HARAPPA CULTURE (agriculture,granary,road and drainage system,big building,great bath)

The great bath of mohenjodaro.

1)one of the brilliant specimens of Harappan town planning is its famous great bath, excavated from the ruins of mohenjodaro. The total length of the bath is55 meters and breathed is 33 meters. The bath pool inside is of 12 meters in length, 6meters in breathed and 3 meters deep.

2) to satisfy the bathing aspiration of the ancient harappans , the great bath was constructed for public use. The architectural style of the great bath was much refined and unique.

  

3) proper arrangement was made for the supply of water to the bath –pool. Adjacent deep well supplied clear water. Separate sets of drains were connected to the bath for inlet and outlet of water.

4) the floor and side walls of both pool were made strong to keep the water level  full. A staircase led to the path from one side. On other sides were galleries for the spectators, a ring of big and small rooms and a long corridor.

5) historians are opponion that like the sancity of water in hindu religion, the great bath of harappan culture was most probably meant for coronation or worshiping the deities.    

GRANARY-

1)just to the north of the great bath at mohenjodaro, we come across a very big row of twenty seven rooms made of burnt bricks. From east to west it extended up to 50 meters while from north to south the extension was 27 meters.

2) such house are found at Harappa, lothal and kalibagan which are accepted as a granaries by the historians. Preservation of food grains was the purpose of such construction.

3) to the south granary, there were circular stone floors meant for harvesting. Most probably some kind of taxes were collected from the peasant in form of grains.

4) undoubtedly, granary was of immense use at the time of flood, cyclone and the other natural calamites. 

   

BIG BUILDING-

1)A big building about 360ft. long and 78ft. wide, is another attraction of harappan towns planning culture. The building has 33ft. long corridor.

2) A pillar hall 25meters length surrounded by small rooms is found inside the building. Different historians put forward different view regarding the structure.

3) Some opine it to be an educational institution while for others it was market complex. Another group think it to be a meeting hall while others believe it to be a residential complex meant for higher official.

4) Whatever might be the purpose behind the construction, like modern public structures, the buildings stands as a silent witness to high quality of harrapan public life.

ROAD AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM-

1)Good transportation and scientific drainage system are the basic ingredients of a city life. The harappans were not blind to this necessities.  Rather they had innovative ideas to make the system utilitarian for the general public.

2) Like the planned cities of the Harappan culture roads were accordingly chalked out.  The breadth of the road was determined according to ability of space.  For example if the narrow Lane had a particular breath of road in the open area the brief Was two or three times wider.

3) The Civic consequences of the inhabitations prevented them from forceful occupation of Roadside lands.  This Civic sense of our Harappan ancestors is the definitely admirable which is often around absent in our societies.

4) Another specific characteristic of this culture was the scientific drainage system which points at their health consequences and cleanness.  The drains from kitchen, bathroom and Latrine of each house were connected with main drain which stretched outside the city.

5) Proper steps were taken by the authorities to make the environment free from pollution. As a matter of fact, proper resident Complex, planned city life, covered drainage system, great bath wide and lengthy roads, light post etc. stand for a highly advanced town planning.

6) Even long before 3000 B.C, the inhabitation of this Civilization by their scientific attitude maintain a refined Lifestyle. They also knew how to make in healthier, easier and comfortable. proper  town planning is a clear cut proof of their scientific temper.

AGRICULTURE-

1)Stable economic always served as a strong base for a prosperous Civilization. Like the backbone of an animal It helps the civilizations for its multifarious exposition in culture. 

2) Harappan culture was also not an expectation to this dictum. It Centre around a rich economy. And the base of economic growth was agriculture. It was an agriculture oriented culture throw sufficient scopes were there for trades, commerce, pastoralism , art and craft.

3) The culture and civilization revolved around the purpose economic condition of the inhabitation of the soil. As we know the three basic necessities of human life that is food, clothing and shelter, could be fulfilled by residing on river banks.

4) The rich Alluvial soil on the bank of the rivers was very favourable  for agriculture and pastoralism which met  the requirements of food and clothing. The ability of house buildings materials could also be obtained from the spot.

5)  Therefor like other ancient civilization the fertile belt of the river Indus gave impetus for agriculture activities.

6) Every year due to heavy monsoon rains the riverbank of Indus was  flooded with water after the flood receded ,layers of silt left on the land was  beneficial for agriculture. There was no necessity for use of manures or irrigation.

7)  The archaeological remains of corn fields from Kalibagan show that the lands were ploughed with ploughs. two type of corns  were harvested from the field simultaneously.  This type of farming is still found in western up and many places of Rajasthan and Haryana.

8) The plough were usually made of wood or copper. But remains from MohenjoDaro and banwali so the use of earthen plough in this regions. Sickles made of Copper and sharp stones with wooden handles where used for harvesting the corns.

9) The rows of granaries Prove the abundance of production, some of which was reserved for emergency in future. The main agricultural product consisted of cotton, Barley and wheat. paddy cultivation was prevalent at some places and rice was favourite. The remains of paddy have been excavated  from Gujarat and Haryana.

10) in addition the cultivation of Ragi Jowar, beans, Peas, mustard etc. Where part of vegetation .the remains of cotton denote the familiarity of the people with cotton cultivation. it is worth mentioning that the Cotton discovered from the mehergarh which of the oldest variety found in the world.