The organic relationship between the ancient culture of the Indus Valley and Hinduism of today is proved by the worship of
(A) Pashupati, Indra, and the Mother Goddess
(B) Stones, trees, and animals
(C) Vishnu and Lakshmi
(D) Siva and Sakti
Answer: (B) There has been evidence that the people of the Indus Valley Civilization believed in some form of animal and nature worship. The figure of deities on the seals indicates that they worshipped gods and goddesses in the human form. No major sculpture survives but for a bust thought to be of a major priest and the stunning bronze dancing girl. The Divine Mother appears to have been an important goddess due to the countless terracotta statues of her that were found. It follows a school of thought that would become prevalent later as well, of the female energy being regarded as the source of all creation. What is most interesting is the existence of a male god, which has been identified as a prototype of an important God of the religion of Hinduism, Lord Shiva. The fact that the same God is still worshipped today, and has been for the last five thousand years is one of the remarkable features of Indian culture. Even evidence of the Bhakti cult (loving devotion to a personal God) has been found at Indus Valley Civilization sites, and the Bhakti cult also has a large following even today. It can therefore be concluded that there is a close relationship between the beliefs of the Indus Valley Civilization and that of modern Hinduism.
