Religion of Harappan People

Indus Religion

Many times we wonder which religion do the old civilizational people followed and how they practiced it. So in this article I would try to put some light on the religion that Harappan people practiced and how they were in terms of ethnicity and was caste system had it's root in the culture. Did the vedas emerged from there or later. Were they had some permanent ruling family or the king was elected by the people. There are many questions which need to be answered and many facts that need to be disclosed. So in this article we will read all about the religion of the Harappans.

Secularism -

 Harappan civilization was one of the most secular civilization in that contemporary period.
 All were given equal rights, however ruling class may had some more rights. The secularism
 of Indus culture was so that there exist no structure like temple. Also the well flourished trade
 between Sindhu people and the people from different civilizations suggest that the people
 practiced the idea of universal acceptance and also the people were very tolerant in terms of
 religion and spiritual practices.

Religious Structure -

 Many gigantic structure were discovered at all the Sindhu Culture sites but a few were
 recognised as religious. This may be mainly because the civilization was development
 focused and thus the structures were generally constructed for the development of people.
 Great Bath at Mohenjodaro was probably used for religious bath (ceremonial bath). Also,
 the priest college was for the teaching of religious books and were also be used by priest
 and other religious people for staying. None other buildings were used for religious purpose.
 In Lothal and Kalibangan some fire altars were discovered which may be used as the site of
 religious sacrifice of animals and may be something more.

Gods and Demigods -

 Harappan people were not much religious but they used to worship many thing as in the
 spiritual way. Of course, there were no goods and demigods being worshipped but they
 people used to worship many other thing. Sindhu people generally worshipped -;Mother
 Goddess; Pashupati Mahadeva; Lingam; Trees like Pipal; Birds like Dove and Pigeon;
 and one-horned unicorn. Sindhu people were highly obliged to mother goddess probably
 Earth. Also, the seals depicting Pashupati Mahadeva suggest that they also worshipped
 Mahadeva. The only suspicious thing found on the seals is one-horned Unicorn which
 some historians say that had great importance for the Sindhu people but a few also suggest
 that it may be the one-horned rhinoceros.

Religious Practices -

 Although not much religious practices were performed by the Indus Culture people but they
 do practice a few which had been proved in the discoveries of the related places to it. The
 most important religious practice is considered the religious bath at the Great Bath found
 Mohenjodaro. This bath may had the same importance as it for hindu's now-a-days to take
 bath in Ganga. Thus it is considered to be the most important practices among all other.
 Also the religious sacrifice was practiced by the Sindhu people as Fire Altars had been
 discovered at Lothal and Klaibangan. These sacrifices were might done to please mother
 goddess in return of good rain and crops but the real reason is not discovered yet by the
 historians. The discovery of three method of burial is significant to prove that class based
 differences were there in the Harappan Culture as some people were completely buried while
 some were fractionally and many had cremation followed by burial of the remains. Also some
 were buried with jewellery, ornaments, food, pottery, while some were buried with nothing. 

Evolution of Religion -

 Religion was later evolved from that state to the present somewhat in the Vedic period where Vedas, Puranas, and various granths were written after the Aryan Invasion. Thus, the major form of the religion just changed after the post harappan period. It might be reason that we don't much about the religious practices of the harappan people as all the practices had been extinct just in the next period i.e. in the Vedic period.

This is all we know about the religion of the Harappan Culture religion. Much more is awaited as the harappan script is not deciphered yet.

Also check our article on relation of town planning of Harappan Culture with the modern day urbanisation at Modern world and Harappan Culture

These articles are strictly for the UPSC CSE Mains Exams. Also it is useful for the students who are going to appear for the different state boards.  

Check out our article on comparison of Harappan Civilization with other contemporary civilization at Harappan Culture and the contemporary Civilization