Art & Culture

Architecture has been a key element of civilizations. The Harappan civilization, which dates back to approximately 3000 B.C., is no stranger to this vital element. The Harappan civilization was heavily urbanized. It had thoughtful urban planning with noticeable architectural features, reflecting the advanced societal organization and technological prowess of its people, which is further discussed below:

General city planning – The cities of Mohenjo-Daro (located in present day Sind) and Harappa (located in present day Punjab) share similar city planning. The cities were divided into two parts; upper city and lower city. The upper part of these cities most likely had public buildings with a wall surrounding them in order to provide protection from intruders.  The lower part of these cities were residential.

Roads – The Harappan cities had a well-established network of roadways. Often, the main roads were half a mile long and intersected at a square. The curvy intersections of roads were designed to offer the chariots a smooth turn. The sideways of roads were dotted with lamp posts. Apart from roads, the significant presence of lanes helped in connecting cities from within.

Buildings – The cities had residences ranging from spacious homes, consisting multiple rooms, to humble dwellings, consisting two rooms at bare minimum, indicating class difference. Houses were either two or three storeys tall. The doors, windows and roof were made out of wood. The windows didn’t face the streets. Staircases offered flight upstairs. The toilets found themselves on the top floor. The largest building discovered in Mohenjo-Daro was most likely a palace. However, the most remarkable structure to be found was the Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro. The Great Bath was housed in a quadrangle building. Its depth was accessed by stairs from two sides. It was immediately surrounded by a veranda which was in turn surrounded by rooms and galleries. Arrangements were made to fill up and empty the Great Bath. Apart from the Great bath, the same building contained other smaller baths with provisions of hot water. Although, the exact purpose of the Great bath remains unknown, speculations suggest that it may have been used for religious rituals. The largest building discovered in the city of Harappa was the Great Granary.

Drainage – The Harappan attitude regarding cleanliness and hygiene towards their civilization has been well displayed in the form of there elaborate drainage system. The waste from individual household emptied outside into the covered drains. These covered drains ran further to the outer part of the city where the waste was eventually emptied into the immediate river.

The architectural ingenuity of Harappan people resulted in the formation of their well-planned urban civilization. Their genius discouraged the depravity of skills. Thus, the Harappan society was well-organized and showcased technological innovations.