Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilization: Salient Features

Town planning is the unique feature of Indus valley civilization. Their town planning proves that they
lived a highly civilized and developed life. Indus people were the first to build planned cities with
scientific drainage system. The Indus cities were built on an uniform plan. Town planning was
amazing in nature. A few cities have forts to the West built on higher platform and to the east of
which is the hub of residential area. Both of them are surrounded by a massive brick wall. The cities
without citadel are found on high mounds.

Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilization

Streets
The streets were straight and cut each other at right angles. They were 13 to 34 feet wide and were
well lined. The streets and roads divided the city into rectangular blocks. Archaeologists have
discovered the lamp posts at intervals. This suggests the existence of street lights. Dustbins were
also provided on the streets. These prove the presence of good municipal administration.

Drainage System
One of the most remarkable features of the Indus valley civilization is that the city was provided with
an excellent closed drainage system. Each house had its own drainage and soak pit which was
connected to the public drainage. Brick laid channels flowed through every street. They were
covered and had manholes at intervals for cleaning and clearing purposes. Large brick mains with
corbelled roofs were constructed on the outskirts of the city to carry excess water. Thus Indus
people had a perfect underground drainage system. No other contemporary civilization gave so
much attention to cleanliness.

The Great Bath

The most striking feature in Mohenjodaro is the Great Bath. It consists of a large quadrangle. In the
centre, there is a huge swimming pool (approximately 39 ft long, 23 ft wide and 8ft deep) with the
remains of galleries and rooms on all four sides. It has a flight of steps at either end and is fed by a
well, situated in one of the adjoining rooms. The water was discharged by a huge drain with
corbelled roof more than 6 ft in depth. The Great bath had 8 ft thick outer walls. This solid
construction has successfully withstood the natural ravages for 5000 years. There were
arrangements for hot water bath in some rooms.

Granaries
The largest building in Mohenjodaro is granary which is 45.71 mtrs long and 15.23 mtrs wide. In
Harappa there are a series of brick platforms which formed the base for two rows of 6 granaries
each. In the Southern part of Kalibangan brick platforms have also been found. These granaries
safely stored the grains, which were probably collected as revenue or store houses to be used in
emergencies.

Buildings
People of Indus valley civilization built houses and other buildings by the side of roads. They built
terraced houses of burnt bricks. Every house had two or more rooms. There were also more than
one storied houses. The houses were designed around an inner courtyard and contained pillared
halls, bath rooms, paved floors, kitchen, well etc. Besides residential quarters, elaborate structures
have also been found. One of these buildings has got the biggest hall measuring 80 ft long and 80 ft
wide. It might have been a palace, or temple or hall for holding meetings. The workmen quarters are
also found. There was an excellent system of water supply. There were public wells by the side of
streets. Every big house had its own well. They also built a dockyard at Lothal.

The Indus Valley Civilization,

Map, Seals, Town Planning,
Great Bath
Indus Valley Civilization also known as Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of
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Table of Contents
 Indus Valley Civilization
 Indus Valley Civilization Cities and Sites
 Indus Valley Civilization Map
 Indus Valley Civilization Phases
 Indus Valley Civilization Town Planning
 Indus Valley Civilization Great Bath
 Indus Valley Civilization Society & Political System
 Indus Valley Civilization Agriculture
 Indus Valley Civilization Craft
 Indus Valley Civilization Technology
 Indus Valley Civilization Art
 Indus Valley Civilization Script
 Indus Valley Civilization Religion
 Indus Valley Civilization Trade & Economy
 Indus Valley Civilization Decline
 Indus Valley Civilization UPSC
 Indus Valley Civilization FAQs

Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization thrived from 3300 to 1300 BCE in its early years and from 2600
to 1900 BCE in its prime years. This civilization’s domain stretched from what is now northeast
Afghanistan through Pakistan and northwest India along the Indus River.
Of the three early civilizations of the ancient world—Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and
the Indus—the Indus Civilization was the most extensive. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were
regarded as the two biggest towns of the Indus Valley Civilization when it initially emerged
around 2600 BCE along the Indus River Valley in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan.
Important archaeological information on ancient cultures was obtained via their discovery and
excavation in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Indus Valley Civilization Cities and Sites
The urban centres of the Indus Valley Civilization had well-designed and organized
infrastructure, architecture, and governmental structures.

