indus valley civilization

1. Indian
architecture
Presented by:
VISHAKHA VIJAYVARGIYA

2. WHAT IS ARCHITECTURE ?
– Architecture is the matrix of Civilization – An authentic measure of social status, expression of ethos of an era.
– When conserved, it is Heritage and when in ruins it becomes archaeology.
– Historically Architecture remains the principal visible material record, through the ages of man’s intellectual
evolution.
– Each great cultural movement made distinct contribution to the art of buildings to reveal & show case
– Aspiration of people
– Social and political conditions
– Way of life .
– In India this movement found expression in numerous noble monuments indicating the rich architectural
heritage
Architecture: “The art or science of building; esp. the art or practice of
designing and building edifices for human use, taking both aesthetic
and practical factors into account.”

3. Indian architecture is the
outcomes of
 Diverse religious beliefs
 Pattern of worship
 Prevailing climatic conditions
 Available building materials
 Available building technologies
 Prevailing social structure
 Prevailing economic structure
 Topography
 Climate
 Culture
 Historical & Linguistic patterns
 Symbolism
 Sculptures
 Paintings
 Shape of superstructure
 Defense against invaders/wild animals

5. INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
ARCHIETECTURE

7. BASIC INTRODUCTION
– The civilization's cities were noted for their urban
planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems,
water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential
buildings, and new techniques in handicraft
(carnelian products, seal carving) and metallurgy (copper,
bronze, lead, and tin).
– In Indus Valley civilisation architecture we will read about
 Town planning
 public bath
 Granaries
 Dockyard
Harappa architecture is the architecture of the Indus Valley Civilization, an
ancient society of people who lived during circa 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE in
the Indus Valley of modern-day India and Pakistan.

8. Important Sites of IVC
Site Excavated by Location Important Findings
Harappa Daya Ram Sahini in 1921 Situated on the bank of river
Ravi in Montgomery district
of Punjab (Pakistan).
•Sandstone statues of Human
anatomy
•Granaries
•Bullock carts
Mohenjodaro
(Mound of Dead)
R.D Banerjee in 1922 Situated on the Bank of river
Indus in Larkana district of
Punjab (Pakistan).
•Great bath
•Granary
•Bronze dancing girl
•Seal of Pasupathi Mahadeva
•Steatite statue of beard man
•A piece of woven cotton
Sutkagendor Stein in 1929 In southwestern Balochistan
province, Pakistan on Dast
river
•A trade point between
Harappa and Babylon
Chanhudaro N.G Majumdar in 1931 Sindh on the Indus river •Bead makers shop
•Footprint of a dog chasing a
cat
Amri N.G Majumdar in 1935 On the bank of Indus river •Antelope evidence
Kalibangan Ghose in 1953 Rajasthan on the bank of
Ghaggar river
•Fire altar
•Camel bones
•Wooden plough

9. Lothal R.Rao in 1953 Gujarat on Bhogva river near
Gulf of Cambay
•First manmade port
•Dockyard
•Rice husk
•Fire altars
•Chess playing
Surkotada J.P Joshi in 1964 Gujarat •Bones of horses
•Beads
Banawali R.S Bisht in 1974 Hisar district of Haryana •Beads
•Barley
•Evidence of both pre-
Harappan and Harappan
culture
Dholavira R.S Bisht in 1985 Gujarat in Rann of Kachchh •Water harnessing system
•Water reservoir

10. TOWN PLANNING
The Town Planning System was city based.
The drainage and sanitation systems were remarkable.
The main streets and roads were set in a line, sometimes running straight
for a mile, and were varying in width from 4 meters to 10 meters.
Most of these roads and streets were paved with fire brunt bricks.
On the either side of the street stood houses of various sizes which did not
protrude into the streets.
The main streets intersected at right angles, dividing the city into squares
or rectangular blocks each of which was divided length wise and cross wise
by lanes. Some buildings had a lamp post and a well.
There was an elaborate drainage system which emptied into the river.

