Religion

There is an image common to the Indus, Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian river cultures of a female deity standing with arms outstretched, holding two apparently deadly animals at bay. In the case of the Indus, the animals have been identified as 'tigers', in Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian they are crocodiles. What are the current theories on the iconography(ies) of these images; the reasons for their presence in three civilizations and what their presence might indicate in terms of the interrelationships between these cultures? Submitted by Ian Whitney

What and how much is known about it?

1. Are there any findings which can possibly hint to the origin of Tantra in the IVC?
2. Which religions where practiced in the IVC and are there indications that the IVC had atheistic influences (esp. Samkhya)?
3. Are there any new discoveries about the Shiva/Cerunnos seals and is it right to suppose that it is depicting Shiva sitting in a Yôga pose?
Submitted by Christoph Dressel

Submitted by Steve

Shereen Ratnagar
No way of knowing—but the Vedas are centuries later. I do not find much attraction in theories that conjure up Brahmanical deities, even later Puranic deities, in connection with Harappan images. We require a modicum of “chronological discipline”(—let us choose a better term for this in our discussions).

"I'd like the experts to confirm or refute that the Indus Valley civilization was a matriarchy following the scientific definition given by Heide Goettner-Abendroth in Modern Matriarchal Studies: Definitions, Scope and Topicality." Asked by Sede Decana Método DeRose and Luciano

Richard Meadow

Is it a bull (according to a recent British Museum/BBC history of the World series) and not a unicorn? A bull with two horns always shown from the side? A mythical one-horn beast? What is his significance? Submitted by Gharial Abramnova from school student questions

How does Asko Parpola's use of Mitra-Varuna mythology in a syncretic manner between Harappan, BMAC and Indo-Iranian religion and the resulting interpretation of Indus seals reconcile with the following?

1. Possible greater presence of this mythology Indo-European religion. If so, won't it imply more eastern homeland for Indo-European (contrary to other available evidences) and also won't it imply a continuous and deeper time-scaled exchange between these three groups?

I have a question to Dr Iravatham Mahadevan. Do festivals like PONGAL (TN) or ONAM (Kerala) carry some of those aspects from Indus Valley memory? Because they are not rooted in Religion and origins are obscured from known memory. Submitted by Prakash

Iravatham Mahadevan
The Harappans would have celebrated some festivals. There are seals and sealings showing religious sacrifices, processions etc. but there is no evidence to connect them with the South Indian festival you mention.

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