The little Early Harappan villages had grown into huge cities by 2600 BCE. In modern Pakistan,
these cities are Harappa, Ganeriwala, and Mohenjo-Daro; in contemporary India, these cities are
Dholavira, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, Rupar, and Lothal. In total, more than 1,052 cities and
settlements have been found, primarily near the Indus River and its tributaries. There may have
once been five million people living in the Indus Valley Civilization.

The Indus Valley Civilization left behind towns with exceptional organization; there were public
granaries and baths, as well as well-organized systems for collecting rubbish and sewerage. Most
city people were craftsmen and merchants, who tended to congregate in specific neighborhoods.
Urban planning’s high standard reflects effective municipal administrations that gave religious
observance and hygiene a high priority.
 Important
Site Excavated by Location
Findings

Sandstone statues
Situated on the
of Human anatomy
bank of river Ravi
Daya Ram Sahini
Harappa in Montgomery
in 1921 Granaries
district of Punjab
(Pakistan).
Bullock carts

Great bath

Granary

Bronze dancing girl

Situated on the
Bank of river
Mohenjodaro R.D Banerjee in Seal of Pasupathi
Indus in Larkana
(Mound of Dead) 1922 Mahadeva
district of Punjab
(Pakistan).
Steatite statue of
beard man

A piece of woven
cotton

In southwestern
A trade point
Balochistan
Sutkagendor Stein in 1929 between Harappa
province, Pakistan
and Babylon
on Dast river

Bead makers shop

N.G Majumdar in Sindh on the
Chanhudaro
1931 Indus river Footprint of a dog
chasing a cat

N.G Majumdar in On the bank of

Amri Antelope evidence
1935 Indus river

Fire altar
Rajasthan on the
Kalibangan Ghose in 1953 bank of Ghaggar Camel bones
river
Wooden plough

Lothal R.Rao in 1953 Gujarat on First manmade port

Bhogva river near
 Dockyard

Rice husk
Gulf of Cambay
Fire altars

Chess playing

Bones of horses
Surkotada J.P Joshi in 1964 Gujarat
Beads

Beads

Barley
Hisar district of
Banawali R.S Bisht in 1974
Haryana
Evidence of both
pre-Harappan and
Harappan culture

Water harnessing
Gujarat in Rann of system
Dholavira R.S Bisht in 1985
Kachchh
Water reservoir

Indus Valley Civilization Map

Indus Valley Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization Phases
 Early Harappan Phasefrom 3300 to 2600 BCE
 Mature Harappan Phasefrom 2600 to 1900 BCE
 Late Harappan Phasefrom 1900 to 1300 BCE.

Indus Valley Civilization Town Planning

Town planning was a distinctive feature of the Harappan society. Both Mohenjodaro and
Harappa had their own acropolis or fort, which may have been inhabited by members of the
governing elite. Each city had a lower town with brick homes where the common people lived
beneath the citadel. The grid system was followed in the city housing arrangements, which is
exceptional.

The Harappan cities included granaries as a significant component. The usage of burnt bricks in
the Harappan cities is unusual considering that dried bricks were primarily employed in Egyptian
constructions at the time. Mohenjodaro has a highly effective drainage system. Each large or
modest residence in practically all cities had its own patio and bathroom. There were wells in
several homes in Kalibangan. At places like Dholavira and Lothal (Gujarat), the town’s entire
settlement was fortified, and walls also divided different parts of the town.

Indus Valley Civilization Great Bath

The “first public water tank in the ancient world” is another name for Mohenjo-Great Daro’s
Bath. Mostly and exclusively utilised for religious rituals, the Great Bath was also occasionally
used for bathing. There is no indication of a temple around, therefore they may have utilized this
for religious rituals. Due to their poverty or perceived lack of purity, some people were not even
permitted to attend the Great Bath.

The Great Bath, one of the most important Indus cultural centres, is a part of a massive citadel
complex that was unearthed at Mohenjo-Daro during excavations in the 1920s. A thick layer of
natural tar, also known as bitumen, which is utilized to hold water, and fine baked waterproof
mud bricks are used to construct the huge bath. A large, rectangular tank encircled on all sides by
hallways, with flights of stairs leading into the tank on the north and south.

