burnt down in a fire. Its construction was completed around 1900.
The 12th generation of the family has opened the doors of their home, the Utelia Palace, to guests. It is now a high-end homestay. Baghirathsinh is the current owner.
The palace, located 6 kilometres from Lothal, is a wonderful example of Indo-Saracenic architecture with its multiple domes, porticoes, and pillared galleries.
I coudn’t resist taking this picture. Just look at the floor tiles. What a lovely combination and composition!
Utelia with its window shutters wide open. A private mansion of royal tales and by-gone days, open to travellers who want to time-travel.

Travel tips:

  • Lothal is 78 km south-west of Ahmedabad. Utelia is a further 6 km away from Lothal. The roads in Gujarat are excellent and toll free. Car hire is easily available.
  • Both the sites can be clubbed together as a day trip.
  • There is an in-depth museum with a film screening run by the Archaeological Survey of India at Lothal. Guides are not available for the archaeological site or museum.
  • Lothal tickets and timings: Rs. 5 for the museum, Free entry for the archaeological site; 10 am to 5 pm, closed on Fridays; Permission is required for photography inside the museum.
  • Utelia: A tip of Rs. 50 to the guard for entry, unless you are staying at the palace as a guest. If you would like to book a room at the palace, click here.

35 thoughts on “incredible gujarat: from 4,400-year-old lothal to 120-year-old utelia”

  4. Great find, Rama. I wonder why Indus valley civilization never got highlighted on an international level? It’s certainly important find. The way Egyptian have been able to market themselves, we are nowhere near to it.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Absolutely. People who make it to the Indus Valley sites in India are usually scholars and researchers, and the amateur history buffs. The day I went to Lothal it was deserted save for 15 minutes when a group breezed in and breezed out. I have still not been able to figure out if that is good or bad. The idea of hundreds of people clambering over the ruins to take selfies gives me a heart attack. But yes, I also wish more people could appreciate its value and give it its due place in global history. Aah, that illusive unattainable balance one yearns for. 🙂

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      • Dear Rama,
        This wonderful post with your presence in the place of our ancient and common history brought goose bumps and refreshed my school and later on college memories, in Mumbai. I was prone to reading copious amounts of stuff on the Harrapan and Mohenjo-daro civilizations just to get a feel. My history professor used to give me top marks for ” style and content” . Yet I failed to score top marks at the time of final exams. I was stressed and devastated at the time, as my Mom had passed away the same year ( convenient excuse )
        I didnt know Lothal’s meaning. I always understood Mohenjo Daro was the ” mound of the dead”.The British of course gave it a much later carbon dating. Nothing to be surprised about. Anyways, Lovely post. Keep posting. I enjoy all your posts. Take Care. LOL

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply ↓

        • Hello Shubhada, lovely to hear from you and wonderful to know you are enjoying my posts. Ancient civilizations have always fascinated me too, and I hope some day I am able to make it to Mohenjo-daro and Harappa as well. 🙂

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  8. Obrigado Rama. Somente Você para me presentear essa viagem a Lothal através de Seu blog, Maravilhosa, mais ainda através da leitura de Seus escritos. Obrigado.

    Liked by 3 people

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