In which State of India is the Harappan Civilization site Mandi situated?

1. A

   Gujarat

   Gujarat has major Harappan sites such as Dholavira, Lothal and Surkotada, but Mandi is not among them. Placing Mandi in Gujarat borrows the fame of the western Harappan belt. The site named here is in Uttar Pradesh.

2. B

   Haryana

   Haryana has Rakhigarhi, Banawali and Bhirrana, not Mandi as this Harappan find. Mandi is a different place-name in the Yamuna–Hindon belt of western U.P. Haryana is a neighbouring Harappan state, not this site’s state.

3. C

   Rajasthan

   Rajasthan has Kalibangan and other Harappan settlements, but not Mandi. The desert and Ghaggar belt is a separate cluster. Mandi is listed with Uttar Pradesh in this paper.

4. D

   Uttar Pradesh

   (d) Official key: The Harappan site Mandi lies in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh (Yamuna–Hindon doab). It is known especially for a large hoard of gold and silver ornaments reported from a late Harappan context. Among Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the keyed State is Uttar Pradesh.

Summary. Official key is (d). Mandi, a Harappan (late) site with a famous jewellery hoard, is in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, not in Gujarat, Haryana or Rajasthan — though those States have other famous Harappan towns. The question is the State of this named site. The keyed answer is Uttar Pradesh.