11. Urban Cities:
The Indus civilization flourished around cities.
The city was the heart of the civilization.
Large cities divided into two parts.
The higher and upper portion of the city was
protected by a construction which looks like a fort.
The ruling class of the towns lived in the
protected area.
The other part of the towns was lower in height
than the former and common men lived in this
area.
The lower area of the towns generally spread
over one square mile.
Streets:
The main streets of Indus Valley ran from
north to south and east to west intersecting
one another at right angles.
The streets were broad varying from 9 feet
to 34 feet.
They ran straight to a mile.
They were suitable for wheeled traffic.
Lanes were joined with the streets.
Each lane had a public welt.
Street lamps were provided for welfare of
public

12. Public Buildings and Houses
The town dwellers were divided into various social classes.
The rich and the ruling class lived in the multi-roomed spacious
houses and the poorer section lived in small tenements.
The public building and big houses were situated on the streets.
The modest houses were situated on the lanes. Encroachment
on public roads or lanes by building houses was not permitted.
The houses can be divided into three main groups viz.
dwelling houses
larger buildings
Public baths.
Smaller houses had two rooms, while larger houses had many
rooms.
There were courtyards attached to big buildings.
There was little artistic touch in the architectural design of the
buildings belonging either to the rich or the poor.
They were plain, utilitarian and comfortable to live. Some of the
buildings were multi-storied.
Most of the houses had baths, wells and covered drains
connected with street drains.

13. HOUSES:
The houses were of different sizes varying from a
palatial building to one with two small rooms.
In harappan houses , Bathrooms were attached to the
rooms
The houses had a well, a bathroom, and a covered
drain connected to the drain in the street.
Houses in this civilization were built of Burnt bricks
and Gypsum (which have been preserved even to this
day).
Sun-dried bricks were used for the foundation of
the buildings and the roofs were flat and made of
wood.
The special feature of the houses was that
rooms were built around an open courtyard.
Some houses were double storied.
Some buildings had pillared halls; some of them
measured 24 square meters.
Palaces, temples or municipal halls were part of
public buildings.
Building Materials
Most of the houses were built of
burnt bricks in molds of 1:2:4 ratios
Un-burnt sun-dried bricks were
also used but stones were not used in
construction.
That portion of the buildings where
contamination with water was
possible, burnt bricks were used and
for the other parts sun-dried bricks
were used.
The staircases of big buildings were
solid; the roofs were flat and were
made of wood.
Mud mortar, gypsum cement, mud
plaster and gypsum plaster were
used.

14. Grid Pattern
– Harappa and Mohen-Jo Dero were laid out on a grid pattern and had
provisions for an advanced drainage system. Streets were oriented east to
west. Each street was having a well organized drainage system.
City Walls
– Each city in the Indus Valley was surrounded by massive walls and
gateways. The walls were built to control trade and also to stop the city
from being flooded.
– Each part of the city was made up of walled sections. Each section included
different buildings such as: Public buildings, houses, markets, craft
workshops, etc.
In-house wells
– Almost every house had its own wells, drains and bathrooms. The in-house
well is a common and recognizable feature of the Indus Valley Civilization.

15. Drainage System
 Each house was connected directly to an excellent drainage system, which indicates a highly
developed municipal life.
 The elaborate drainage system was a remarkable feature of the civilization.
 Housewives were expected to use pits in which heavier part of the rubbish will settle down
while only sewerage water was allowed to drain off.
 Each house had a well-constructed sink, and water flowed from the sink into the
underground sewers in the streets.
 Each house had horizontal and vertical drains.
There were underground drains for the streets which were
covered by stone slabs.
The soak pits were made of bricks which were occasionally
cleaned by workmen.
The house drains were connected with street drains which
had manholes at regular intervals

16. The acropolis and the lower cities
A typical city would be divided into two sections, each fortified separately.
One section was located on an artificially raised mound (sometimes
called acropolis) while the other level was on level ground.
The acropoliscontained the important buildings of the city, like the assembly
halls, religious structures, granaries and in the great bath in case of Mohenjo-
Daro.
The lower section of the city was where the housing for the inhabitants was
located. It was here where some truly amazing features have been discovered.
The city was well connected with broad roads about 30 meters long which met at
right angles. The houses were located in the rectangular squares thus formed.
The Residential Buildings
The residential buildings, which were serviceable enough, were mainly made up
of brick and consisted of on open terrace flanked by rooms. These houses were
made of standardized baked bricks (which had a ratio of length to width to
thickness at 4:2:1) as well as sun dried bricks. Some houses even had multiple
stories and paved floors.

