Hinduism today is unrecognisable from its ancient precursor because of what Aryans did to it. Indeed, the very slur you use (mlecha) against us relates directly to the rivalry between north gangetics post-Aryan infiltration and the original IVC populations. They were rivals, further articulated and defined in Vedic scripts.
What??? lol
,Don't manipulate our dharm for your propaganda ,
They ain't sanghi sources assured.
Now since none of the steppe cultures have any traces of Vedic ritualism, let us take our focus to the historic seat of Vedic Aryans, i.e northern India, and see if ancient cultures of this region have any traces of Vedic ritualism.
The most important evidence that we have to trace roots of Vedic rituals in SSVC is the discovery of fire altars from various sites like Kalibangan, Banawali, Lothal etc. The most crucial findings are from Kalibangan where we find parallels with Vedic ritualism as described in Vedic scriptures. As veteran Indian archaeologist B. B. Lal remarks [5]:
“ In one of the platforms there were contiguous ‘fire-altars’, running from north to south . Although a subsequent drain had destroyed some of the altars, it would appear that originally these were seven in number — whatever be the significance of that number. (It may, incidentally, be recalled that a seal from Mohenjo-daro shows seven devotees marching in a row, in the lower register, the upper one depicting a deity within a peepal-leaf enclosure.) Although because of subsequent disturbances, the contents of these altars had been depleted, one could nevertheless find in some of them the remains of stele, ‘cakes’ and charcoal, signifying that these served the same purpose as did the ‘fire-altars’ in the Lower Town, discussed earlier . On the west of these altars there lay the lower half of a jar in a pit, containing ash and charcoal. It would appear that in it fire was kept ready to be used in the altars. “
In another platform there was also a ‘pit’ altar (cf. Agni ‘kuṇḍa’) lined with bricks, just like Vedic altars [6].
Fig. 1 : Fire ‘pit’ altar from Kalibangan along with bricks
“On another platform in the southern part of the Citadel there was a pit lined with kiln-fired bricks. It measured 1.5 x 1 m and contained bovine bones and antlers, indicative of animal sacrifice. How the animal was carried to the sacrificial altar is indicated by engravings found on a terracotta ‘cake’ at Kalibangan itself.”
Also at Kalibangan there was a bathing area nearby the altars which indicates practice of purificatory ritual bathing which is also part of Vedic rituals [7].
“Close by on the north-west of the fire-altars, there were a well and a bathing platform, further suggesting that a ceremonial bath prior to the performing of the ritual may have been a part of the ceremony.”
For instance in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 12.9.2.1 describes about ritualistic bathing [8].
Having performed the sacrifice they betake themselves to the purificatory bath; for after a Soma-sacrifice they do betake themselves to the purificatory bath, and the Sautrâmanî is the same as the Soma (sacrifice).
Another thing is that the altars were positioned eastward direction. [9]
“Another interesting feature was that of a north-south wall running behind the row of the fire-altars. This would show that the person(s) using these altars had to face east while carrying out the ritual.”
So too, in various places of Rig Veda we find that the ritual oblations were made in eastward direction. For example Rig Veda 3.1.2, 5.28.1, 3.6.1 etc [10].
Agni inflamed hath sent to heaven his lustre: he shines forth widely turning unto Morning. Eastward the ladle goes that brings all blessing, praising the Gods with homage and oblation.
Rig Veda 5.28,1
East have we turned the rite; may the hymn aid it. With wood and worship shall they honour Agni. From heaven the synods of the wise have learnt it: e’en for the quick and strong they seek advancement.
Rig Veda 3.1.2
Urged on by deep devotion, O ye singers, bring, pious ones, the God-approaching ladle. Borne onward to the right it travels eastward, and, filled with oil, to Agni bears oblation.
Rig Veda 3.6.1
Also a terracotta cake discovered from Kalibangan same site depicts a man holding an animal with a noose tied in it’s neck.
Fig 2: Ritualistic terracotta cake from Kalibangan
In Vedic rituals, the animals were sacrificed by suffocated them with noose, as cited in Vedic ritual texts like Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 3.7.4.1 [11].
Having made a noose, he throws it over (the victim) with (Vâg. S. VI, 8), ‘With the noose of sacred order I bind thee, O oblation to the gods!’ for that rope, forsooth, is Varuna’s: therefore he thus binds it with the noose of sacred order, and thus that rope of Varuna does not injure it.”