Indus Valley Civilization Society & Political

System

Regarding a centre of power or representations of the powerful in Harappan civilization,

archaeological evidence do not immediately offer any answers. Pottery, seals, weights, and
bricks with regulated sizes and weights are among the artefacts of the Harappan culture that
exhibit an amazing degree of consistency, indicating some kind of authority or system of
government. Regarding the Harappan system of rule or governance, three significant hypotheses
have emerged over time.

The first is that, given the uniformity of the artefacts, the indication of planned colonies, the
standardization of brick size, and the apparent placement of towns close to raw material sources,
there was a single state that included all the communities of the civilization.

According to the second theory, each of the urban centres, including Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa,
and other settlements, had a number of rulers who represented them.

Finally, researchers have proposed that there were no rulers in the Indus Valley Civilization in
the traditional sense of the word; instead, everyone lived in equality..
Indus Valley Civilization Agriculture

Food grain production was adequate in the Harappan communities, which were primarily located
close to the river plains. It was possible to grow wheat, barley, rai, peas, sesame, lentil, chickpea,
and mustard. Additionally, Gujarati places have millets. While rice was only occasionally used.
Cotton was first produced by the Indus civilization. Grain findings suggest the presence of
agriculture, but it is more challenging to recreate actual agricultural operations.

Bulls have been depicted on seals and in clay art and extrapolation by archaeologists suggest that
oxen were also utilized for ploughing. The majority of Harappan sites are found in semi-arid
regions, where irrigation was probably necessary for farming. Canal remnants have been
discovered at the Afghani Harappan site at Shortughai, but not in Punjab or Sindh. Despite
engaging in agriculture, the Harappans also raised animals on a massive scale.

Mohenjodaro’s surface level and a dubious ceramic statue from Lothal both include evidence of
the horse. In any event, horses were not central to the Harappan civilization.

Indus Valley Civilization Craft

The largest of the four ancient civilizations—which also included Egypt, Mesopotamia, and
China—the Indus Valley Civilization is the earliest known example of the type of culture on the
Indian subcontinent that is generally referred to as “urban” (or focused on large communities). It
has been determined that the Indus River Valley’s civilization existed during the Bronze Age, or
roughly 3300–1300 BCE. It was situated in what is now Pakistan and India, and it encompassed
a region the size of Western Europe.

The two most important towns of the Indus Valley Civilization, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro,
appeared in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan approximately 2600 BCE along the
Indus River Valley. Important archaeological information about the civilization’s technology,
art, trade, transportation, writing, and religion was uncovered and uncovered during their
discovery and excavation in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Indus Valley Civilization Technology

The Indus Valley inhabitants made numerous important technological advancements, including
very accurate systems and tools for measuring length and mass.
One of the first civilizations to create a system of standard weights and measurements that
followed a scale was Harappa. On an ivory scale that was discovered at Lothal, a significant
Indus Valley city in the contemporary Indian state of Gujarat, the smallest division, measuring
roughly 1.6 mm, was written. It is the tiniest division of a Bronze Age scale that has ever been
identified. The regular size of the bricks used to construct the Indus towns is another sign of an
advanced measurement system.

Dockyards, granaries, warehouses, brick platforms, and defense walls built by the Harappans
served as examples of sophisticated building. The sewer and drainage systems utilized in ancient
Indus cities were far more sophisticated and effective than any seen in modern-day Middle
Eastern cities, and they are being used in many parts of Pakistan and India today.

It was thought that the Harappans were skilled carvers of patterns into the underside of seals. To
mark their properties and impress clay on trade products, they used several seals. A seal
decorated with elephant, tiger, and water buffalo patterns has been one of the objects discovered
in Indus Valley towns the most frequently.

The Harappans also executed elaborate handicrafts employing items made of the semi-precious
gemstone, Carnelian, and created new methods for working with metallurgy, the science of
working with copper, bronze, lead, and tin.

Indus Valley Civilization Art

Many different works of art from the Indus Valley culture have been discovered at excavation
sites, including sculptures, seals, ceramics, gold jewellery, and anatomically accurate figurines
made of terracotta, bronze, and soapstone.

