Saraswati: The Lost River

In Hindu mythology it's holy , a cradle of Hinduism. In modern historiography , its existence is a much debated topic. In Indian politics, it's a BJP vs Congress political-cultural battle -with BJP in power, the hunt for Saraswati river is on mission mode. The culture ministry has asked ASI to restart the hunt for archaeological evidence that'll show the Saraswati river was not just a myth but a reality . ASI has started its first excavations in Rajasthan.
The Vajpayee government had originally conceived the idea of looking for the `lost' river, and in 2002 had also set up a panel of experts headed by the then culture minister, Jagmohan.The Modi government will set up a similar panel. Congress-led UPA had scrapped the Vajpayee government's Saraswati project in 2004. But with power shifting, the `holy' river of Hindu mythology is a priority again.
The Centre's efforts come after BJP's Haryana government announced seting up of the Adi Badri Heritage Board and its plans to create a new water channel along the supposed path of the river. But the Union culture ministry will now play the lead role.
ASI's first round of excavations is at a site along the Ghaggar-Hakra river course believed to be the course that the river once took. An ASI team is excavating at Binjor in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan. A centrally protected site last excavated partially only in he 1970s, mounds at Binjor have been opened up again by ASI. Binjor will be excavated this year to conduct studies elated to the Harappan culture in the Saraswati-Ghaggar valley .
ASI ADG BR Mani said the 2002 panel will be revived and some new members may be added to it. He said excavations related to the river were never really stopped and fresh excavations are only an extension of an ongoing exercise. “There are other new components related to the revival of the river that are being taken up now by other bodies but ASI has continued excavations ever since 2002.“
But senior officials said ASI's work had come to a near halt after 2004 and new excavations have started only now . Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma's office said the ministry will “continue the work taken up by Jagmohan and team“.A nodal officer from the ministry has been appointed for the project. ASI has got back an archaeologist, who had first worked for the project, in its team. The Jagmohan panel had Baldeo Sahai of ISRO, archaeologist SK Raman, DK Chadha of Central Ground Water Authority as members, among others.