Dholavira, one of the largest and most prominent archaeological sites in India, belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. It is located on the Khadir bet island in the Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India.

The remains of Dholavira, a major city of the Harappan civilization, were discovered in 1967-68 by J. Joshi. The Archaeological Survey of India started excavation in 1990 under the directions of Dr. B.S. Bisht. The excavation at Dholavira brought to light a remarkable city of exquisite planning, monumental structures, aesthetic architecture and amazing water management system.

One of the unique features of Dholavira is the sophisticated water conservation system of channels and reservoirs, the earliest found anywhere in the world and completely built out of stone, of which three are exposed. They were used for storing the fresh water brought by rains or to store the water diverted from a nearby rivulet. This probably came in wake of the desert climate and conditions of Kutch, where several years may pass without rainfall.

Besides reservoirs, every house in Dholavira had well, drains, bathroom with sewage system. It is a remarkable feet of town planning and engineering for an ancient Indus valley. Even after 60 years of independence, India still doesn’t have well planned cities/towns, let alone access to clean water.

Below is very informative video about Dholavira.

Computer graphics reproduction of Dholavira:

Links:
Dholavira photos
Wikipedia
Indus valley civilization