The Indus Valley city first excavated by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921 was Harappa.
Harappa lies in present-day Punjab, Pakistan, near the Ravi River. Sahni supervised excavations there in 1920–21, and the findings helped establish the importance of the Indus Valley civilization. The site became one of the civilization’s defining archaeological settlements, alongside Mohenjo-daro.
Harappa was a large urban center with planned streets, brick architecture, craft production, storage facilities, cemeteries, and evidence of long-distance exchange. Its culture flourished broadly during the Mature Harappan period, usually dated to about 2600–1900 BCE, although occupation at the site began earlier and continued later.
The word “Harappan” is therefore used for the wider civilization, not just the city itself. Another common misunderstanding is that Sahni discovered the civilization single-handedly: his work at Harappa was crucial, but its significance became clear through later excavations and comparisons with sites such as Mohenjo-daro.