Aarey Forest, Mumbai’s only green lungs, has much more than people can see with their naked eyes and this can be said due to the multiple instances of ancient artefacts being uncovered from the forest. Recently, after another ancient artefact was found in the forest, conservationists have been demanding the Archaeological Survey of India to explore and excavate the site, which is said to have an ancient temple, older than the 13th century.
Juber Ansari (35), a resident of Aarey, had found an ancient pedestal on January 14 while cleaning a drainage line near a cattle farm. Covered in cow dung, Ansari’s intuition said that the stone was of historical significance and therefore he washed the stone and found artistic carving around the stone. He consulted a few archaeologist and conservationists, who suggested that the stone can be a pedestal from a temple’s pillar.
This was not the first time that Ansari had found something of archaeological importance in the forest. In 2018, he had found a shivalinga in the forest covered between thick bushes. Since then, he has found around 20 ancient artefacts including pillars, a weighing scale, an idol of goddess Mahakali and others.
The demand to explore the site as an important archaeological site has been going on from 2019. Ansari has been writing to ASI urging them to explore and excavate the site following each small and big ancient artefact that he finds in the forest. Following multiple correspondences, an official from ASI had visited Aarey Forest in December 2022 and submitted a report in January 2023.
The inspection report drawn by Manish Rai, assistant superintending archaeologist, which was accessed through Right To Information Act, stated that, “It has been observed that the detailed study of the site is needed, keeping in view of the locality having other ancient remains like caves. On the basis of the architectural study, of the temple remains and circumstances evidence, this site probably ended in the 12th-13th century CE of the Yadava Period.”
After Ansari found the pedestal on January 14 and consulted archaeologists and environmentalists, he wrote another letter to the ASI demanding protection of the site as he fears that if the site will be encroached in the future, the reality of these artefacts will remain unknown. He reiterated his demand that the site should be excavated and explored.
“There are beliefs that these artefacts are from the debris that has been dumped in the past due to the construction in the nearby area but to know that, we will have to first excavate and explore this area where the artefacts are being found. These artefacts can be the key to knowing about Mumbai’s unknown history,” said Ansari.
Amrita Bhattacharjee, one of the founding members of the Aarey Conservation Group, had written to the Mumbai suburban collector in May 2023 demanding exploration and protection of the site but alleged that the collector’s office closed the complaint after inspecting for illegal excavation complaint. On January 14, 171 members of the ACG wrote a letter to the chief minister demanding “exploration, excavation and protection of the temple site of historical and archaeological importance in Aarey Milk Colony.”
“We stopped hearing from the ASI after the regional director, who had forwarded the report to Delhi, was transferred. In December 2024, a few people had started illegal digging at the site around 10 metres away from where the artefacts were found. We want artefacts of the historic site to be protected and not get lost or stolen by such miscreants. We are yet to hear back from the CM’s office,” said Bhattacharjee.
Bhattacharjee also told the FPJ that she will be writing to the state archaeology department about the recent finding and will demand exploration of the site.
