Shradhanjali to Prof BB Lal

Prof. Brij Basi Lal , Veteran Archeologist of India (2^nd May 1921-10^th September 2022)

Author page

Hindu eShop offers homage to Veteran Archeologist, Doyen in Indian Archeology and noted Former Director general of Archeological Survey of India (ASI between1968-72) and Padma Vibhushan awardee Sri Brij Basi Lal popularly known as Sri BB Lal died on Saturday aged 101. He was trained by British archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler at Taxila in 1944, after which he joined the Archaeological Survey of India and served 40 years. He was connected to the Epic Projects such as Ramayana and Mahabharat and opened his views on them candidly with evidence which didn’t go well with the establishment. Supreme Court of India took due notice of this fact in pronouncing its judgment related to Sri RamJanma Bhoomi.

His notable works included excavation of Historical and Pre-Historic sites of Takshashila, Harappa, Hastinapur, Kalibangan, Puran Quila at Delhi, Rakhi Garhi and Sishupalgar and his excavations  proviing the existence of a temple at the Sri Rama Janmabhoomi at Ayodhya.

He served as one of the youngest Director General of ASI and left the extraordinary imprint on the minds of his successors at ASI. He was known to the friends and officials alike as Prof. Lal and undertook archeological excavations near the controversial Babri Masjid at Ayodhya to find out the evidence of in existence of Ram Temple (much before it got demolished).

Archaeologists who maintained for decades that Prof BB Lal was among the first to do so that there was clear evidence of a large temple-like building beneath the Babri Masjid was ridiculed and demonized for the conclusive evidence of Historicity of Ramayana and Ram temple.

He also worked on over 50 books and 150 research papers published in national and international journals. Some of his most notable books include, ‘The Saraswati Flows On: The Continuity of Indian Culture’ published in 2002, and ‘Rama, His Historicity, Mandir and Setu: Evidence of Literature, Archaeology and Other Sciences’ published in 2008.

Prof Lal’s work “Earliest Civilization of South Asia “published two decades ago outrightly rejected the theory of Aryan Invasion. Asko Parpola (from Finland, a known Indologist) “Deciphering the Indus Script” (1994) listed 23 Papers of Prof. BB. Lal and a decade later, not quoted a single reference of his works under the pressure from the Left-wing Intellectuals because the explored ‘Truth’ was inconvenient to them and the theory of destruction by the invading Aryans got demolished by Prof. Lal with ‘Evidence.’

The British anthropologist Edmund Leach, the US bio-anthropologist Kenneth AR Kennedy, the French archaeologist Jean-Paul Demoule, the US archaeologist Jim Shaffer, the Greek Sanskritist Nicholas Kazanas, the Italian Linguist Angela Marcantonio, the Estonian biologist Toomas Kivisild were some notables debunked the theory of Aryan Invasion and of course, our left leaned Media and Academia conveniently ignored the arguments advanced by those scholars. Likewise, on the issue of River Saraswati or Dhristavati (in Rig Veda), these closed minds (elements of Left wing) sidetracked every connecting dot, alleged a former colleague of Prof. Lal.

Michel Danino writing in First Post (web news porta) yesterday, “Prof Lal’s Earliest Civilization of South Asia, published two decades ago, offered a comprehensive study of the Harappan civilization, which the author’s experience enriched at every page with judicious observations. Its seven-page Appendix, “It is Time to Rethink”, signaled a new phase in Prof Lal’s contribution, as for the first time in his writings, he decided to challenge the theory of an Aryan invasion or migration into the Indian subcontinent. Between 2002 and 2015, four books followed on the Aryan problem, including the issue of the Sarasvati River. If we add a shorter book on the Indus civilization, two books on the historicity of the epics, and an autobiography, this adds up to nine books in twenty years, with hints of more. From an academic point of view, Prof Lal’s “retired” life seems to have been the most productive”!

In his later years, he lived in Delhi with the eldest of his three sons, Rajesh Lal, who is a retired Air Vice Marshal. “He would read and write every day. In fact, his latest book on Rigvedic people is due for release in a few days,” Rajesh Lal said.

Lal’s last rites were held at the Lodi Road crematorium on Saturday evening and attended by his former colleagues, officials and family friends.

Notable Honors and Awards:

• Awarded the title of Vidyā Vāridhi by the Nava Nālandā Mahāvihāra, Nālandā University in 1979.
• Awarded the title of Mahāhopādhyāya by Mithila Vishwavidyalaya in 1982
• Honorary Fellowship for Life, Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1991
• Litt. (Honoris Causa) by St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Russia, 1994
• Awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2000
• Litt. (Honoris Causa) by the Deccan college, 2014
• Padma Vibhushan in 2021