The Indus Valley civilization was primarily an urban civilization, with well-planned towns intended to meet the requirements of the people who lived in them as well as the physical and climatic constraints they encountered. Many writers have been interested in discovering predecessors to the religious rituals and deities of much later Indian faiths, therefore the religion and belief system of the Indus Valley people have gotten a lot of study. However, because of the scarcity of evidence, which is subject to several interpretations, and the fact that the Indus script remains untranslated. This article will explain to you the Religious Practises of Indus Valley Civilization which will be helpful in Ancient History preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Religious Practises of IVC

• It is true that the cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro flourished around 3000 BC.
• The fact that they were well-planned cities supports the argument that urban planning and the level of sophistication that went into its execution could not have been possible without corresponding development in various fields over several centuries.
• It's questionable if the technology and expertise used to build such massive cities were entirely indigenous or imported.
• Some portions of understanding of base numbers, metallurgy, astrology, and some elements of Hinduism, yoga, and other schools of thought might have been left by this enormous and fascinating society.
• Many Harappan religious reconstructions are based on the premise that later traditions reveal similarities with earlier ones.
• This is due to the fact that archaeologists frequently shift from the known to the unknown, or from the present to the past.
• While this is feasible for stone quarns and pots, it becomes more speculative when applied to "religious" symbols.

Religious Beliefs of Indus People

• Along with male and female deities, the Indus people most likely worshipped Mother Goddess.
• They worshipped a father God who was likely a founder of the race and a prototype of Siva as the Lord of the Animals.
• They were familiar with some type of yoga and meditation.
• They believed in some form of tree of life, portrayed on seals as a Pipal or Acacia tree, protected by a guardian spirit against an evil power signified by a tiger.
• The guardian spirit is shown in seals as a bull, a serpent, a goat, a legendary creature, or an animal.
• They worshipped fertility symbols like round stones and perforated stones, which predated the worship of Siva and Parvathi in the form Sivalinga.
• They might have believed in magical rites, charms, and amulets, as well as ghosts and demons.
• They typically cremated the dead and left certain artefacts as offerings for their afterlives.
• The great bath of Mohenjo-Daro, or the much larger one discovered recently at the Dholavira site in Kutch, was most likely a prototype temple ponds, or sacred tank, found in ancient temples of southern India, where people might have taken purification baths or collectively participated in some kind of ritual bath on important occasions.
• The presence of baths and the presence of animals in the Indus seals imply that they may have utilised water and animals in sacrifice rituals as offerings or for expiation and ceremonial cleaning.
• Archaeologists have discovered no structures resembling temples, palaces, or monuments.
• In reality, most other modern civilisations have some sort of major monument.
• Despite the presence of granaries and public baths, the lack of a palace or temple led historians to think that the Indus Valley culture was egalitarian.
• They might have used their understanding of brick construction and geometric patterns to construct sacrifice altars.
• However, no sacrifice altars or pits have been discovered in the excavations at the Indus Valley sites.

Seals of IVC

• The Mohenjo-daro seal, also known as the "sacrifice" seal, of which only a few instances have been discovered, is widely assumed to depict a religious ceremony of some kind, however readings of the imagery and interpretations of the scene differ greatly.
• The majority of Indus seals portray a single animal with no evident narrative significance.
• Several are more sophisticated, with symbolic patterns and human or semi-human characters in action.
• A bull-man or bull-woman can be depicted fighting a spectacular horned beast with hooves, a tail, and massive horns.
• Men can be seen hiding in trees from tigers, while another can be seen fighting two tigers at once in a pattern reminiscent of the Master of Animals.
• It was thought to be one of the oldest portrayals of the Hindu god Shiva, with "Pashupati" (Lord of Animals) being one of his epithets, or a "proto-Shiva" deity.
• Though the mix of features in the Pashupati seal is unique, some of them can be found in other Indus seals.

Pasupathi seal *12 NCERT

Advent of Vedic Culture

• The Indus people created a massive civilisation that inexplicably vanished by 1800 BC, only to be replaced by Vedic culture in portions of India.
• They were familiar with a written script that has yet to be deciphered and which they utilised in their seals.
• The Aryan colonisation of the Indo-Gangetic Plains marked the beginning of the Vedic Age.
• The Vedic Age lasted from 1500 BC until 600 BC. After the demise of the Indus Valley Civilisation around 1400 BC, this was the next significant civilization in ancient India.
• The Vedas were written during this time period, thus the name.

