GOD OF HARAPPA CIVILIZATION
The discovery of an ancient civilization was first made in 1921 at Harappa, located in the Punjab region. The next finding came the following year at Mohenjo-daro, located close to the Indus River, in the Sind region. Both of these historic sites are in what we now know as Pakistan, specifically within the Punjab and Sindh provinces. In recognition of its cultural significance, Mohenjo-daro earned designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980.
Harappa ruins located in Punjab, Pakistan and other near-by areas. The harappa civilization’s trace was later found in distant locations such as Sutkagen Dor, situated in southwestern Balochistan province, Pakistan. This spot next to the Arabian Sea is roughly 300 miles west from Karachi. Findings also surfaced at Ropar (or Rupar), in the eastern Punjab state of northwestern India, situated at the base of the Shimla Hills, about 1,000 miles northeast from Sutkagen Dor.
Subsequent voyages confirmed its existence stretching south along the west coast of India, right up to the Gulf of Khambhat, located 500 miles southeast of Karachi. Its presence further extended to the Yamuna River basin, located 30 miles north of Delhi. When compared, this civilization is the most extensive amongst the world’s three earliest civilizations, even though both Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations are thought to have begun a bit earlier.
In the Harappa Civilization, Pashupati, an early form of Shiva, was worshipped. Found in Mohenjo Daro was the Pashupati seal. A three-faced figure, seated with an elephant, tiger, buffalo, rhino, and two deer, is depicted. It’s also called the Mahayogi seal and is an early Shiva depiction. Excavation leader, Sir John Marshall, labeled it ‘Proto Shiva.‘ The seal remains at New Delhi’s National Museum. The people also revered the Mother Goddess, Neem, Peepal, the Sun, Fire, Earth, and Water. These were important to Harappan Civilization’s beliefs.
The Pashupati seal, or Mahayogi seal as it’s sometimes called, is an old stone seal found in what is now Pakistan, in an ancient city from the old Indus Valley civilization, known as Mohenjo-daro. This find happened between 1928-29 during British rule, by the Archaeological Survey of India, whose job it is to dig up and protect such things. The seal shows a seated figure who might have three heads.
This figure is also maybe male but Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, still thought was right in a 2003 paper. The man wears a horned headdress, is surrounded by animals, and might even be a horned god. The Pashupati seal has a unique arrangement of these elements, but other seals from the Indus region do share some similarities. For example, another seal also found in Mohenjo-daro,which now resides in Islamabad, shows a similar horned three-faced figure seated in a meditative pose on a throne, wearing arm bracelets. However, in this case, there are no animals and people can’t agree if the figure is male or female, even if it looks like it has a beard.
The seal carries the mysterious Indus Valley civilization script, yet to be decoded. The seal’s actual use remains uncertain. Some experts propose they assisted with commerce. Interestingly, many have a hole on the reverse side, hinting at use as charms. Consequently, the seal might represent a settlement’s community identifier or worn as a status symbol.
