Mother goddess
Topic: Buddhism, Jainism and Heterodox Traditions · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 7 "India's Cultural Roots"; Class 7, Ch 5 "The Rise of Empires"
Meaning
The mother goddess is a female deity worshipped for fertility (birth and growth of crops, animals and children) and for protection. She is found in many forms across India. Many of these forms began in tribal and folk worship and were later taken into Hinduism. Her worship is one of the oldest religious practices in the subcontinent. It shows the two-way exchange between tribal beliefs and the major religious traditions.
Example
Many clay (terracotta) female figurines found at Harappan sites such as Mohenjo-daro (c. 2600–1900 BCE) are often read as early mother-goddess images. Much later, goddess cults grew from about the c. 2nd century BCE onwards, alongside Vaiṣhṇavism and Śhaivism.
Don't confuse with
- Gajalakshmi: one specific goddess, Lakshmi, shown with elephants pouring water over her. The mother goddess is a broad idea with many local forms.
- Śhālabhañjikā: a woman whose touch made trees flower. She is a good-luck symbol in Buddhist art, not a goddess who is worshipped.