The religion of the Indus Valley Civilization is not fully known. Because there is a lack of proper evidence and records. However, some archaeological evidence provides some details. In order to know about the religious life of the Harappan civilization, one has to rely on the sculptures of male & female idols and animal idols carved on seals found at various places.
Symbol Worship
- The people of the Harappan civilization worshipped various natural forces.
- ‘Totemism’ or ‘symbol worship’ was prevalent among them.
- Some stone fragments marked with special signs have been found.
- It indicates that the inhabitants of Harappan were followers of linga worship, Shakti worship, mother worship, and Yoni worship.
Idolatry
Goddess idols:
- It is assumed that the worship of the goddess was prevalent by seeing the traces of smoke or lamp oil on the body of a half-naked female idol.
- A seal marked with human sacrifice has been found, which indicates the practice of human sacrifice.
- A seal shows a female figure in a standing position, with a plant emerging from her womb.
- It is known that women were considered a symbol of fertility.
Male Deity:
- A sculpture has been found of a three-faced yogi figure with five animals – elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, buffalo and deer.
- Sir John Marshall has referred to it as the statue of Shiva (Poshupati), the lord of animals or the original statue of Shiva (Proto-Shiva).
- Shiva, the lord of animals, is surrounded by four animals – elephant, tiger, rhinoceros and a bull. There are two deer at his feet.
Animal Statues:
- A large number of one-horned quadrupedal statues (identified as unicorns by archaeologists) have been found on seals carved with statues that are half bull or bull and half man.
Info: A bull-man or bull-woman fighting a huge horned beast creature.
Animal worship:
- It is believed that the worship of animals like bull, elephant, deer, buffalo, rhinoceros, tiger etc. was prevalent in the Harappan civilization.
- The presence of a snake hood on the head of a deity statue suggests the practice of snake worship in that civilization.
Worship of Natural Forces:
- Scholars believe that the pipal tree (banyan tree), water, fire and rivers were worshipped as deities in the Indus Valley Civilization.
- The ‘swastika symbol‘ and ‘chakra symbol‘ on some seals indicate sun worship.
Info: It is believed that Swastika Seals were used for “mercantile purposes” along specific trade routes.
Burial Practice
- The Harappans were accustomed to the practice of cremation as part of their religious rituals.
- The Harappan civilization also has evidence of a type of burial – usually the body was laid with its head towards the north.
- Full burial: In full burial, various objects and ornaments were buried with it. In this, the body was laid in a square or oval-shaped womb, the body wore beaded ornaments in his ears or bangles on his hands.
- Partial burial: In partial burial, after the flesh of the body was eaten by animals and birds, his bones were filled with the objects and ornaments of the deceased and buried in a large round pit.
- Interment: In interment, the body was cremated and its ashes were placed in a large container with the deceased’s favorite objects and buried in a square or oval-shaped grave in or near the house.
- There are two burial sites in Harappa – R-37 and Tomb H.
- Tomb H is of a later period.
- In Lothal, a skeleton of a woman and a man lying side by side has been found.
- The existence of a joint burial has been found only in Lothal.
- In Kalibangan, two types of tombs have been found, rectangular graves and round graves.
- In the Ropar tomb, evidence of a dog being buried next to a person has been found.
- A brick tomb was found in Kalibangan, but no trace of human remains was found in it.
Belief in an Afterlife
- The people of this civilization believed in an afterlife.
- For this reason, historians speculate that the deceased’s relatives were placed in the grave with them.
Yoga and meditation: The Harappans practiced yoga and meditation.
Ritual bathing: Ritual bathing and bathhouse construction were practices of the Harappans.
Info: Some of these practices are usually linked to later Vedic and Hindu traditions.