Cities in India

Lothal

Languages : Gujarati, Hindi, & English
Best time to visit : Winters

THE MOUND OF THE DEAD The 4,500-year-old city of Lothal was discovered in 1954. Dating back to the second millennium b.c., Lothal was an important port on the Indian subcontinent during the Harappan era. Lothal is an important archeological site due to its scientific layout and a massive dockyard that facilitated trade with other civilizations of the time.

Lothal is located in the western Indian state of Gujarat, about 85 km southwest of Ahmedabad. It was on the banks of the mythical river Saraswati, which has since dried up.

Places of Interest
The major attractions in Lothal are the vast ruins of the ancient city. The most important are the sites of the ancient dockyard, the acropolis, the lower town, the bead factory, the warehouses, and the drainage system. An archeological museum to the west of the ruins houses the objects found from the sites like mirrors of bronze and copper, perforated and painted potteries, toy bullock carts, beads, jewelry and a variety of objects made from stone, chert, shell, and bone. The museum also displays seals from Bahrain, terracotta figures from Sumeria, and objects from Egypt. Also on display in the museum is a plaster of Paris model of the city based on reconstructions made by archeologists.

SITES NEARBY
Five kilometers from Lothal is the Utelia Palace, built around the turn of the century by Neknamdar Thakore Saheb Sur Sinhji. The palace features five domes, pillared galleries, balconies and porticoes and is a typical example of the Indo-Saracenic architectural style. It has a beautiful view of the surrounding village and the Bhogavo River.

HOW TO REACH
The 78-km distance from Ahmedabad to Lothal is covered in two phases. The first leg of the journey can be covered by rail to reach Bhurkhi, which is on the Ahmedabad–Bhavnagar railway line. From Bhurkhi, there are regular buses that take very little time to reach Lothal.

ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is a bit of a problem in Lothal. There are not many hotels apart from the Utelia Palace, a five-star Heritage Hotel seven km from the archeological sites, and the Gujarat State Tourism dormitory. Tourists can enjoy hot lunches consisting of Gujarati cuisine at the Palace Utelia.