HISTORICITY OF THE MAHABHARATA: Evidence of Literature, Art & Archaeology - Hardcover

To the faithful, everyday mentioned in the Mahabharata is true to the very letter, whereas the skeptic holds that h e epic is nothing more than a mere figment of imagination. How , then, can one ascertain the truth? It is here that archaeology comes to our rescue.IN 1951-52, Professor B.B. Lal excavated the key-site of Hastinapura, situated on the bank of the Ganga, in Merut district o f Uttar Pradesh. Over here he encountered in the lower levels a settlement which was distinguished by a characteristic pottery called the painted Grey Ware, assignable to circa 1100-800 BCE. This PGW Culture has since been discovered at all the Mahabharata sites a feature which binds them together.Further, the excavation revealed that a heavy flood in the Ganga destroyed a considerable portion of the Painted Grey Ware settlement at Hastinapura. This archaeological evidence is duly corroborated by the vayu Purnan which states: “When the city of Hastinpura is carried away by the Ganga, Nichksu will abandon it and dwell in Kausambi.”