Features
- The towns were laid out in a rectangular grid pattern.
- The roads ran in north-south and east-west directions and cut each other at right angles.
- Types of Building
- Dwelling houses
- Public buildings
- Public baths.
- The Harappans used burnt mud bricks of standardised dimensions for construction.
- The Harappan civilisation was a contemporary of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilisations.
- The city was divided into two parts–the upper citadel and the lower part of the city.
- Upraised Citadel – Occupied by residences of the rulers and aristocrats. It includes buildings like granaries, administrative buildings, pillared halls, and courtyards.
- Lower Part – Occupied by common people and some of the houses were double storied.
- Indus Valley Civilisation sites do not have large monumental structures such as temples or palaces for rulers unlike Egyptian and Mesopotamian Civilisations.
- An important feature of the Harappan cities is the prevalence of public baths, which indicate the importance of ritualistic cleansing. For example, the ‘Great Bath’ in Mohenjo Daro.
- The most striking feature of Harappan Civilisation is the advanced drainage system.
- The drains were covered loosely to allow regular cleaning and maintenance.
- Cesspits were placed at regular intervals.
- The importance placed on hygiene – both personal and public.
- The presence of wells has also been observed at many sites.