Veteran archaeologist B B Lal passes away

Veteran archaeologist and Padma Vibhushan awardee B B Lal died recently aged 101.

• Lal served as the director general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) from 1968 to 1972.
• He had reportedly found temple-like pillars during excavation at the Ayodhya site in the mid-70s, where the Ram temple is now being built.
• He has also served on several UNESCO committees and was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the president of India in 2000.
• In 2021, President Ramnath Kovind felicitated Professor BB Lal with Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.