17. Granaries
 The largest building found at Mohenjo-Daro is a
granary, running 150 feet long, 75 feet wide and 15
feet high.
 The granary was divided into 27 compartments in
three rows.
 It was well ventilated and it was possible to fill grain
in from outside. The large size of the granary probably
indicates a highly developed agricultural civilization.
Great Bath
 The Great bath at Mohenjo-Daro is about 179 feet
long and 107 feet wide.
 The complex has a large quadrangle in the center with
galleries and rooms on all sides. In the center of this
quadrangle there is a large swimming enclosure that
is 39 feet long, 23 feet wide and 8 feet deep.
 The entire complex is connected to an elaborate water
supply and sewer system. The Great Bath was
probably used for religious or ritualistic purposes.

18. The Assembly Hall
An important feature of Mohen-jo-daro was its 24 square meters pillared
hall.
It had five rows of pillars, with four pillars in each row. Kiln baked bricks
were used to construct these pillars. Probably, it was the Assembly Hall or
the ruler's court. It is said that it also housed the municipal office which had
the charge of town planning and sanitation.

19. No Temples
 There are no traces of temple architecture or other religious places, yet the people practiced
religion. The great bath has been linked to some religious practice.
No weaponry / warfare monuments
 Excavations across this culture have not revealed evidence of military forces or weaponry for
warfare. While the art of other civilisations has many images of prisoners, monuments to war
victories and of other activities related to warfare, the art of the Indus Valley has not a single
such depiction. The archaeological evidence points to the fact that the early river valley
civilisation in India was remarkable in being a cooperative culture without the rule of kings.
The emphasis appears to have been on peaceful trade and not on the development of military
might

20. Science and engineering
A thick ring-like shell object found with four slits each in two margins served as a compass to
measure angles on plane surfaces or in the horizon in multiples of 40 degrees, up to 360 degrees.
Such shell instruments were probably invented to measure 8
12 whole sections of the horizon and sky, explaining the slits on the lower and upper margins.
For their renowned draining system, engineers provided corbelled roofs, and an apron of kiln-
fired bricks over the brick face of the platform where the sewerage entered the cesspool.
Wooden screens inserted in grooves in the side drain walls held back solid waste. The well is
built of radial bricks, 2.4 metres (7.9 feet) in diameter and 6.7 metres (22 feet) deep.
It had an immaculate network of underground drains, silting chambers and cesspools, and
inspection chambers for solid waste

22. Town Planning at Lothal
Lothal Dockyard
– Lothal has a large structure that has been identified as a tidal dock for sea-faring
ships. There is a great deal of evidence that Indus Valley cities traded extensively
with other civilisations of that period. Mesopotamian records mention trade with
cities here, and objects from the Indus region have been found in West Asian
cities. Lothal’s dock—the world’s earliest known, connected the city to an ancient
course of the Sabarmati river on the trade route between Harappan cities in
Sindh and the peninsula of Saurashtra when the surrounding Kutch desert of
today was a part of the Arabian Sea. It was a vital and thriving trade centre in
ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems and valuable ornaments reaching the
far corners of West Asia and Africa.
A different kind of town planning we found at Lothal, in present-day Gujarat, on the western coast of
India. This city was divided into six sections and each section had a wide platform of earthen bricks.
Lothal is different from other sites of Indus Valley Civilization in terms of town planning that it has
entry to the houses on the main street while in other sites have shown lateral entry.