Ethnicity and Religious Heritage

Author(s): T U Mehta
Publisher: T U Mehta

Page 19

14
Indian Ethnicity and Religious Heritage
Q. Discuss in short the religion of Mohan-jo-daro people. What picture do we get about Gods and Godesses of that time.
People of Indus Valley Civilization were of mixed and cosmopoliten character consisting of ProtoAustraloids, Meditorarion and Dravidians.
All of them do not seem to profess the same religous belief. But from the finds scurry nude female figures wearing a girdle or band round her locus. With head dress, and males of three faced deities seated cross-legged on a throne with penis eractus, surrounded by animals, suggest the worship of Mother Goddess and Shiva depicted as "Trimukha"(three faced, and as "Pashupati" (Lord of animals). find of large number cylindrical and ring stones suggests the worship of Linga and Yonisymbols of generation. Representation of Swastika and wheel as religious symbols was known to them.
What is generally missed by some scholars is the finds which suggest that the Indus Civilization was also having in its midst the "Shramana" system of thought which in its subsequent development posed a great challenge to Vedic rituals and attained