Bhopal:Friday, September 18 :The State Government has decided to confer Dr. Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar National Award 2008-09 on renowned archaeologist Professor B.B. Lal from Delhi. The honour carries Rs. two lakh cash and a letter of citation. Giving the information, The Minister for Culture, Shri Laxmikant Sharma said that the Dr. Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar National Award has been instituted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh to honour Indian citizens or institutions in recognition of their outstanding work for preservation and protection of archaeological heritage.
Shri Laxmikant Sharma informed that a jury comprising of national level archaeologists – Professor D.N. Tripathi, Gorakhpur, Prof. R.C. Agrawal, New Delhi and Dr. B.R. Mani, New Delhi has selected Prof. B.B. Lal for Dr. Vishnu Shridhar Wakanpur Award 2008-09.
Professor Lal is an Indian archaeologist of international repute. Besides various national and international awards Lal is also recipient of Padmashri. Born on May 2, 1921 at Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, Prof. Lal was the Director General of Archaeological Survey of India. Professor Lal has a large number of excavations to his credit which cover a wide range from the palaeolithic times to the early historical. Professor Lal is an internationally renowned field archaeologist and his major works include excavations at Hastinapur, Shishupalgarh, Kalibangan, Ayodhya and Sringverpur. He was the General President of World Archaeological Congress three held at New Delhi. He has also penned down various books which include Sishupal Garh 1948: An Earli Historical Fort in Eastern India, Birbhanpur: Michnolithik site In the Damodar Valley, Indian since Independence, the Earliest Civilization of South Asia etc.
It may be mentioned that Dr. V.S. Wakankar had discovered prehistoric cave paintings at Bhimbetka near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh in year 1956.