An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c19.s5: 14.5 Baths and Privies
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c19.s5
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14.5 Baths and Privies
v1.c19.s5.1
These two structural units of domestic architecture are linked with advanced urbanism. Their remains have accordingly been found at various Harappa sites such as LOTHAL, RANGPUR, KALIBANGAN and BANAWALI, in addition to Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.
v1.c19.s5.2
At the Indian sites bath-rooms have been located at LOTHAL, RANGPUR and BANAWALI. They usually measure 2 m × 2 m and are provided with burnt-brick flooring with an outlet to drain off water into the street drain. In another type the sullage water falls in soakage jars fixed outside the house in the street. At KALIBANGAN however, open-air bathing platforms have been found.
v1.c19.s5.3
Brick-paved privies with soakage jars have been found at LOTHAL. Privies are known at Mohenjo-daro, where they are cut into the rear wall of small rooms. The small recesses have two slightly raised seats on either side of a hole to which a pipe connected with the main sewerage drain in the street was fixed.
v1.c19.s5.4
In the historical period there is evidence of soakage jars fixed inside rooms at TRIPURĪ and VAIŚĀLĪ. These rooms, belonging to *c.* 300 B.C., may have served as privies. Evidence of bath-rooms is also available at sites like KUMRAHAR, TRIPURĪ, and VAIŚĀLĪ. The monastic caves of w. India have cisterns attached with them; the small platforms besides these cisterns were probably used as bathing platforms by the monks.