Mohenjo-daro Great bath, Dholavira, Lothal reservoirs

were called taḍāga 'reservoirs' used by artificer guilds

-- used in industrial scale operations with a large number of circular
platforms evidenced in Harappa

--used by ताडघः tāḍagha 'artificers, smiths' (Pāṇini 3-2,55) & textile-dye artificers, शौल्बिकः
'coppersmiths'; the word ताडघः tāḍagha is attested in a Brāhmī inscription on an Indus Script
Anthropomorph

--I submit that the word taḍāga 'reservoirs' is cognate/associated with ताडघः tāḍagha
'artificers, smiths'

--I submit that the circular worker platforms were phaḍa, paṭṭaḍe, 'metals manufactory' with
the central region holding the ? paṇ anvil (Kota) or dyers' vats: paṭṭaṟai anvil, smithy, forge.
Ka. paṭṭaḍe, paṭṭaḍi anvil, workshop.

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śulba or śulva ‘copper’; ‘vicinity of water’ (Monier-Williams); 'proximity of water, a place
near it' (Apte).

I submit that the workplace of शौल्बिकः or ṭhö̃ṭhar ठााँ॑ठर् or ṭhö̃ṭhur ठााँ॑ठुर् 'brassworkers,
coppersmiths' artisans is near the water reservoirs. The ancient artisans were called ताडघः
tāḍagha 'artificers, smiths', as evidenced by the Anthropomorph with Brāhmī inscription
overlay.

These water reservoirs were also used by textile dyers as surmised by Jonathan M Kenoyer.

रक्तृ raktṛ m. A painter, dyer.रङ्गः raṅgaḥ -जीवकः a dyer, colourist.raṅgakāra m. ʻ painter ʼ

BhP., ˚aka -- m. Hariv. [raṅga -- 1, kāra -- 1]K. rangar, ˚gur m. ʻ dyer ʼ, ˚gürü f. ʻ his wife ʼ,
G. rãgārɔ m., M. rãgārī m.(CDIAL 10564) raṅga1 m. ʻ dye, colour ʼ MBh.
[√rañj]Pa. raṅga -- m. ʻ dye, colour ʼ; Pk. raṁga -- m. ʻ red colour ʼ; Tor. rāṅg m. ʻ dye ʼ,
Sh. ro̯ṅ m.; K. rang m. ʻ colour ʼ; S. raṅu m. ʻ dye, colour ʼ, raṅo m. ʻ string with which a
sawyer chalks his line ʼ; L. P. raṅg m. ʻ dye, colour ʼ; A. rāṅ ʻ red colour of chewed betel ʼ;
B. rāṅā ʻ red ʼ; Or. rā̆ ṅgā ʻ red, red colour ʼ; H. rãg f. ʻ dye, juice of plants ʼ; Si. ran̄̆ga ʻ
colour ʼ. 1: Md. ran̄̆ga ʻ colour ʼ.(CDIAL 10560) The hieroglyph to signify a dyer, colourist
is: raṅku m. ʻ a species of deer ʼ Vās., ˚uka -- m. Śrīkaṇṭh.Ku. N. rãgo ʻ buffalo bull ʼ? --
more prob. < raṅká-<-> s.v. *rakka -- .(CDIAL 10559) raṅga3 n. ʻ tin ʼ lex. [Cf. nāga -- 2,
vaṅga -- 1]Pk. raṁga -- n. ʻ tin ʼ; P. rãg f., rãgā m. ʻ pewter, tin ʼ (← H.); Ku. rāṅ ʻ tin,
solder ʼ, gng. rãk; N. rāṅ, rāṅo ʻ tin, solder ʼ, A. B. rāṅ; Or. rāṅga ʻ tin ʼ, rāṅgā ʻ solder,
spelter ʼ, Bi. Mth. rãgā, OAw. rāṁga; H. rãg f., rãgā m. ʻ tin, pewter ʼ; Si. ran̄̆ga ʻ tin
ʼ.(CDIAL 10562)

See:

Majhitha tāḍagha 'Red saffron dye Textile dyer, goldsmith' attested in an inscription on Indus
Script anthropomorph https://tinyurl.com/vscjud53

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samjñā 'symbol, sign'
kī ma jhi tha 'of Majhitha'
Sha (ta?) Da Ya (Gha?) Line 3 is read as taDagha. The word attested by Pāṇini is tāḍa—
gha m. a kind of artificer (blacksmith?), Pāṇini 3-2,55. Thus, the later-day holder of the
professional calling card (a possible descendant from the days of Sindhu-Sarasvati
Civilization) proclaims himself as Majhitha tāḍagha 'Textile dyer, goldsmith'

The water reservoirs of Mohenjo-daro, Dholavira and Lothal thus served not only irrigation
purposes but also the needs of smiths who have to situate their workplaces in the proximity of
water. Thus, taḍāga 'reservoirs' were used by ताडघः tāḍagha 'artificers, smiths', शौल्बिकः
'coppersmiths'.

