Harappan Civilisation

1. Religion

1.1. They worshiped Mother Goddess and Pashupati. They are believed to be the ancient forms of Saraswati and Shiva.

1.2. They worshiped many animals such as the bull and the mystical Unicorn.

1.3. Amulets & graves indicate that Harappans believed in the existence of ghosts & the afterlife.

2. Harappan Cities

2.1. Most important cities- Harappa & Mohenjo-daro.

2.2. Town Planning

2.2.1. The city was divided into the 'Citadel' & 'Lower town'.

2.2.2. Main buildings like the Great Bath & The Granary were located on the citadel.

2.2.3. Houses at street corners were rounded to allow carts to pass through easily.

2.2.4. House drains emptied all waste water into the street drains.

2.2.5. Houses were spacious & had deep foundations. Usually 1/2 stories high. Each house had a well.

2.3. Monumental Architecture included the Great Bath & the Granaries.

3. Arts & Crafts

3.1. They crafted bronze sculptures, figurines of clay & terracotta, seals & beads.

3.2. Goldsmiths made jewelry of gold, silver & precious stones.

3.3. Ornaments were worn by both men and women. Necklaces,rings,bangles & armlets were a few of the ornaments they wore.

4. Trade

4.1. Carried on exchanges through barter system.

4.2. They carried on considerable trade in stone, metal, shells, etc.

4.3. Mohenjo-daro, Harappa & Lothal were important centres for metallurgy, producing tools & weapons.

5. Decline

5.1. Deforestation

5.2. Earthquakes

5.3. Foreign Invaders

5.4. Floods & Climate Change