Conclusion

Historians know relatively little about the Indus valley people's religious practices. The Indus valley civilization spanned an area in the Indian subcontinent greater than modern-day Europe during its heyday. The civilisation existed between 3500 and 2000 BC, with predecessors extending back to the Neolithic era between 7000 and 6000 BC.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which tree was considered sacred and often depicted in the religious symbols of the Indus Valley Civilization?

A. Banyan
B. Pipal
C. Neem
D. Coconut

Answer: (B) See the Explanation

2. The Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro suggests the importance of which religious practice?

A. Animal sacrifice
B. Ritualistic bathing
C. Temple worship
D. Idol worship

Answer: (B) See the Explanation

3. Which of the following has been interpreted as a representation of a proto-Shiva figure in the Indus Valley Civilization?

A. Seated figure with animals
B. Dancing figure with drums
C. Man riding a bull
D. Woman holding a lotus

Answer: (A) See the Explanation

4. The worship of which goddess was prominent in the Indus Valley Civilization?

A. Saraswati
B. Durga
C. Mother Goddess
D. Kali

Answer: (C) See the Explanation

5. What kind of structures related to religious practices have been discovered in the Indus Valley Civilization?

A. Large temples
B. Stupas
C. Monasteries
D. None of the above

Answer: (D) See the Explanation

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the religious practices of the Indus Valley Civilization and how they differ from the Vedic religion.

Answer: The Indus Valley Civilization exhibited a range of nature worship, fertility cults, and reverence for animals, without evidence of large temples or deities commonly associated with later Vedic religion. Pipal trees, Mother Goddess figurines, and seals depicting a figure interpreted as Pashupati (an early form of Shiva) are key indicators of their religious practices.
In contrast, the Vedic religion involved elaborate fire rituals (Yajnas), worship of Vedic gods like Indra and Agni, and the establishment of Brahmanical priesthood. While the Indus religion focused more on nature and fertility, the Vedic religion developed around sacrifices, hymns, and complex rituals.

Q2: What role did ritualistic bathing play in the religious practices of the Indus Valley Civilization?

Answer: The presence of the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro suggests that ritualistic bathing held significant spiritual importance in the Indus Valley Civilization. Water was likely viewed as a purifying element, and bathing may have been part of religious rituals or social ceremonies. The emphasis on cleanliness and purification is evident from the elaborate water storage and drainage systems found in the cities of the civilization. This practice of ritual purification continued in later Indian traditions, where water remains a key element in religious rites and customs.

Q3: Analyze the role of animals in the religious practices of the Indus Valley Civilization and their symbolic significance.

Answer: Animals played a central role in the religious and symbolic life of the Indus Valley Civilization. Various seals and figurines depict animals like bulls, elephants, and a unicorn-like figure, suggesting their sacred status. The bull, a symbol of strength and fertility, was particularly revered and might have been associated with agricultural and pastoral activities.
The presence of the Pashupati seal, depicting a figure surrounded by animals, indicates a possible early form of animal worship and reverence for the natural world. The symbolism of animals in Indus art suggests their spiritual importance, representing power, fertility, and the connection between humans and nature.

Previous Year Questions from Religious Practises of Indus Valley Civilization

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2019

Question: The Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro is believed to have been used for:
A. Animal sacrifice
B. Public meetings
C. Ritualistic bathing
D. Grain storage

Answer: C

Explanation: The Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro is one of the most significant architectural finds of the Indus Valley Civilization. It is believed to have been used for ritualistic bathing, indicating the importance of purification in the religious practices of the Indus people.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2020 (GS Paper 1)

Question: Discuss the evidence of religious practices in the Indus Valley Civilization and their influence on later Indian religious traditions.

Explanation: The religious practices of the Indus Valley Civilization are reflected in the archaeological evidence of Mother Goddess figurines, Pashupati seals, and ritualistic bathing in the Great Bath. The reverence for nature and animals suggests that fertility cults and nature worship played a significant role in their spiritual life.
These practices influenced later Indian religious traditions, such as the worship of Shiva (evident in the Pashupati figure) and the importance of water in ritual purification, which continues in Hindu practices. The absence of large temples indicates a more localized, nature-based religion, contrasting with the organized temple worship that developed in later periods.