One of the many figurines made of gold, terracotta, and stone depicted a “Priest-King” with a
beard and patterned robe. Another bronze figurine, the “Dancing Girl,” stands just 11 cm tall and
depicts a female figure in a stance that might indicate the existence of a choreographed dance
style that was practiced by people in the civilization. There were also terracotta works of cows,
bears, monkeys, and dogs. In addition to figurines, it is thought that the inhabitants of the Indus
River Valley also produced necklaces, bangles, and other decorations.

Indus Valley Civilization Script

The Harappans are thought to have spoken a language made out of symbols called Indus Script.
At Harappa, written texts on clay and stone tablets with trident shaped, plant-like patterns were
discovered. These texts have been carbon-dated to between 3300 and 3200 BCE. This Indus
Script implies that the Indus River Valley Civilization developed writing independently from the
script used in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.

Indus symbols have been discovered on seals, tiny tablets, pottery pots, and more than a dozen
more objects, numbering up to 600 different symbols. The majority of the typically short Indus
inscriptions have no more than four or five characters. The longest sign on a single surface is 17
signs long and less than 1 inch (or 2.54 cm) square. Although the figures are mostly illustrated,
there are numerous abstract signs that don’t seem to have aged well.

Although it is believed that the inscriptions were largely written from right to left, it is not
apparent whether this script represents a full language. Linguists and archaeologists have not
been able to decode the symbols because there is no “Rosetta Stone” to compare it to other
writing systems.

Indus Valley Civilization Religion

The religion of Harappa is still up for debate. There is widespread speculation that the Harappans
revered a mother deity who represented fertility. Indus Valley Civilization appears to have
lacked any temples or palaces that would have provided indisputable proof of religious rites or
particular deities, in contrast to Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. A swastika emblem,
used in later Indian religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, is depicted on some
Indus Valley seals.

Numerous Indus Valley seals also feature animal forms; some represent animals being carried in
processions, while others show chimaera creations. This has led academics to theories about the
significance of animals in Indus Valley religions. One Mohenjo-Daro seal depicts a tiger being
attacked by a half-human, half-buffalo creature. It’s possible that this is a reference to the
Sumerian narrative about a monster that Aruru—the goddess of the ground and fertility in that
culture—created to battle Gilgamesh, the protagonist of an old Mesopotamian epic poem. This is
yet another indication of Harappan culture being traded internationally.

Indus Valley Civilization Trade & Economy

Harappan city workshops utilized raw materials imported from Iran and Afghanistan, as well as
lead and copper from other regions of India, jade from China, and cedar wood that had been
carried down rivers from the Himalayas and Kashmir. Trade was centered on acquiring these
resources. Terracotta pots, gold, silver, metals, beads, flints for creating tools, seashells, pearls,
and colored gemstones like lapis lazuli and turquoise were among the additional trade items.
 The Harappan and Mesopotamian civilizations had a robust maritime trading network in place.
At archaeological sites in Mesopotamia, which covers the majority of contemporary Iraq,
Kuwait, and parts of Syria, Harappan seals and jewellery have been discovered. The creation of
plank boats with a single central mast bearing a sail made of woven rushes or fabric may have
made long-distance sea trade over waterways like the Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf
possible.

The presence of multiple seals, standardized writing, and standardized weights and measures
throughout a large area attests to the significance of trade in the lives of the Indus people. The
Harappans engaged in extensive trading in goods including shells, metal, and stone. Trade was
conducted using the barter system rather than metal money. On the Arabian Sea’s coast, they
practised navigation. In the north of Afghanistan, they had established a commercial colony that,
presumably, enabled trade with Central Asia.

Additionally, they conducted business with people living in the Tigris and Euphrates region. The
long-distance lapis lazuli trade that the Harappans engaged in may have boosted the social
standing of the governing class.

Indus Valley Civilization Decline

Although the precise causes of the Indus Valley Civilization’s decline are still up for debate, it
happened approximately 1800 BCE. According to one version, the Indus Valley Civilization was
invaded and subjugated by the Indo-European tribe known as the Aryans. Different pieces of the
Indus Valley Civilization have been discovered in later societies, suggesting that civilization did
not abruptly end owing to an invasion.

On the other side, a lot of academics think that the fall of the Indus Valley Civilization was
caused by natural reasons:

 Geological and climatic elements may constitute the natural factors.