One side of the cake also depicts the Harappan horned divinity. This indicates that the animal must’ve been sacrificed to the horned divinity. Same horned divinity can be seen in the famous Harappan ‘Pashupati’ seal [12].
Fig.3 : The famous Harappan ‘Pashupati’ seal
All these indicates practice of Vedic rituals in this Harappan city. Mainstream Indologists have been skeptical about these structures being Vedic altars, they say these are just cooking hearths. But if this is true, why animal bones are inside the altar?
Obviously, no one will cook animal by directly throwing the flesh with bones inside the hearth since it would be mixed with charcoal, they would cook it in a vessel which is kept above the hearth.
Archaeologist J. P. Joshi remarks [13]
“Bones recovered from the altars include those of bovines, zebu, goat or sheep, and deer.”
The fact that animal bones are found inside confirms that these were indeed ritualistic fire altars with animal offerings. Further the depiction of horned divinity in the terracotta cake found from the site further confirms it’s ritualistic nature, rather than it being mere cooking hearth. Even western Indologists like Asko Parpola who prefer non-Aryan Dravidian authorship of SSVC finds parallels in Vedic tradition and Kalibangan altars [14].
“The seven ‘fire-altars’ at Kalibangan are closely paralleled by the dhiṣnya hearths of the Vedic Soma sacrifice. Six of these hearths are in a north-south row inside the ‘sitting-hall’ (the priests sit to the west of them, facing east, as at Kalibangan). They belong to six priests, while one more priest (the ‘fire-kindler’) has a fireplace of his own to the north of the others, on the border of the sacrificial area. The seven officiating priests who have a special dhiṣnya are also known as ‘the seven sacrificers’ (sapta hotrāh).”
British archaeologists Raymond and Bridget Allchin also states that the entire complex from Kalibangan was ritualistic in nature. [15]
“The brick platforms are separated from each other by narrow brick-paved passages. Their surfaces had been damaged, but on one there was a row of seven of the distinctive ‘fire altars’, found also in the houses of the lower town, as well as a brick-lined pit containing animal bones and antlers, a well head and a dram. There seems to be little doubt that this complex marked a ritual centre where animal sacrifice, ritual bathing and perhaps also the cult of sacred fire took place”
They also doesn’t rule out presence of Vedic Aryans in mature Harappan urban phase based on Kalibangan finds [16].
“At Kalibangan the curious ritual hearths (if they indeed are so) reported in domestic, public and civic situations are suggestive of a practice ancestral to the Indo-Aryan fire sacrifices, and it is tempting to see this as an indication of the presence of Indo-Aryan speakers already during the Harappan urban phase.”
It is also important to note that we also find ‘pit’ altars built during early historic period. For instance there is a recent find of fire altar from Malhar dated to Satavahana era. This fire altar has close parallels with early Harappan altar from Kalibangan, though it is shaped differently like a Tantric Yantra inside [17].
Fig.4 : Remains of altar from Malhar
A Harappan apsidal ‘fire temple’ and it’s connection with later apsidal temples.
Also there is an interesting find of the remains of an apsidal ‘fire temple’ from SSVC site of Banawali. This structure was also made of bricks and inside this structure we also see a semi-circular altar reminding us of Vedic Dakṣiṇāgni altar along with ashes, which would’ve been used to conduct fire rituals just like in Kalibangan [18] [19].
Fig.5 : Remains of ‘fire temple’ from Banawali.
Fig.6: Plan of Banawali ‘fire temple’.
We see an exactly similar apsidal brick temple like the one from Banawali later in Atranjikhera site dating to Mauryan-Shunga era [20].
Fig.7: Plan of apsidal temple from Atranjikhera
Both of these have clear resemblance and are made of bricks like the Vedic and Kalibangan altars. Other early temples also had apsidal plan. For instance the Naga temple made from bricks discovered at Mathura is also in apsidal plan [21].
