Evidence of fire altars has been found at which Harappan sites?

Fire altars are platforms or pits where fire was kept for religious rituals. At some Harappan sites, archaeologists have found rows of such altars, which suggest that fire worship or some fire rituals were practised by the Harappans.

Kalibangan is located on the banks of the Ghaggar river (identified with the ancient Saraswati) in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. It was discovered by the Italian scholar Luigi Pio Tessitori and excavated in the 1960s by B.B. Lal and B.K. Thapar. Its name means "black bangles", after the many broken bangles found there. Important finds at Kalibangan include:

A row of seven fire altars on a raised platform in the citadel.

The earliest evidence of a ploughed field in the world, from the pre-Harappan phase, with furrows in a criss-cross pattern.

Evidence of an earthquake, and houses made of mud bricks.

Lothal is located in the Ahmedabad district of Gujarat, near the Gulf of Khambhat. It was excavated by S.R. Rao in the 1950s. Important finds at Lothal include:

A large dockyard, believed to be the world's earliest known artificial dock, showing that Lothal was a major port for trade with other regions, possibly including Mesopotamia.

Fire altars, a bead-making factory, a Persian Gulf seal and evidence of rice husk.

Double burials (a man and woman buried together).

The site is being developed as a National Maritime Heritage Complex.

Other Harappan sites with fire altars include Banawali (Haryana) and Rakhigarhi.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are the main cities; Mohenjo-daro has the Great Bath, but they are not known for fire altars.
• ✗Chanhudaro was a bead-making centre with no citadel.
• ✗Dholavira (Gujarat) is known for its water-management system and a signboard; Rakhigarhi (Haryana) is the largest Harappan site in India.