 It is thought that the Indus Valley region had a number of tectonic disturbances that resulted in
earthquakes and altered the paths of rivers or caused them to dry up.
 Changes in rainfall patterns could be another natural cause.
There could be also dramatic shifts in the river courses, which might have brought floods to the
food producing areas. Due to combination of these natural causes there was a slow but inevitable
collapse of Indus Valley Civilization.
Indus Valley Civilization UPSC
 The phrase “Indus Valley Civilization” was coined by researcher John Marshall.
 Radio-carbon dating indicates that the Indus Valley Civilization existed from the year 2500 to
the year 1750 BC.
 The urbanization of the Harappan Civilization was its most defining characteristic.
 Additionally, the Indus Valley Civilization domesticated elephants, humped cattle, dogs, sheep,
and goats.
 Mohenjodaro and Harappa are the two capital cities.
 Sutkagendor, Balakot, Lothal, Allahdino, and Kuntasi are the harbor cities.
 The inhabitants of the Indus Valley were familiar with the use of both cotton and wool..
Indus Valley Civilization FAQs
Q What is Indus Valley Civilization known for?
Ans. Urban planning, a technical and political process dealing with the utilisation of land and the
creation of the urban environment, is a skill that the Indus towns are renowned for. They are also
renowned for their vast, non-residential building clusters, intricate drainage and water supply
systems, and baked brick homes.
Q Who is the founder of Indus Valley Civilization?
Ans. The Indus Valley Civilization was discovered in the early 1900s by a British archaeologist
named John Marshall.
Q What killed the Indus Valley Civilization?
Ans. Many historians believe the Indus civilization collapsed because of changes to the
geography and climate of the area. Movements in the Earth’s crust (the outside layer) might have
caused the Indus River to flood and change its direction.
Q What is the Indus Valley Civilization called today?
Ans. The Indus civilisation is also known as the Harappan civilisation, after its type site
Harappa, the first to be excavated early in the 20th century in what was then the Punjab province
of British India and is now Punjab, Pakistan.
Q Which is the oldest civilization?
Ans. Mesopotamia is the oldest civilization

Gandhara Civilization

One of the two major ancient civilizations of the area, which is now Pakistan,
was the Gandhara Civilization. The record of Gandhara civilization was
discovered in the 20th century. The rock statues along the ancient Silk Road
(Karakoram Highway) also provide fascinating record of the history of Gandhara.

Time: 500 BC to 10 AD

Regions

Gandhara is the region that now comprise of Peshawar valley, Mardan, Swat,
Dir, Malakand, and Bajuaur agencies in the North West Frontier Province
(NWFP), Taxila in the Punjab, and up to Jalalabad in Afghanistan. It is in this
region that the Gandhara civilization emerged and became the cradle of
Buddhism. It was from here that Buddhism spread towards east as far away as
Japan and Korea.
Taxila is the residence of many splendid Buddhist establishments. Taxila, the
main centre of Gandhara, is over 3,000 years old. Taxila had attracted
Alexander the great from Macedonia in 326 BC, with whom the influence of
Greek culture came to this part of the world. Taxila later came under the
Mauryan dynasty and reached a remarkable matured level of development
under the great Ashoka. During the year 2 BC, Buddhism was adopted as the
state religion, which flourished and prevailed for over 1,000 years, until the year
10 AD. During this time Taxila, Swat and Charsadda (old Pushkalavati) became
three important centers for culture, trade and learning. Hundreds of monasteries
and stupas were built together with Greek and Kushan towns such as Sirkap and
Sirsukh, both in Taxila.

The Gandhara civilization was not only the centre of spiritual influence but also
the cradle of the world famous Gandhara culture, art and learning. It was from
these centers that a unique art of sculpture originated which is known as
Gandhara Art all over the world. Today the Gandhara sculptures occupy a
prominent place in the museums of England, France, Germany, USA, Japan,
Korea, China, India and Afghanistan, together with many private collections
world over, as well as a vast collection in the museums of Pakistan. Buddhism
left a monumental and rich legacy of art and architecture in Pakistan. Despite
the passing of centuries, the Gandhara region preserved a lot of the heritage in
craft and art. Much of this legacy is visible even today in Pakistan.

