Part 12 - House remains of Vārāṇasī

From period III i.e. the post-NBPW phase regular house building activities started. Nine houses of this phase were found clustering at one place, forming a house complex. Of them only a few revealed a definite plan. Houses were rectangular in shape and built one beside the other. They were separated from each other by a lane. This space was left for free movement of air and light between houses. This issue of leaving space between was dealt seriously in the Mānasāra. It prescribes that length and breadth of the main house including its enclosures should be marked, interspaces should be left round the outside of the main house, measuring from ten to one hundred rods.^[1] Houses generally had two or three rooms, having one or two doorways and provided with a platform outside the house for the purpose of bath. However secluded privy was not unknown. Houses had wells, connected to drain to flush out dirty water though wells meant for public use were also discovered at common areas.

In the late phase of period III simple, two or three roomed houses continued but houses with more amenities like separate bathroom, well-room, kitchen or store also appeared. In some cases houses even had more than three rooms. They had paved floors and brick-built drains. The houses had a courtyard in the middle and the rooms faced the courtyard. The houses were enclosed by a wall. Two other house complexes were discovered close to the massive drain number 2, one in the north-south and the other in the east-west direction. Number of apartments in both buildings cannot be determined because the entire house plan was seriously disturbed by the constructions of succeeding periods of period IV. Mostly the houses were modified or superimposed by later constructions. During both phases houses were built by complete burnt bricks. In the first phase it had a big and a small apartment and had a well and a drain.

In the second phase houses were more spacious and provided with more amenities and likewise some important additions were made. Two apartments and a brick built drain were made. The small room which was probably a bath room and other well rooms were connected to the apartment by a passage. It appears to be a moderate house of four rooms. Of them two were used as living rooms and the other two served utilitarian purpose. In the middle there is a courtyard. The house had a drain too. Another contemporary house occupied in three successive periods was located to the south of the house complex. Out of total four rooms three were used for living purpose and the fourth and the smaller room was either a kitchen or a store. In some cases a portion of the house looks even more secluded, probably used by the womenfolk. In the second phase the drain area was converted into a living area. In the third phase instead of brick, brick bats were used pointing to the degenerating economic condition of the residents. On the whole simple two roomed houses were occupied by ordinary people. On the other hand the last type was the residence of affluent class. However the place had a fair population density.