Mother goddess figurines
Topic: Harappan (Sindhu-Sarasvati) Civilisation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Bricks, Beads and Bones"
Meaning
These are small terracotta (baked clay) figures of women, found at Harappan sites. They wear heavy jewellery and some have elaborate head-dresses. Early archaeologists thought they were images of a "mother goddess" who stood for fertility. Their real use is unknown. They might have been goddesses, toys or offerings. The label comes from comparing them with later religion, not from Harappan evidence.
Example
Jewelled female terracottas from Mohenjo-daro and Harappa are the usual examples. They are described as mother goddesses in older textbooks and exam questions. Because the figures are rare and unusual, they were treated as "ritual" objects, which is a common pattern in how Harappan religion has been reconstructed.
Don't confuse with
- "Dancing Girl": this is a bronze figure from Mohenjo-daro, not a terracotta, and nobody treats it as a goddess.
Related concepts
- Harappan burials
- Harappan political authority
- Priest-king
- Harappan religion
- Pashupati seal
- Fire altars