Amalananda Ghosh

Ghosh was born on 3 March 1910 in Varanasi, India. He was educated in Varanasi and Allahabad and later received advanced training at the Institute of Archaeology at the University of London.[1][2]

Ghosh joined the Archaeological Survey of India in 1937 and eventually rose to become its Director-General. He served in that position from 1953 to 1968.[3]

During his period with the Survey, Ghosh led or participated in a number of excavations, including investigations at Pachmarhi, Bikaner,[4] Brahmagiri, Maski, Taxila, Arikamedu, and Harappa. In 1950, Ghosh organized and began a systematic exploration of the Bikaner site, along the dried-up bed of the ancient Saraswati River. Within a few months, his work uncovered more than 100 sites, 25[5] of which yielded similar antiquities to those found at Harappa and Mohenjodaro.[4]

During his tenure as Director General, the landmark Centenary of the Archaeological Survey of India was held in 1961.

Following his term with the Survey, Ghosh acted as a UNESCO consultant on archaeology to the Governments of Qatar (1968), Bahrain (1968), Saudi Arabia (1968–69) and Yemen (1970). He was a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study from 1968 to 1971.[2]

Ghosh authored and edited a number of books and publications over the span of his career, including The Encyclopedia of Indian Archaeology,[6] a comprehensive reference book on archaeological work conducted over the years in India. Other works include A Survey of the Recent Progress in Early Indian Archaeology,[7] The City in Early Historical India,[8] (13) and A Guide to Nālandā.[9]

With his wife Sudha Ghosh, Amalananda had two children, Suparna Ghosh and Asim Ghosh. His affiliations included serving as Vice-President of the Royal India, Pakistan and Ceylon Society, London; Honorary Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, and Honorary Fellow of the Deutsches Archaeologisches Institut, Berlin. He received the Padma Shri honor in 1962.[2]

• Archaeological Survey of India