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The people of Indus valley did have toilets in their homes, so were there toilets in the times of Mahabharata or Ramayana? Does any Hindu scripture mention about toilet system?

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    Seems influenced from movie "Toilet ek prem katha" :-) . I was planning to ask Qn regarding various Manusmruti verses referred in the movie.
    – iammilind
    Commented Aug 12, 2017 at 20:03
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    Might be useful: ramanan50.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/…
    – CR241
    Commented Aug 13, 2017 at 4:52

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I have not come across any direct reference to toilets. However, Bhishma forbids answering the calls of nature in inappropriate places. It is not clear if this suggests that there were toilets during that time or that this was an advice to answer the calls of nature far from habitation.

Bhishma said, 'They that are good or righteous, O monarch, never answer the two calls of nature on the public road, or in the midst of a cow pen, or on a field of paddy.'

Mahabharata Anusasana Parva Section CLXII

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    I think you meant CLXII. Since the question Yudhishthira asked is a general one ('What is the appearance presented by those that are wicked, and what are those acts which they that are called good are to do? .. tell me what the indications are of the good and the wicked.') I think Bhishma is talking about "open-air toilets" which was the norm. At one place in Vana Parva, Draupadi says this to Satyabhama: "I never stay long in places for answering calls of nature, nor in pleasure-gardens attached to the house."
    – Say No To Censorship
    Commented Feb 6, 2018 at 23:59
  • Corrected. Thanks for pointing out the typo.
    – Pradip Gangopadhyay
    Commented Feb 7, 2018 at 3:13

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