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Harappan/ Indus Civilization - Art and Culture

The most commonly found figurine is that of Mother –Goddess (Matridevi or Shakti). There is evidence of prevalence of Yoni (female sex organ ) worship.

The chief male deity  was the ‘ Pasupati Mahadeve’ i.e ./the lord of Animals (Proto- Shiva ) represented in seals as sitting in yogic posture ; he is surrounded by four animals  (elephant , tiger, rhino and buffalo )and two deer appear at his feet. There was the prevalence of Phallic (lingam) worship.

Thus Shiva- Shakti  worship ,the oldest form   of worship in India, appears to have been part of the religious belief of Harappan people (esp. humped bull)

The remains and relics also reveal that  zoolatry  i.e. animal  worship and tree worship (esp. peepal ) were in vogue in those days. 

There is the evidence of pictographic script, found mainly on seals.  The script has not been deciphered so far , but overlap of letters on some of the potsherds from Kalibanga show that writing was boustrophedon or from right to left and from left to right in alternate lines.  It has been referred to as Proto- Dravidian.


Steatite was mainly used in the manufacture of seals.

Humpless  bull is represented in most of the Indus seals.

Inhumation or complete burial was the most common method of  disposal of the dead.

The origin of the ‘Swastika’ symbol can be traced to the Indus  Cvilization.

‘Indra  is accused of causing the decline if Indus Civilization ‘_ M.Wheeler.

The Rigveda speaks of a battle at a place named ‘Hariyumpia’ which has been identified with Harappa.

The majority of scholars believe that the makers of this civilization were Dravidian.


Contemporary civilizations of Indus Civilization- Mesopotamia, Egypt and China.