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Mohenjo Daro – Cradle of Civilization

Mohenjo Daro is not just a place, it is a time machine that can take you back into history and explicitly discloses the traces of our ancestor’s beginnings. Mohenjo Daro civilization gives a sneak peek into what was the living, culture, trade, and festivities looked like in the oldest civilization known in world history. 

In a Glimpse

Mohenjo Daro was one of the first organized urban cities in mankind’s history. Nestled in Southern Pakistan at the city of Larkana, it is the best-preserved city of the Indus valley civilization in the Indian subcontinent. Mohenjo Daro came from the Sindhi language meaning “mounds of the dead”. The city was built around the same time when pyramids were being built in Egypt. The ancient city spanned over a vast area of 500 Acres.

Due to the large-scale infrastructure, archeologists are of the view that this city may have served as the seat of power for Indus Valley Civilisation.

Indus Valley or Harappan Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), often referred to as the Harappan Civilization, was a Bronze Age civilization that flourished in the northwest of South Asia between 3300 -1300 BCE and from 2600 -1900 BCE. It was among the earliest civilizations in Near East and South Asia, along with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Indus Valley Civilization was the most extensive civilization of its age. It spread out over a large portion of Pakistan, northeastern Afghanistan, and northwest and western India. Both the Indus River’s alluvial plain, which runs the entire length of Pakistan, and a network of year-round rivers that were originally nourished by the monsoon and flowed near the Ghaggar-Hakra were hotbeds of the civilization.

The Indus civilization is also known as Harappa Civilization after its site Harappa, which was the first to be discovered early in the 20th century, in what is now Punjab, Pakistan but back then the Punjab province of British India. The climax of the excavation work, started by the Indian Archeological department, British Raj, was the unearthing of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.

The prominent sites of this civilization are

• Mohenjo Daro
• Harappa
• Kalibangan
• Lothal
• Banawali
• Dholavira
• Chanhudaru

Mohenjo Daro History

The history of Mohenjo Daro is as old as the first urban civilizations on the planet. Mohenjo Daro civilization dated back to 1700 BCE. The city is said to be a thriving metropolis till 2500 BCE. Archeologist claim that after this period the city was abandoned.

The city has an area of 500 acres and the town was unveiled from underneath the dust of centuries in 1911 by a team of archeologists. In 1922 large-scale excavations at the site were initiated when a stupa was identified which led to the revealing of the great city of Mohenjo Daro. In 1980 the town was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The downfall of the Mohenjo Daro Indus Civilization

What caused the downfall of the great Indus valley civilization and the abandonment of  Mohenjo Daro is no less than a mystery.

Some archeologists explain the end of civilization due to climatic changes. Historians proposed the changed course of the Indus river may have forced the inhabitants to leave the city. While some others attribute drought and land becoming infertile to pushing the residents to another place. However, for each of the proposed theories, there are no significant supporting sources available.

Accessibility

Mohenjo Daro’s location is 35Kms away from Larkana city, in interior Sindh, Pakistan.

You can access the place by all three means road, air, and train. 

Pakistan International Airlines have an intermittent flight operation in Mohenjo Daro. Check for PIA flights prior to your travel plan. Otherwise, to avail by air journey, you need to hire a chartered jet to the destination and it cost as much as starting from $2660.

To travel by road, you can opt for a personal vehicle. When arriving by your car, follow the Mohenjo Daro map on google maps and use arterial roads at the locations of “Mehar”, “Nasirabad” and  “Larkana” on the National Highway between Peshawar and Karachi.

To use Public transport, get on the bus going to Larkana. From Larkana Bus station, book an auto rickshaw or cab to reach Mohenjo Daro.

Reaching by rail is a cheap source to get to the destination. Pakistan Railways launched a train, Mohenjo Daro express, that runs a round trip across Kotri to Rohri and passes through the Mohenjo Daro station daily. The ticket price for this train route is PKR 920. The nearest railway station is 11km from the site, named Dokri. There is also a train service that runs from Dokri to Karachi each day. 

If the Dokri station train schedule doesn’t match your timings, avail the Pakistan Railways services at Larkana railway station. All the rail schedules should be checked prior to finalizing your visit plan.

