We saw
earlier that Dolavira was an important trade hub of the
Indus-Sarswati civilization in the south. It was also probably a
regional capital controlling smaller settlements like
'Surkotada'
existing in this region. Considering its time period, it can be said
that Dholavira was nothing but a spectacular city that was well
planned and built according to a plan. Archaeologists have been able
to measure the dimensions of the city and its three main sectors
quite accurately and have proved that the length and breadth of each
and every sector of the city were planned to be integer ratios such
as 5:4 or 4:3.
Dholavira
had three main sectors. An Acropolis or an administrative sector
(Citadel) consisting of a massive 'Castle' located on the city's high
point and an adjacent 'Bailey,' a middle town separated from the
administrative sector by a huge ceremonial ground and a lower town.
The city accommodated between 15000 to 20000 inhabitants.
Archaeologists
believe that
the local ecology, climate and precipitation have changed little
since Dholavira’s heydays, over last 4000 years. Areas around the
Rann of Kutch even today, have no natural sources of surface water
like perennial lakes, rivers or springs and the groundwater is mostly
brackish and unfit for animal or human consumption, even for
agriculture. The only source of potable water remains the
unpredictable monsoon rains that flood the small rivulets during
summer months. This region is almost at the edge of monsoon belt and
monsoon failure is not uncommon.
Dholavira's water management system
If
that was the case, how did Dholavira's planners and administrators
managed to supply potable water to 15000 or 20000 inhabitants year
round and also for whatever little agriculture or horticulture they
had? This was the question that had puzzled me, ever since I had
decided to visit this place. The total area of Dholavira, inside of
fortifications was about 47.57 hectares or 117.49 Acres. According
to Archaeological survey of India, Dholavira's planners had allocated
out of this, as much as 10 hectares or 24.7 acres of land for
creation of water reservoirs. According to conservative estimates,
these tanks could hold 300,000 cubic meters ( 79,250,000 gallons) of
water. Not satisfied with this storage, additional water storage was
created outside the fortifications and floors of many reservoirs were
provided with deep depressions or troughs, where water could remain
in exceptionally dry years. A simple calculation shows that for
15000 inhabitants, more than 54 liters of water per day was provided
by the city planners. Even today, not many places in India can match
this figure. It is very interesting to find out, how Dholavira
managed to provide such adequate quantity of water to its residents
in an arid area? A report by Archaeological survey of India says
and I quote:
Eastern Reservoir
“ The
other area in which the Harappans of Dholavira excelled spectacularly
pertained to water harvesting with the aids of dams, drain,
reservoirs and storm water management which eloquently speak of
tremendous engineering skills of the builders. Equally important is
the fact that all those features were integrated as part of city
planning and were surely for beauty aids too. The Harappans created
about sixteen or more reservoirs of varying sizes and designs and
arranged them in a series practically on all four sides. The 13 meter
of gradient between high and low areas from east to west within the
walls was ideally suited for creating cascading reservoirs, which
were separated from each other by enormous and broad bunds and yet
connected through feeding drains.”
Dried up Manhar water channel
(Photo taken from a bridge built by ASI)
Primary
sources for water for Dholavira were 2 monsoon fed seasonal water
channels, one flowing in from east and running down to south of the
city has been named as 'Manhar' by ASI and the other flowing along
north of the city, again named as 'Mansar' by ASI.
Water duct for harvested rain-water
In addition to
this, all the rain water that fell on the citadel was collected
through a complex drain network. Some of the larger drains were large
enough to allow a person to walk through and all the water collected
was stored into a tank carved out in the western part of the citadel
and were furnished with slopes, steps, cascades, manholes (air ducts
/ water relief ducts).