Fig.8: Remains of apsidal Naga temple from Mathura
It is not unreasonable to think that the tradition of building apsidal structures of early historic India has it’s roots in earlier Harappan tradition. While the Harappan one was used for fire worship, the later ones were dedicated to different deities. It could be possible that such early shrines evolved directly out of Vedic altars since the very term Caitya, referring to early shrines or temples, is derived from the term Citi or fire altar. The Banawali fire temple would represent this evolution of fire altars into shrines where rituals are conducted.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is an irrefutable fact that the Harappans had fire worship. We do not know which exact Vedic rite was practiced in SSVC sites, but undoubtedly there are obvious parallels between Vedic ritual setup and entire theme of finds from sites like Kaibangan. Along with Banawali find, this is a clear evidence for the undeniable fact that the Harappans practiced fire rituals.
Perhaps the fire rituals performed here may even have been Indo-Iranian in nature, ancestral tradition to later Vedic rituals which were evolved out of it. This is far better evidence for practice of Indo-Iranian fire rituals than imaginations of Kurgan theorists who see Vedic Aśvamedha in horse burials of the steppes and Vedic altars in hearths with stone slabs.
We should trace the roots of Vedic rituals in SSVC rather than in steppe cultures which shows no trace of Vedic ritualism based on sacred fire.
With these parallels between Vedic rites and Harappan rites, we can push back the date of Vedic era and roots of Vedic ritualism prior to 1700-1500 BCE, the traditional date for the early Rig Vedic era as given by most Indologists and historians as per AIT chronology, to the mature Harappan phase of SSVC going beyond 1900 BCE, starting around 2600 BCE.
Thus the Vedic rituals represents the oldest surviving ritual of mankind, with continuity right from the bronze age to modern times. After all, even the simple Homa fire rituals done daily in various temples and homes ultimately derive from Vedic fire rituals! It is a living tradition practiced right from the bronze age during 3rd millennium BCE at least.
Bibliography
- Anthony, David W. (2007), The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, Princeton University Press, Kuz’mina
- Elena Efimovna (2007), J. P. Mallory (ed.), The Origin of the Indo-Iranians, Brill
- Anthony, David W.; Brown, Dorcas R.; Khokhlov, Aleksandr A.; Kuznetsov, Pavel F.; Mochalov, Oleg D. (2016). A Bronze Age Landscape in the Russian Steppes: The Samara Valley Project. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press
- Gregory L. Possehl (11 November 2002). The Indus Civilization: A Contemporary Perspective. Rowman Altamira
- Braj Basi Lal (2015). The Rigvedic People: ‘Invaders’?/’Immigrants’? or Indigenous?. Aryan Books International.
- Ibid
- Ibid
- Eggeling, Julius (1882–1900). The Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa, according to the text of the Madhyandina school. Princeton Theological Seminary Library. Oxford, The Clarendon Press.
- Braj Basi Lal, Op. cit.
- Griffith, Ralph Thomas Hotchkin (11 April 1896). The Hymns of the Rig Veda. Kotagiri Nilgiri.
- Eggeling, Julius (1882–1900). The Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa, according to the text of the Madhyandina school. Princeton Theological Seminary Library. Oxford, The Clarendon Press.
- Wikimedia commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shiva_Pashupati.jpg
- Joshi, Jagat Pati (2008), Harappan Architecture and Civil Engineering. New Delhi : Rupa & Company, Infinity Foundation series.
- Parpola, Asko (1994), Deciphering the Indus script Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Allchin, Bridget, and F. Raymond Allchin 1982. The Rise of Civilization in India and Pakistan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Ibid
- Indian Archaeology 2010-2011 – A Review, Chief editor Rakesh Tewari, Editors D.N. Dimri & Indu Prakash
- Danino, Michel (2010), The Lost River – On the trail of the Sarasvati, Penguin Books India
- Joshi, Jagat Pati, Op. cit.
- Gaur, R. C. (1983) : Excavations at Atranjikhera. Early civilization of the Upper Ganga Basin. Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass
Fkin Idiot. Can't you read??
700bc was the first recorded use of the word. Most analysts put the Aryan arrival at a thousand years before that.
You need English lessons first and foremost.
Don't you have freakin brains,
Harrapan civilization was present before the so called aryans came,
That was my justification for brahmins already present in India before Aryans first contact with indigenous people.
Isn't your Aryan invasion theory state , aryans replacing the harrapan population .
Because Harrapans already practiced Vedic dharma or Sanatan dharm before the aryans arrived.
ohhh the secular Mughals
