Bead-making artisans from Khambhat in coastal Gujarat are reviving a 5,000-year-old connection between the sea coast and Rakhigarhi, the largest known town of the Harappan civilisation, through their craft showcased at the Rakhigarhi Festival organised by the Haryana Government.

National award-winning artisan Anwar Hussain Sheikh, along with his brother Pratap Sheikh, has brought to life replicas of beads excavated from Rakhigarhi using the same stones and traditional techniques employed during the Harappan period. The brothers work with agate, jasper, carnelian, lapis lazuli and other semi-precious stones - materials that ancient Harappans once sourced from coastal Gujarat and distant lands.

Talking to The Tribune, Anwar said the craftsmanship of the Harappans continues to inspire modern artisans. "The people who lived here 5,000 years ago were far better craftsmen. There was no machinery then, yet they were way ahead of us in artisan and hand techniques," he said. Referring to the archaeological discoveries, Anwar said, "The discovery of 9-10 cm long tubular carnelian beads with finely drilled holes reflects their high level of technological expertise."

Explaining the traditional process, Anwar said bead-making involves seven stages. "I complete six stages, while my brother Pratap gives the finishing touch in the final stage," he said, demonstrating techniques passed down through five generations of his family.

Former Rakhigarhi sarpanch Dinesh Sheoran, who has been closely associated with the excavation and preservation of the site, described the presence of Khambhat artisans as a symbolic revival of ancient trade links. "Nearly 5,000 years after Rakhigarhi's traders sourced raw material from the sea coast of Gujarat and foreign lands to develop bead-manufacturing industries, those ancient links are finding a reflection in the work of Khambhat's artisans," he said.

Archaeological excavations at Rakhigarhi have yielded a massive haul of beads, establishing that Harappans imported carnelian, shells, lapis lazuli, jasper and agate from coastal regions and abroad. Thousands of roughouts, waste flakes, cores, tools and polishers found at the site point to well-established bead-manufacturing units and advanced skills in etching, engraving and inlay work.

Archaeologist Vasant Shinde said at its peak around 5,000 years ago, Rakhigarhi supported a population of nearly 50,000 people, with evidence of about 14 generations inhabiting the city before migration triggered by prolonged drought and the drying up of rivers. "Rakhigarhi was a cosmopolitan city deeply connected to long-distance trade networks," he said.