They found the world’s oldest surviving city, a planned urban landscape with a grid system of roads, homes with washrooms, ceremonial bathing pools, sculptures and toys.

Their finds indicated a developed, sanitary society with good knowledge of urban planning, design, and engineering. One, the celebrated "Dancing Girl’", a small bronze figurine of a scantily clad woman, indicated a culture of performing arts.

Archaeologists from Deccan College in Pune and Seoul University found many similar artifacts to those discovered at Mohenjodaro in Haryana: women’s jewellery, and children’s toys - including a clay model of a dog on a leash indicating early pet ownership.

But excavations around four skeletons of two men, a woman and a child - possibly a family - have uncovered what appears to be the first evidence of the Harappans’ spiritual beliefs.

“We have found some material like pottery with grains of food, and shell bangles located near or around skeletons which enabled us to conclude that the settlers believed in reincarnation,” Nilesh Jhadav, an archaeologist from Deccan College, told the Hindustan Times.

Why does the motif of bull have a single horn?

The Indus seals with bull images are of three varieties: the single horned, double horned with bent head, and double horned with the big hump. Of the three types of bulls,only the single horned one shows the Kaṇḍūyanī.

Kaṇḍūyanī , also called Viṣāṇa:is the horn of the antelope with multiple folds, used by the initiated priest as a tool to scratch the body when required (as scratching with fingers or nails was not permitted after initiation. Kaṇḍū in Sanskrit means an itching sensation. Yana means moving. The priest gets satisfaction when he moves kandu horn on experiencing itching sensation).

Viṣāṇa and Kaṇḍūyanī are the terms which mean the horn of the antelope,one span in length, with three, five, or multiple folds called Trivṛt, Panchavṛt, etc., which is fastened to the sacrificer’s upper garment, by Adhvaryu priest at the time of Dīkṣā of Soma or other Yajña. The reason why Kaṇḍūyanī is shown in the forehead region of the bull is that with it the Dīkṣita priest, on entering the yajna shala, takes out the lump of earth from the Vedi and touches his forehead. After this, it is tied to the upper garment of the priest. Kaṇḍūyanī is the identification mark used by one who has taken initiation – Dīkṣā and his Pravaras (lineage of father and grandfather) are recited by the Adhvaryu priest. This is called Āvedana by which a declaration is made that the sacrificer or the priest has been consecrated.

A priest adorned with the sacred thread was eligible to invoke Agni after his Dikṣā initiation. With the horn of the antelope he stamps the earth of yajnashala on his fore head and later it was tied to his upper garment. This single horn of the bull in the seal is the accessory object used by the priest. Hence, it can be derived that the power of Purohita / also called a Hotṛ is represented as the sacred animal, a single horned bull of the seal, and depicted to be reciting the relevant Vedic stanzas of Yajña and therefore not the picture of any animal in particular.

Depiction of priest as a single horned bull in anthropomorphic form in temples

The concept of representing the head priest as a single horned bull, seems to have been in vogue even during the medieval architecture. The two pictures of the panels on the outer walls of the temples provided below depicts the sage Rishyashringa, who conducted the ‘Putra Kamesti Yajna’ for the king Dasharatha. The first picture shows Rishyashringa with the bull’s head and single horn of an antelope, offering the prasada to the three royal queens of Dasharatha. The second picture, also of Rishyashringa with the single horn on fore head, was the head priest offering oblations to Agni and conducting the yajna. Rishya shringa is a composit word of Rishi +shringa, where shringa variously means horn, summit,height of perfection, a crag -meaning the projecting part of hard surface. Horn is a symbol of self-reliance and strength.

Rishyashringa as the chief priest (with a single horn) conducting Yajna for Dasharatha and royal queens.

This is a conclusive proof to the fact that the head priest was symbolized as a bull with a single horn and Yajnopavita as a concept in Indus seals was later changed to anthpomorphic form of man with bull’s head and single horn.

The Vedic period, which witnessed the peak of poetic skills emerging as Vedas appear to be the inspiration for the making of seals because the theme of many Indus seals when analyzed appeared to reflect Vedic contents, more like the literary and archaeological data of the ancient civilization. In other words, the seals are a faithful representation of Vedas through symbols and nothing appears to be beyond the scope of Vedas. Single horned bull is more as a concept or symbolism, rather than a direct depiction of the animal in an art form. The comparative study of Vedas and seal inscriptions revealed that the theme of seals strictly adhered to the data of the four Vedas and nothing appears to be beyond the scope of Vedas. In other words, the seals are a faithful representation of Vedas through symbols.

Reference

The Depiction of Vedic Priests in Indus Seals by Rekha Rao

Amazon.in ebook link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07FRMTYQQ

Amazon.com ebook link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FRMTYQQ

Print Book link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1717855202

Print Book link for India: https://www.amazon.in/Depiction-Vedic-Priest…/…/ref=sr_1_15…

Symbolography in Indus Seals by Rekha Rao

Paperback / Print Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1549709208

e-Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016QQKBQE

Featured Image: harappa

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