Fire altars
Also called: Fire altars of Kalibangan · Topic: Harappan (Sindhu-Sarasvati) Civilisation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Bricks, Beads and Bones"
Meaning
Fire altars are structures found at some Harappan sites that seem to have held ritual fires. A ritual is a religious act done in a fixed way. Archaeologists found them at Kalibangan in Rajasthan and at Lothal in Gujarat. They are treated as possible evidence of fire rituals in Harappan religion. The reading is an interpretation based on unusual finds, not proof.
Example
At Kalibangan, on the Ghaggar river in Rajasthan, a row of fire altars was found. Like the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro, they are read as places of ritual. Because the Harappan script cannot be read, the exact beliefs behind these altars remain unknown.
Don't confuse with
- Great Bath: a large watertight tank at Mohenjo-daro, probably used for ritual bathing. Fire altars point to rituals with fire, not water.
Related concepts
- Harappan burials
- Harappan political authority
- Priest-king
- Harappan religion
- Mother goddess figurines
- Pashupati seal