"The "great bath" is without doubt the

earliest public water tank in the ancient
world. The tank itself measures
approximately 12 meters north-south and
7 meters wide, with a maximum depth of
2.4 meters. Two wide staircases lead
down into the tank from the north and
south and small sockets at the edges of
the stairs are thought to have held wooden
planks or treads. At the foot of the stairs
is a small ledge with a brick edging that extends the entire width of the pool. People coming
down the stairs could move along this ledge without actually stepping into the pool itself.The
floor of the tank is water tight due to finely fitted bricks laid on edge with gypsum plaster and
the side walls were constructed in a similar manner. To make the tank even more water tight,
a thick layer of bitumen (natural tar) was laid along the sides of the tank and presumably also
beneath the floor. Brick colonnades were discovered on the eastern, northern and southern
edges. The preserved columns have stepped edges that may have held wooden screens or
window frames. Two large doors lead into the complex from the south and other access was
from the north and east. A series of rooms are located along the eastern edge of the building
and in one room is a well that may have supplied some of the water needed to fill the tank.
Rainwater also may have been collected for this purposes, but no inlet drains have been
found.Most scholars agree that this tank would have been used for special religious functions
where water was used to purify and renew the well being of the bathers." -- JM Kenoyer
https://www.harappa.com/slide/great-bath-mohenjo-daro-0

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 This reservoir is seen close to the citadel
and is smaller in size than the other
reservoirs found around the city. The
Manhar river channel on the east filled up
the Citadel reservoirs first.
https://www.harappa.com/slide/small-
reservoir-dholavira

Aerial view of Dholavira.The Citadel is seen on

the southern side with reservoir on the east. The
major reservoirs are seen on the north and west
side of the picture. [Which sides, top or bottom?]

North Wall Reservoir Dholavira A large

reservoir located on the northern
periphery of the city. According to town
planning and location of middle and
lower town, large reservoirs were used for
industrial purposes.-- Sagar Bhenderi

https://www.harappa.com/slide/north-
wall-reservoir-dholavira

A large reservoir with a storm water drain

on from the Southern end. This is a part
of a series of reservoirs found on the
south, west and north of the built-up area.
A feeding drain can be seen emerging
from the south of the reservoir. The
rectangular shape of the reservoir was 73
meters North – South and 30 meters east
– west. The reservoir was provided with
30 steps each.-- Sagar

Bhenderi https://www.harappa.com/slide/reservoir-dholavira

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 An inlet channel 1.7 meters above the
bottom level of the 4.26 meter deep tank
allowed excess water to escape. Other
inlets prevented siltation of the tanks and
erosion of the banks. After a ship would
have unloaded its cargo, the gates would
have opened and allowed it to return to
the Arabian sea waters in the Gulf of
Combay.

Archaeological finds from the excavations testify to trade with ancient Egypt and
Mespotamia. The hydraulic knowledge of the ancient Harappans can be judged by the fact
that boats could dock at Lothal in the 1850's. In 1942 timber was brought from Baruch to
nearby Sagarwala. It is said that then the dockyard could hold 30 ships of 60 tons each or 60
ships of 30 tons each. This would be comparable to the modern docks at Vishakapatnam.--
Dinesh Shukla

https://www.harappa.com/lothal/2.html

ṭhö̃ṭhar ठााँ॑ठर् or ṭhö̃ṭhur ठााँ॑ठुर् । शौल्बिकः m. a maker of hardware or metal pots and pans, a
copper-smith, a brazier (El. ṭhánṭhir). -bāy -बाय् or ṭhö̃ṭharĕñ ठााँ॑ठययञ् । शौल्बिकस्त्री f. his
wife. ṭhö̃ṭhar-wān ठााँ॑ठर् -वान् । ताड tāḍa a. [तड् भावे अच्] Beating, striking. -घः , -घातः an
artificer who beats or hammers, a smith. (Apte) *ṭhaṭṭh ʻ strike ʼ. [Onom.?]N. ṭhaṭāunu ʻ to
strike, beat ʼ, ṭhaṭāi ʻ striking ʼ, ṭhaṭāk -- ṭhuṭuk ʻ noise of beating ʼ; H. ṭhaṭhānā ʻ to beat
ʼ, ṭhaṭhāī f. ʻ noise of beating ʼ.*ṭhaṭṭha1 ʻ brass ʼ. [Onom. from noise of hammering brass? --
*ṭhaṭṭh -- ]N. ṭhaṭṭar ʻ an alloy of copper and bell metal ʼ.*ṭhaṭṭhakāra ʻ brass worker ʼ. 2.
*ṭhaṭṭhakara -- . [*ṭhaṭṭha -- 1, kāra -- 1]1. Pk. ṭhaṭṭhāra -- m., K. ṭhoṭ̈̃ hur m., S. ṭhãṭhāro m.,
P. ṭhaṭhiār, ˚rā m.2. P. ludh. ṭhaṭherā m., Ku. ṭhaṭhero m., N. ṭhaṭero, Bi. ṭhaṭherā,
Mth. ṭhaṭheri, H. ṭhaṭherā m.(CDIAL 5490, 5491, 5492, 5493).

