DEHRADUN: In a significant archaeological development, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has resumed excavations at Jagatgram in Badawala, near Dehradun, to trace the elusive fourth platform associated with an ancient Ashwamedha Yajna, nearly seven decades after the first major dig at the site.
The excavation, located around 50 km from the state capital, aims to identify the fourth ‘Yagyashala’ (Vedi or altar) linked to an Ashwamedha Yajna believed to have been performed in the third century CE during the reign of a powerful local ruler.
The renewed effort comes almost 70 years after extensive excavations carried out between 1952 and 1954, which yielded evidence of three such altars from the same period.
The current operation, which began on December 1, 2025, seeks to confirm the presence of the fourth platform from the Ashwamedha Yajna conducted during the ruler’s reign.
Archaeologist Vipul Mishra said the team has so far excavated to a depth of 10 to 14 feet. The site has yielded ancient bricks and pottery shards (mridbhand).
“The size and structure of the recovered bricks precisely match those found during the 1952-54 excavations,” Mishra said, indicating that the findings belong to the same ancient period.
Uttarakhand’s Minister for Tourism, Religious Affairs and Culture, Satpal Maharaj, told TNIE, “The initial breakthrough in the 1950s was crucial. Bricks discovered previously bore clear inscriptions in Brahmi script indicating that King Sheel Verman performed an Ashwamedha Yajna here in the third century. It is this historical inscription that has prompted the renewed investigation.”
King Sheel Burman belonged to the Kuninda dynasty, which historically ruled the region then known as the Yug Shail Empire, with Haripur as its capital.
The Ashwamedha Yajna was a powerful ritual performed by ancient Indian kings, in which a consecrated horse was released to assert sovereignty.
The territories the horse traversed were claimed as dominion, often leading to war if challenged.
While no material requiring immediate carbon dating has been found so far, the ASI team is working with the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology.
Scientists will analyse soil samples to establish the precise age of the deposits and date the pottery recovered. The trial analysis is expected to continue through January.
The 1952-54 excavation, led by ASI archaeologist T N Ramachandran, revealed brick structures described as ‘Vedi’ shaped like a flying Garuda, bearing Brahmi and Sanskrit inscriptions referring to four Ashwamedha sacrifices. Similar evidence has been recorded at sites such as Purola in Uttarkashi, Kaushambi and Allahabad.
Following the earlier findings, Cabinet Minister Satpal Maharaj held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the preservation of Uttarakhand’s Vedic heritage sites, including those at Kalsi (Haripur) and Purola.
A resolution was passed to initiate worship and rituals at these ancient sites to showcase this heritage on the global stage.