The village of Siwli in Bhallesa’s Doda district is the talk of the town after centuries-old remnants of civilisation were discovered there. Eleven stone water pipes, two small ponds, one idol and some ancient stone sculptures depicting Mahabharata characters were discovered at the site. Stone is the only material used, including ponds, and all artefacts seem to be centuries old, requiring proper excavation by ASI to explore what all this is about. This seems to be a historic site, and proper exploration can only reveal the real story behind all this. This whole belt of Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah is part of the Vedic river Asikni basin, now known as Chenab. Similar types of sites are there in the Akhnoor area of Jammu Division, again on the banks of the Chenab. These places in Akhnoor were used to carry timber to the Indus Valley civilization. According to mythological descriptions, the entire Chenab belt is the abode of Naag Devtas, and many Mahabharata time stories are still in circulation. This Bhalessa terrain is surrounded by ancient Hindu places like Mehel Nag Temple in Dhosa, Durga Mata Cave in Khaljugasar, Mehlwaar Temple, Kalgoni Temple, etc. Significant things have been found, and now it is up to the District Administration to take them forward and make things happen. This is an invaluable treasure to be preserved at all costs. This will provide a peek into what all our ancestors used to do, how things looked at that time, what traditions were followed, and how advanced science was at that time. Were there civilizations that developed to use modern science? What kind of architect was in use? And is this site in any way similar to Akhnoor’s excavated sites? The answer to all these lies in further explorations.
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