Mohenjo Daro Weather

The weather is a key factor while planning your visit. The climate is of a desert area so it is extremely hot here. The temperature ranges from 28 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius on average in summer. While in winter the temperature ranges from 7 degrees Celsius to 16 degrees Celsius. 

Mohenjo Daro Infrastructure

The highly sophisticated infrastructure of the Mohenjo Daro site from centuries ago is a marvel in itself. The town structure and house plotting show that the people’s welfare and lifestyle must be the prime concern of the governing bodies of the city.

This city was divided into two districts.

• The Citadel
• Lower Town

The city’s most impressive monuments lie in the citadel, for instance, the Great Bath. The Great Bath was a 900 Sq Ft tank fed from the Indus river and was used for ritual bathing. It is made of fine baked bricks and top layered with gypsum mortar and bitumen. The Great bath has a depth of 8 feet and was reached by steps on both ends of it.

Mohenjo Daro also had a sophisticated water sewage system. Nearly all the houses had baths and toilets. The town featured 700 wells for freshwater extraction for its inhabitants.

Archeologists claim that the city had no place for governance and worship. The town remnants tell that there were no palaces, tombs, or temples. This is a great indication of the society being built not on state interest like that of Egyptian and Mesopotamia but it was all for the welfare of the people. 

The lower town demonstrates the egalitarian structure of the inhabitants. It is estimated that around 40,000 people were residents of this town. The design of the lower town is similar to modern-day building blocks of the grid system. The city remained populated and thriving for 600 years. But after that, it collapsed, however, no reason is known so far. Some historians suspect it to be a break in the social system through changing cultures. While others proposed the city may be abandoned due to flood threats from the Indus river.

Significant Landmarks

We have listed down the prominent landmarks of the Mohenjo Daro site. Whenever you visit the town, make sure to have a look at each of them.

Buddhist Stupa 

Although the stupa is built long after the Indus Valley Civilization ended, is a prominent landmark of the site. In fact, it was built by Kushan Empire in 1-4 century CE.  Archeologists believed that the stupa was built on the top of an abandoned temple.

The Great Hall

This hall is thought to be used as a warehouse for trading goods. It is believed that all the trading goods were loaded on the carts in this hall. Another view about the hall is that it was a Public hall used for mass gatherings. 

The Great Bath

A pool made of fine-baked waterproof bricks and bitumen(a natural tar) with an area of 900 sq ft could be a place for ritual bathing of the society. 

College of Priests

This large hall at the east of the Great Bath has several rooms and verandas. It is a two-story building with two staircases going towards the upper floor and the rooftop. The building is assumed to have served the academic needs of society.

Mohenjo Daro Museum

This museum is the best place at the site to witness gems recovered during excavations. A lot of ornaments, jewelry pieces, kitchenware, sculptures, and weapons are displayed.

The timings for the museum are 8.30 AM to 12.30 PM and 2.30 PM to 5.50 PM (April to Sept). winter timings for the museum are 9 AM to 4 PM (Oct to March). 

Visitors are required to pay a nominal fee for entry tickets.

Relics 

The most famous relics extracted from the site are statues of a nude female named “The dancing girl” and a statue of a seated male figure named “Priest King”. Interestingly, all these relics were broken when found. The antique pieces recovered from the site are present in the museums of Karachi, London, and Delhi. However, the Mohenjo Daro Pakistan archeology museum holds nice copies of these antique sculptures.

Visitors Guidelines

To enjoy a hassle-free and pleasant trip, consider these guidelines before you set off for the journey.

• Visit the heritage site in the winter (Oct to March)
• Keep yourself well hydrated as Mohenjo Daro weather is scorching 
• Keep your sun shades, hats, and sunscreens with you
• Keep plenty of water with you as tap water is unhealthy in this region
• You can avail the Archeology department resthouse and PTDC rest house services at the site
• Hire a local guide if you are visiting without one

The heritage sites like Mohenjo Daro are the rich essence of diversity, culture, and a reflection of our glorified past. 

To unveil the mysteries and enlighten yourself with the legacy of your ancestors, Plan a Visit to Mohenjo Daro now! Contact Us 

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