ṭhö̃ṭhar ठााँ॑ठर् or ṭhö̃ṭhur ठााँ॑ठुर् is a शौल्बिकः 'coppersmith': शौल्बिकापणः m. a copper- smith's

shop or workshop. (Kashmiri) शौल्बिकः śaulvikaḥ,
शौल्बिकः śaulbikaḥ Acoppersmith. शुल्लम् śullam 1 A cord, rope, string. -
2 Copper. शुिम् śulvam, शुिम् śulbam [शुि्-अच्] 1 A rope, string; ततो मन्त्रबलाच्छु िे तक्षके
वज्रिणः करात् Bm.1.194; शुिं सुतस्य न तु तत्तदमुष्यमाज्रत Bhāg.2.7.30. -2 Copper.

-3 A sacrificial rite or act. -4 The proximity of water, a place near it. -5 A rule, law, an
institute. -िा, -िी See above. -Comp. -अररः sulphur. -जम् brass. -सूत्रम् N. of Sūtra work,
containing mathematical calculations required for श्रौत rituals.(Apte) śaulbika m. a
coppersmith; śulba or śulva ‘copper’; ‘vicinity of water’ (Monier-Williams)

taḍaga m. = °ḍāga, a pond,taḍāga n. (m. g. ardharcādi) = °ḍāka, ŚāṅkhGṛ. v, 2 ; Mn. iv, vii
ff. ; Yājñ. ; MBh. (Monier-Williams) तटकम् taṭakam A shore or
bank.तटगः taṭagaḥ = तडाग q. v.तटाकः taṭākaḥ, तटाकम् taṭākam A pond (deep enough for the
lotus and other aquatic plants); See तडाग. तटाज्रकनी taṭākinī A large pond;
Mb.3.तडाकः taḍākaḥ A pond, pool. -का 1 A blow. -2 A bank,

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shore; तडगः taḍagaḥ See तडाग.तडागः taḍāgaḥ, तडागम् taḍāgam 1 A pond, deep pool,
tank; स्फुटकमलोदर- खेज्रलतखञ्जनयुगज्रमव शरज्रद तडागम् Gīt.11; Ms.4.203; Y.3.237. -2 A
tank. ताडाग tāḍāga a. (-गी f.) Being in or coming from tanks. (Apte)

తటాకము [Skt.] n. A tank, reservoir, pond, pool. తటాకముగానుండే నీళ్లు a pond or well
that never dries.தடாகம் taṭākam , n. taṭāka. Pond, pool, tank; குளம் . (பிங் .)
சங் ககாலியுண்டாக்குந் தடாகமம (பணவிடு. 268).

taḍāga n. ʻ pool ʼ ŚāṅkhGr̥., taḍāˊka -- n. lex., taṭāka- m. R., ˚kinī -- f. MBh. 2. taḍaga --
, talaka -- m. lex. [ -- ṭ<-> after taṭa -- ? -- Cf. talla -- 1]1. Pa. taḷāka -- n. ʻ pond, pool,
reservoir ʼ; Pk. taḍāga -- , ˚āa -- , talāga -- , ˚āya -- , ˚āva -- n. ʻ pond, tank ʼ, talāī -- f. ʻ
small pond ʼ; S. talāu m. ʻ pool, tank ʼ (lw. with -- l -- ), L. talā m.,
P. talā, talāu m., talayyā f. ʻ small pond ʼ; Ku. talau ʻ pool, irrigated land ʼ; N. talāu ʻ pool,
tank ʼ, B. talāu, tāl˚, Or. talāu (lw. with -- l -- ), Bi. talāw, talāi, H. talāu m., talāī f.;
OMarw. talāvo m. ʻ lake ʼ, talāī f. ʻ pond ʼ; G. taḷāv n. ʻ tank ʼ, M. taḷāv m., OSi. taḷā,
Si. talāva.2. Or. talaü, talaï ʻ tank, pond ʼ, M. taḷẽ n.S.kcch. tarā m. ʻ pond ʼ.(CDIAL 5635)