‘A galore of mistakes’, this was the first reaction of the historians and archaeologists around the globe on the trailer of Hrithik Roshan starter and highly anticipated ‘Mohenjo-Daro’. While creative freedom is every director’s right, Mr. Gowariker has perhaps overdone it. He seems to have confused the Vedic Age with the Indus Valley Civilisation. The trailer reveals that the movie is set in 2016 BC, and proudly proclaims that ‘Before British Raj, Before The Mughals, Before Christ. Before Buddha, Before The India We Know, there was Mohenjo-Daro’. And sadly, this is only the fact they have got right. Yes, only!
It is highly surprising to see that the trailer features white Arabian horses, which in contradiction to the history which states that horses were brought in by the “Aryans”. The showcase of Romanesque hosting wars does not have any reference in the history. Then there is the showcase of headgears made of feathers and the skin colour controversy. Last but not the least there is the typecast of flood game. The theorem of Indus flood has been discarded by historians as a reason for the civilization’s decline. Well, this is just a few examples of things gone terribly wrong.
However, amidst the cynicism and criticism around the archaeological section , Mohenjo Daro releases this Friday. While the over glam factor might seem too much but one can not deny the artistic standard of the city of Mohenjo Daro.
The city of Mohenjo Daro is a faddish among architects and archeologists for its planned architectural design, unique pottery styles, and its unexampled use of clay designs. More than 10,000 terracotta figurines, unearthed from various sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation clearly suggests how amazing the city was. Discussed below are some the unique architectural design ruins that proclaim how efficient the city was even during those days. Have a look.
Delmas 73 The magnanimous Great Bath:
Image Source- wikimedia.org
The most significant discovery made by the archaeologists of all the Mohenjo-Daro ruins is that of Great Bath. Great bath is in the city of Citadel. It is 8 foot deep, 39 foot long and 23 foot wide. It is rectangular in shape. The bathing pool was built of waterproof bricks. The pool is architected like a pro. The pool is surrounded by a series of small dressing rooms. Not only that it was designed in such a way that already used water was removed through a 6-foot high drain. According to historians, the bath was used for hygienic purposes and also for religious rituals. Modern Hinduism still considers bathing rituals to be highly significant and it all started with the city of Mohenjo Daro.
Clay pipes:
Image Source- historyshistories.com
The sewer system of Mohenjo Daro was made of clay pipes. The ‘Chief glory’ was an infamous and complex system of drains that ran throughout the city. The historians are literally in awe of the drainage system. The unique clay pipes carried out the dirty water from buildings to the main sewer system, literally covering the whole city. The efficiency of the drainage system made it easy for both the rich and poor to have bathrooms in their home. There was the existence of deep wells as well.
Houses of clay:
Image Source- wikipedia.org
Historians suggest that the majority of people lived in the lower city. There were several narrow alleys. The house structures during those days were unique in its own way. The roofs were flat, mostly two storey and mud-brick was the main constituent of this houses. The window alignment of the Mohenjo Daro houses is exemplary for architects around the globe. They were made of hard clay widely popular now as terracotta. Archaeologists have found ruins of both multi rooms as well as single room structures. Mohenjo Daro’s planned layout was based on a street grid of rectilinear buildings. Most were built of fired and mortared brick and wooden superstructures.
More than houses: The emergence of Terracotta figures
Image Source- fotolibra.com
The excavated terracotta models such as pottery filled cart and many more other examples show how good the artisans were during those days. These figures give a clear indication how transportation worked during those days. Archaeologists guess that the infants probably used to play with terracotta modeled toys during those days.
“Of all our studies, history is best qualified to reward our research. And when you see that you’ve got problems, all you have to do is examine the historic method used all over the world by others who have problems similar to yours. And once you see how they got theirs straight, then you know how you can get yours straight… Malcolm X.
This quote is completely fitting in regards to Mohenjo Daro. Even if the Indus valley civilization is washed off, it’s the ruins are suggestive enough of the fact how strong the construction materials were during those days. The buildings are standing on their own even after centuries. The clay made buildings are truly exemplary for architects all around. We got to restore what’s lost and reclaim our faith and it is evidently happening too. Clay is in demand globally pertaining to its longevity and for the need of a better sustainable environment. The architecture has reached to some other level but the cycle has again evolved encompassing around clay building materials and the growing popularity of clay bricks is a clear evidence of that.
The mysterious city of Mohenjo Daro reflects that the time may pass but the basics always prevail.
Check out this video for an insight of Mohenjo-Daro culture;
http://columbuscameragroup.com//wp-json/wp_live_chat_support/v1/remote_upload Curated by editor at Wienerberger India
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[Feature Image Source- indianexpress.com]
