NAVDATOLI: ANCIENT CHALCOLITHIC VILLAGE

Roughly a mile south of the modern day town of Maheshwar on the Narmada river, Madhya Pradesh in the Khargone district, is the Navdatoli village. Navdatoli is the name of a modern day village.     Horizontal excavations here, revealed evidence of a thriving Chalcolithic settlement with a focus on lithic tool production. These excavations have brought to light a village, the antiquity of which goes back, on the evidence of several carbon-14 dates, to a period ranging from 1600 B.C. to 1300 B.C. And for the first time, we are having an idea of a Chalcolithic village with its settlement pattern, agricultural economy, stone industries and beautiful pottery!  The ancient village was inhabited through four temporal stages, each defined by distinct types of pottery. Between Navdatoli pottery and certain Iranian ceramics have led some to believe the area was colonized by immigrants from the Northwest.

Kasrawad (6 km southeast of Navdatoli) has many Buddhists remains and stupas which are considered sites of national importance.

ITINERARY: Three-day Itinerary in Navdatoli offers tourists with:

Famous tourist attractions: Sahastradhara , Ahilya Fort (10 mins by boat)  a historic fort located near the Narmada Ghat. A majestic Maheshwar fort offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. A stunning Badeshwar Mahadev temple situated in the Narmada River, accessible only by boat most of the time, Omkareshwar Temple, A sacred temple located 77 km away from the village.

Village Life Experiences: Boating, Swimming, Banana Farming, Bullock Cart Ride, Milking Activity.

How to Reach 

Nearest Airport – Indore (89 kms)

Nearest Bus station – Khasrawat (5 kms), Khargone (40kms)

Nearest railway station – Mhow (70 kms), Indore (115kms)