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Pre-Vedic religion is the oldest religion known in India. These religions were practised before the Aryan migrations. The people who practised this religion used to worship spirits that existed in nature. Pre-vedic beliefs established the foundations for later religious development on the Indian subcontinent. During that time, the ritual was seen as an important tool for keeping maintaining harmony with the natural and spiritual worlds. In this section, we shall look at the pre-vedic religion and its significance. This is an important subject and may appear in various competitive examinations, including, UPSC, SSC, and EPFO. Continue reading to enhance your knowledge about such topics.
Pre-Vedic religion includes spiritual ideas, practices, and cultural traditions. This religion existed before the creation of the Vedas, the oldest text of Hinduism. This period is marked by the development of the Indus Valley Civilisation and various traditional practices. In this section, we will look at the rituals, customs, and influence of ancient civilisations on pre-vedic religion.
Table of Contents
The Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilisation is the world’s oldest urban civilisation, which covers a large area. Its important cities include Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. There were numerous religious practices throughout the time.
- Seal and symbols: Several seals were discovered during the Indus Valley Civilisation. The most well-known of these is the “Pashupati Seal,” which depicts a figure in yoga posture surrounded by animals. The figure is often interpreted as the Hindu God Shiva.
- Worship of the Mother Goddess: Terracotta figurines of women are known as the Mother Goddess and play an important part in religious importance.
- Animal Worship: The strong presence of animals in the seals and figures indicates that animal worship was an important part of religious practice at the time.
- Water Purification: The Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro is a huge, well-structured pool that shows the importance of water in rituals and purification ceremonies.
However, there is no clear evidence of temples or religious structures during the Indus civilisation.
Also Read: Vedic Period: A Sacred Chapter of Indian History
Indigenous Tribal Traditions
Before the arrival of the Indo-Aryans, the Indian subcontinent was home to a number of local tribes. These tribes believe in animal rituals and natural worship as part of their religious practices.
- Animism: It is the concept that natural objects and phenomena like trees, rivers, mountains, and animals hold spiritual powers and rituals have been done to honour these spirits.
- Totemism: Totemic activities were common during the time. The animal motifs found in Indus Valley artefacts support this theory.
- Shamans: They are also known as spiritual leaders or healers. In pre-vedic tribes, shamans served as mediators between the human and spiritual world. They used ceremonies to heal and interact with the spirits.
- Rituals: There were numerous ceremonies, like dancing and offerings which are practice for the spiritual experiences.
Influence of the Dravidian Civilization
The Dravidians are believed to have ruled southern India before the Indo-Aryans. People in these civilisations had their own religious practices, which ultimately merged with later Hinduism.
- Proto-Shiva: According to some researchers, the Dravidian people worshipped a deity similar to Shiva. The “Pashupati Seal” from the Indus Valley Civilisation has a connection with this concept.
- Murugan: Murugan, commonly known as the Kartikey, is the main deity of Tamil Nadu. They influenced the pre-vedic religions of the Dravidian civilisation. Murugan, a warrior god, is associated with hills and mountains.
- Village Deities: The Dravidian tradition included the worship of a number of village deities, which later evolved into Hindu ceremonies.
Also Read: Types of Vedas: Important Features & Details
Ritual Practices and Beliefs
There were many practices and beliefs about nature, agriculture and community well-being. The discovery of artefacts provides a glimpse into some of the common practices of the time.
- Animal Sacrifice: There is no strong evidence that animal sacrifice was part of pre-Vedic religion. However, the remains of animals are discovered at archaeological sites, often in ritual situations.
- Offerings: It was common to present deities or spirits with food, flowers, and other items.
- Ancestor Worship: Ritual practices for honouring ancestors were popular at the period. Burial traditions indicate a belief in an afterlife.
Transition to Vedic Religion
As Indo-Aryans came into the Indian subcontinent, the Vedic religion mixed with the pre-Vedic religion. This did not remove earlier beliefs but rather included more evolved ones.
- Integration: Pre-Vedic dieties and rituals were combined with Vedic traditions. For example, worship of nature evolved into worship of fire (Agni) and water (Water).
- Survival of Traditional Practices: Pre-vedic rituals existed together with Vedic rituals, especially in rural and tribal areas.
- Cultural heritage: The Indus Valley Civilisation and pre-Vedic traditions left a lasting cultural heritage that may still be seen in modern Hinduism.
Pre-Vedic religion is an important chapter in India’s spiritual history, providing important insights into the origins and evolution of one of the world’s oldest religious traditions.
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FAQs
Pre-Vedic religion is the oldest religion known in India. These religions were practised before the Aryan migrations. The people who practised this religion used to worship spirits that existed in nature.
The Indus Valley Civilisation is the world’s oldest urban civilisation. There were numerous religious practices throughout the time such as the worship of animals, using water for rituals and ceremonies and the worship of the mother goddess. All of the rituals can be observed through the artefacts which were discovered in the Indus Valley Civilization.
As Indo-Aryans came into the Indian subcontinent, the Vedic religion mixed with the pre-Vedic religion. Pre-Vedic dieties and rituals were combined with Vedic traditions. Pre-vedic rituals existed together with Vedic rituals, especially in rural and tribal areas
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