Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilization : Salient Features

Sansar LochanHistory of India75 Comments

Town planning is the unique feature of Indus valley civilization. Their town planning proves that they lived a highly civilized and developed life. Indus people were the first to build planned cities with scientific drainage system. The Indus cities were built on an uniform plan. Town planning was amazing in nature. A few cities have citadels to the West built on higher platform and to the east of which is the hub of residential area. Both of them are surrounded by a massive brick wall. The cities without citadel are found on high mounds.

Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilization

Streets

The streets were straight and cut each other at right angles. They were 13 to 34 feet wide and were well lined. The streets and roads divided the city into rectangular blocks. Archaeologists have discovered the lamp posts at intervals. This suggests the existence of street lights. Dustbins were also provided on the streets. These prove the presence of good municipal administration.

Drainage System 

One of the most remarkable features of the Indus valley civilization is that the city was provided with an excellent closed drainage system. Each house had its own drainage and soak pit which was connected to the public drainage. Brick laid channels flowed through every street. They were covered and had manholes at intervals for cleaning and clearing purposes. Large brick culverts with corbelled roofs were constructed on the outskirts of the city to carry excess water. Thus Indus people had a perfect underground drainage system. No other contemporary civilization gave so much attention to cleanliness.

The Great Bath

great bath

The most striking feature in Mohenjodaro is the Great Bath. It consists of a large quadrangle. In the centre, there is a huge swimming pool (approximately 39 ft long, 23 ft wide and 8ft deep) with the remains of galleries and rooms on all four sides. It has a flight of steps at either end and is fed by a well, situated in one of the adjoining rooms. The water was discharged by a huge drain with corbelled roof more than 6 ft in depth. The Great bath had 8 ft thick outer walls. This solid construction has successfully withstood the natural ravages for 5000 years. There were arrangements for hot water bath in some rooms.

Granaries

The largest building in Mohenjodaro is granary which is 45.71 mtrs long and 15.23 mtrs wide. In Harappa there are a series of brick platforms which formed the base for two rows of 6 granaries each. In the Southern part of Kalibangan brick platforms have also been found. These granaries safely stored the grains, which were probably collected as revenue or store houses to be used in emergencies.

Buildings

People of Indus valley civilization built houses and other buildings by the side of roads. They built terraced houses of burnt bricks. Every house had two or more rooms. There were also more than one storied houses. The houses were designed around an inner courtyard and contained pillared halls, bath rooms, paved floors, kitchen, well etc. Besides residential quarters, elaborate structures have also been found. One of these buildings has got the biggest hall measuring 80 ft long and 80 ft wide. It might have been a palace, or temple or hall for holding meetings. The workmen quarters are also found. There was an excellent system of water supply. There were public wells by the side of streets. Every big house had its own well. They also built a dockyard at Lothal.

Source: NCERT, Wikipedia

Question for UPSC Mains GS Paper 1

How can you correlate between the town planning of Indus valley civilization and town planning of 21st century?

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75 Comments on “Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilization : Salient Features”

    4. Reply

      Actually the point is, having leanrt about their way of living we reach to a conclusion that people were getting civilized and they we collectively thinking for overall community development. See, at that time trade was also being carried out. Merchants n artisians wers also there, these people were not engaged in agriculture as other indus people were, so indus people were practicing cultivation and gathering food items on behalf of merchants and artisians.
      So far what we learn is that sense of common good was there.

      1. Reply

        Very nice but can be more nice:-|😆😆😆😆😆😗😃🤩🤩🤩🤣
        Thanks for your explanation

        1. Reply

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  5. Reply

    Excellent information,… Got to know many interesting and shocking features of Indus valley civilization…. And special think I enjoyed alot while doing my assignment…. And now I got the confidence to write my exams… Thanks alot…..

    1. Reply

      Very very very gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood
      It is very good for students and helps in understanding some amazing facts about town planning

  6. Reply

    I need some more information about the granaries . But still , this page provided me a lot of information according to the topic and I an grateful to you .

  7. Reply

    The Indus people have taken many secrets with them when they suddenly disappeared 3000 years ago. One of them is the secret of making bricks. The Indus bricks are so strong even after 4000 years that they can last another 4000 years. Apart from that, the Indus people enjoyed excellent health becausbuilding tall towers,e of their dietary habit and building public health amenities and providing protected water supply. Sumer in Mesopotamia was a colony of the Indus Civilization. According to the Book of Genesis the first book of the Holy Bible, It describes how a new race of people came from the east and brought the technology of making bricks, they built cities, towns, irrigation canals and granaries. Their greatest achievement was the ‘Ziggurat’, a tall tower. It is still standing today. Along with town planning,they also built schools for children, hence they were called ‘men of renown and knowledge’. They came from the Indus Valley.

  12. Reply

    Topic: Indus Valley Civilization.
    1. Learning Objectives:
    To understand the life and Society of the people at the time of one of
    the most ancient civilization of the world.
    2. Scope:
     Urban Planning.
     Seals.
     Great Bath.
     Extent of the Civilization.
     Art and Craft.
     Decline of Civilizations.

  13. Reply

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  21. Reply

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  22. Reply

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  28. Reply

    A Very nice discription of Indus Valley Civilization and it’s features.
    Very good callaboration ………..

  33. Reply

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