The very earliest examples of Buddhist Art were popular in the Sub-continent
even after the death of the Buddha. This is because the Buddha himself did not
sanction personal worship or the making of images. As Siddhatha Guatama was
a Buddha, a self-perfected, self-enlightened human being, he was a human role
model to be followed but not idolized. Of himself he said, ‘Buddha’s only point
the way’. This is why the earliest artistic tributes to the Buddha were abstract
symbols indicative of major events and achievements in his last life, and in
some cases his previous lives. Some of these early representations of the
Buddha include the footprints of the Buddha, which were often created at a
place where he was known to have walked. Among the aniconic images, the
footprints of the Buddha were found in the Swat valley and, now can be seen in
the Swat museum.

When the Buddha passed away, His relics (or ashes) were distributed to seven
kings who built stupas over them for worship. The emperor Ashoka was later
said to have dug them out, and distributed the ashes over a wider area, and
built 84,000 stupas. With the stupas in place, to dedicate veneration, disciples
then initiated ‘stupa pujas’. With the proliferation of Buddhist stupas, stupa
pujas evolved into a ritual act. Harmarajika stupa (Taxila) and Butkarha (Swat)
stupa at Jamal Garha were among the earliest stupas of Gandhara. These had
been erected on the orders of king Ashoka and contained the real relics of the
Buddha.
At first, the object of veneration was the stupa itself. In time, this symbol was
replaced by a more sensitive human image. The Gandhara schools is probably
credited with the first representation of the Buddha in human form, the
portrayal of Buddha in his human shape, rather than shown as a symbol.

As Buddhist art developed and spread outside India, the styles developed here
were imitated. For example, in China the Gandhara style was imitated in images
made of bronze, with a gradual change in the features of these images.

Swat, the land of romance and beauty, is celebrated throughout the world as the
holy land of Buddhist learning and piety. Swat acquired fame as a place of
Buddhist pilgrimage. Buddhist tradition holds that the Buddha himself came to
Swat during his last reincarnation as the Guatama Buddha and preached to the
people here. It is said that the Swat was filled with fourteen hundred imposing
and beautiful stupas and monasteries, which housed as many as 6,000 gold
images of the Buddhist pantheon for worship and education. There are now
more than 400 Buddhist sites covering and area of 160 Km in Swat valley only.
Among the important Buddhist excavation in swat an important one is Butkarha-
I, containing the original relics of the Buddha.

Among the numerous Buddhist monuments present in Pakistan a few important

ones, from historical and religious point of view, are:

Dharamarajika Stupa: Dhararaja, a title of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, in the

middle of the 3rd century, erected the Dharamarajika Stupa, the oldest Buddhist
monument in Taxila. The Dharamarajika Stupa contained the sacred relics of the
Buddha and the silver scroll commemorating the relics. A wealth of gold and
silver coins, gems, jewellery and other antiques were discovered here and are
housed in the Taxila museum.

Takht-i-Bhai: Takht-i-Bhai is another well-known and preserved monument, a

Buddhist monastery located on a rocky ridge about 10 miles northeast of
Mardan. This structure dates back to two to five century AD and stands 600 feet
above the plane. The feature, which distinguishes this site from others, is its
architectural diversity and its romantic mountain setting. The uphill approach
has helped in the preservation of the monument.

The exposed buildings here include the main stupa and two courtyards in
different terraces surrounded by votive stupa and shrines, the monastic
quadrangles surrounded by cells for the monks, and a large hall of assembly. In
one of the stupa courtyard is a line of colossal Buddhas, which were originally 16
to 20 feet high.
The site’s fragmentary sculptures in stone and stucco are a considerable wealth
but its most remarkable feature is the peculiar design and arrangement of the
small shrines, which surround the main stupa. These shrines stood upon a
continuous sculptured podium and were crowned alternately with stupa-like
finials forming an ensemble.The beauty and grandeur provided by the entire
composition is unparallel in the Buddhist world.

Takht-i-Bhai had a wealth of ancient Buddhist remains. A long range of different

sized Buddha and Buddhistavvas from Takht-i-Bhai fill many museums. Some of
the best pieces of Gandhara sculpture, now to be found in the museums of
Europe, were originally recovered from Takht-i-Bhai.