The tall buildings, clean streets, segregated housing societies, and sophidticated development are features of urban modernity, the hallmarks of the great triumph of humans. Interestingly, the ancient Harappan exhibited similar abilities, leading to the creation of urban centers like Harappa and Mohanjo-daro in the Indus Valley region.

The Harappan urban planning and architecture is considered one of the finest specimens to which we can trace the humans’ need to plan, organise and maintain their public and private spaces.

Beginning with the public spaces, the streets were laid out in grid patterns intersecting at 90 degree angles. The covered drains, running alongside the streets, were connected to a main drain through a centralised drainage system. The drains had potholes at certain intervals for regular cleaning. The main drain was used to separate solid debris from water, which was then left out in the river. This system clearly depicts the concern for maintaining sanitation of public places.

The bilateral division of cities into Citadel and Lower Town is another significant feature. The Citadel had many important buildings and administrative structures for the political maintenance, while the Lower Twon encompassed residences. Other public spaces consist of the Great-Bath and granaries, highlighting the importance of community-based living.

The houses, from the private spaces, had main entrance as such that no direct view of the inner confines of a household was available, with no windows opening on the streets. The houses had private bathrooms. The wells were strategically located on the outer corners of houses, which might be an arrangement for the convenience of travellers and others. Some houses were two-story as evident from the staircases.

The material used indicates an advanced level of construction. The bricks were either sun-dried or baked. These were put in places with the use of gypsum or mortar. This created strong enough walls and wells. From the above arguments based on archaeological evidences, one can infer that the ancient civilisation of Indus Valley was ‘not-so-ancient’ in terms of its urban centres and their plannings.