Harappan religion
Topic: Harappan (Sindhu-Sarasvati) Civilisation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Bricks, Beads and Bones"
Meaning
Harappan religion means the beliefs of the Harappans, as worked out from objects they left behind. Scholars point to jewelled female terracotta figures (read as "mother goddesses"), the Great Bath, fire altars, seals with plants (read as nature worship), the "unicorn" seal, the cross-legged "proto-Shiva" seal and conical stones (read as lingas). NCERT warns that these readings work backwards from later Indian religion. They are guesses, not proof. Because the script cannot be read, we have no Harappan texts to check them against.
Example
On one seal, a figure sits cross-legged and is surrounded by animals. It is often called "proto-Shiva", or "Pashupati" (lord of animals). But the Rig Vedic god Rudra is neither Pashupati nor a yogi, so this reading goes further than the earliest text allows. Some scholars suggest the figure may be a shaman (a healer or spirit-guide) instead.
Don't confuse with
- Lingas: Mackay thought some conical stones were simply gamesmen (pieces used in board games), not religious objects.
Related concepts
- Harappan burials
- Harappan political authority
- Priest-king
- Mother goddess figurines
- Pashupati seal
- Fire altars