The Harappan towns exhibited well-planned streets, lanes, drainage systems, and fortified structures. For construction, the Harappans used baked and unbaked bricks as well as stones. The towns followed a grid pattern, with systematically built drainage systems.
Houses were primarily made of mud bricks, while drainage systems were constructed using burnt bricks. Many houses had multiple floors, with some featuring staircases, indicating an upper level. In Mohenjo-Daro, the town was built on a raised platform and had two distinct sections: the citadel and the lower town. The houses were designed with multiple rooms, bathrooms paved with burnt bricks, and proper drainage systems. Several homes had a central courtyard surrounded by rooms.
The citadel housed important structures, either for public use or for select residents. A building in Mohenjo-Daro has been identified as a warehouse. The Great Bath, a tank situated within a courtyard, had corridors on all four sides and staircases on the northern and southern ends. It was well-paved, surrounded by adjacent rooms, and associated with ritual bathing. Some structures have been interpreted as granaries.
Bricks were laid watertight using gypsum mortar, ensuring durability. Unlike the grand monuments of Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization lacked large temples or royal palaces.
The Great Granary at Mohenjo-Daro featured strategic air ducts and elevated platforms, designed to store grain while protecting it from pests.