View of east gate with Manhar Channel in foreground
Regarding
the storage water tanks, ASI report says and I quote:
“Six
of the water tanks, one to east of castle and five of the series to
south of it, have been fully or considerably exposed while a few
others or other related features are testified in check digs. The
tank on the east side was found to be the largest, grandest and
best-furnished reservoir of rectangular shape measuring 73.40 m N-S
and 29.30 m E-W (ratio 5:2) at the top while above that there should
have been a 1 to 1.20 meter high embankment as evidenced at four
corners. Its floor was excavated into three levels the deepest of
which was 10.60 meter as has been ascertained so far. At three
corners, the north-western, north-eastern and south-western, it was
provided with a flight of 30 steps each while at the fourth, there
should be a waste-weir that still remains to be determined by more
excavation. While the embankment served as a broad walkway on two
sides, it was found to be a part of a wide causeway connecting it to
the entrance appurtenances of the castle and, on the west, it should
be flush with a 20 to 22 meter promenade that lay between the castle
wall and the reservoir. Inside the water structure there was found a
rock cut well with a few rock cut steps and a stone-made enclosure of
a later date. One thing is certain that it was accessible to all the
city-dwellers whether living in citadel, middle town or lower town or
even outsiders. Besides, it was, perhaps, used by all on some social
or religious occasions.
Southern reservoir
Another
five tanks in a series, outside along the south of the citadel have
been excavated fully or partly. These are of varying sizes and depth
and were cut into soft sedimentary sandy limestone. These five tanks
together made two mega-units of somewhat staggered disposition. The
first two tanks from the east, form one unit and the rest three tanks
form the second unit. Centrally located tank exhibits genuinely, a
rock cut architecture of excellence both in beauty and skill and also
surely in importance and use. Consisting of both inlying and outlying
features, it has a deep basin, an obliquely oriented deeper trough
inside, a surrounding free board, two masonry flight of steps, an
inlet and another rock cut outlet channel, besides outside features
like a wide terrace on the west, a massive levee on the east, a
stairway ascending to the covered south gate of the castle, a working
platform on the south, a passageway between walls, emanating from the
north-eastern stairs. The neatness with what the tank was cut is
remarkable. The weaker veins of the rock were scooped out and plugged
with superb masonry work. The remaining two rock cut tanks lay
further west. All the tanks were interconnected with drain conducting
water into each other. The surplus water finally flowed out through a
masonry drain into another series of reservoirs excavated further
west. ”
Western reservoirs
Within
the citadel itself, there were adequate arrangements for water
storage for the inhabitants. Behind the north gate, in the central
zone of the citadel, a 12.80 meter wide water storage tank was found.
This tank was fed directly from dammed water of 'Manhar' channel by a
28 meter long and 0.70 meter wide inlet duct provided with manholes.
This tank occupied a large portion of the citadel area.
Mouth of storm-water drain
Breathing holes
Steps to enter drainage system
In the
northeast corner of the citadel a well was discovered Arrangements
were in place to draw out water from this well by using a leather bag
attached to a rope, pulled up by bullocks. A horizontal slab of the
trough have markings showing the passage of the rope used to draw
water from the wall. (This kind of arrangement was in use in India
even 40 or 50 years ago.)Water drawn from the well was conducted
through a covered channel to feed a nearby tank (4.35 meters X 2.95
meters and with a depth of 3.58 meters. Side walls of the tank were
formed by vertically placed stone slabs; the upper part had
stone-rubble masonry. The floor was also found to be paved with stone
slabs.
Well in citadel
Markings of water drawing rope rubbing against stone slab
Water inlet duct of the tank, where well water was stored
Dholavira
had a well laid out, sewage removal system with toilets, sullage
jars (waste water pots) outside many houses, sanitary pits. Drains
show a good variety even included cut-stone ones and pottery pipes.
Terracotta water pipe used for sewage removal
Sewage removal duct in a corner of the house
A broken Sullage jar for waste water in a house corner
In my
opinion, Dholavira's water supply, rain water harvesting and sewage
removal systems are such that even today, many Indian towns would be
envious of these. I find it quite difficult to describe these in
details and feel that they can be appreciated in the real sense only
after a visit.
In the
next part, we shall see another amazing aspect of this metropolis.
(To be
concluded)
28
February 2013
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