Major Religious Beliefs of the Indus People - UPSC PDF Download

Major Religious Beliefs of the Indus People

The Indus people probably worshipped Mother Goddess, in addition to male and female deities.

2. They worshipped a father God who might be a progenitor of the race and probably was a prototype of Siva as the Lord of the Animals.

3. They were familiar with some form of yoga and meditation.

4. They believed in some kind of a tree of life, which is depicted in the seals as a Pipal or Acasia tree, defended by a guardian spirit against an evil force symbolized as a tiger. In seals, the guardian spirit is depicted variously as a bull, a snake, a goat, a mythical creature or animal.

5. They worshipped fertility symbols such as round stones and pierced stones, a practice that probably preceded the worship of Siva and Parvathi in the form Sivalinga.

6. They might have also believed in magical rituals, charms and amulets, and so also in spirits and demons.

7. They mostly cremated the dead along with some objects as offerings for use in their after lives.

8. The great bath of Mohenjo-Daro, or the much larger one found recently at the Dholavira site in Kutch, was probably a prototype Kovil or sacred tank which are found in the ancient temples of southern India, where people might have taken purification baths or participated collectively in some kind of ritual baths on important occasions.

The Indus people probably worshipped Mother Goddess, in addition to male and female deities.

2. They worshipped a father God who might be a progenitor of the race and probably was a prototype of Siva as the Lord of the Animals.

3. They were familiar with some form of yoga and meditation.

4. They believed in some kind of a tree of life, which is depicted in the seals as a Pipal or Acasia tree, defended by a guardian spirit against an evil force symbolized as a tiger. In seals, the guardian spirit is depicted variously as a bull, a snake, a goat, a mythical creature or animal.

5. They worshipped fertility symbols such as round stones and pierced stones, a practice that probably preceded the worship of Siva and Parvathi in the form Sivalinga.

6. They might have also believed in magical rituals, charms and amulets, and so also in spirits and demons.

7. They mostly cremated the dead along with some objects as offerings for use in their after lives.

8. The great bath of Mohenjo-Daro, or the much larger one found recently at the Dholavira site in Kutch, was probably a prototype Kovil or sacred tank which are found in the ancient temples of southern India, where people might have taken purification baths or participated collectively in some kind of ritual baths on important occasions.