MOTHER GODDESS IN INDIA

SRIJANA GUPTA PG-1, ROLL NO-24 DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY COURSE:ANCIENT SOCIETIES:EGYPT, MESOPOTAMIA, INDIA, GREECE AND ROME MOTHER GODDESS-BEGINNING OF INDIAN PATRIARCHY? India the country of mother goddess, land that signifies femininity in its every physical aspect defines itself as “MOTHER INDIA” MOTHER INDIA is a very modern phenomenon which first coined by Abanindranath Tagore through his painting called ‘BHARAT MATA’ during freedom struggle. It mostly used during freedom struggle to sow the seed of patriotism among common Indians to inspire them to participate in freedom struggle to save their motherland from her imprisonment by British and reinstall her old glory. But this very symbol of India as mother and her visualization as a Hindu goddess alienates her from becoming the mother of other religions i.e-Islam, Christian etc. Thus it has become the mother of India which validities Hindus as her only children. has a overwhelming acceptance to the outer world for a feminine identity, also is one of the strongest patriarchal state of this world. The basic theme of my project is this very characteristics of my homeland which also responsible for sowing the seed of ‘INDIAN PATRIARCHY’ into the womb of its mother soil, could be traced back to the antiquity or the beginning of Indian civilization mostly known as Harappa-Mohenjodaro civilization? Also try to understand if there would be any connection between ‘MOTHER GODDESS’ and modern day symbolism of INDIA as ‘MOTHER INDIA’. Starting from the Harappa-Mohenjodaro phase the cult of Mother Goddess transformed into many different way with the process of modernizing society but this very modern state also has made it nearly a cult which does not reflect any resembles with the society which patronize her. The basic point of my argument is in so called modern society Mother Goddess has become a near cult of worship only while this very cult reflects her connection with matrilineal society in ancient period or in some parts of India still today where the position of women is still higher than men or matrilineal society still exists. Also its very presence in tantric , Shakti or in any other kind of doctrines reflects the predominance of matrilineal society in India from ancient time which mostly ruptured with the coming of Aryans. Also the worship of Mother Goddess in ancient World mostly related to fertility of the soil with no connection with any kind of religion later became a Goddess of a particular religion which bound women in a particular characteristics that gives patriarchy the weapon to spread its hegemony above women everywhere in this world. MOTHER GODDESS FROM HARAPPA TO MODERN INDIA Worship of Mother Goddess is a phenomenon beyond the rise of civilization in all over the World from Egypt to Greece, India, Syria, Asia Minor etc. The cult of Mother Goddess without any religious affiliation was associated with the fertility of soil. Like a woman can produce children, seeds sown by her can also produce multiple amount of fruits or grains and a barren women makes the field barren too. In pre hunting society there was no trace of production only simple appropriation of foods, small animals and though there was no division of labour but with hunting it became the job of men and with domestication cattle raising became men’s job but production of food remained a field for women, but with cattle-drawn gave its way to hoe and garden tillage to field tillage it transferred into the hands of men. This ever shifting tensions between sexes remained all around and this led to transfer female descent to male descent. Where the society was basically agricultural the position of women remained in high extinct but with the beginning of pastoral society it decreased rapidly i.e.-in Harappa-Mohenjodaro the non pastoral society had more importance for Mother Goddess than in Vedic society where pastoral society dominated over agriculture and farming became a subordinate occupation which mostly bore by indigenous people like Manusmriti forbid agriculture for Aryans. They mostly led the life of warrior pastoral class. Basically Aryans became the sole bearer of conserving pastoral properties through war and it led to extend the importance of men as warriors and founded patriarchy in Indian soil. John Marshall is the foremost interpreter of what can be called the Harappa religion. A huge number of figurines have been found from this sites leads his hypothesis of worship of Mother Goddess in later Hinduism can been traced back to Harappa civilization. The hypothesis is highly subjective and defective due to absence of deciphered script of Harappa civilization, also this serves the modern day right wing agenda of Hindu forces to claim Harappa as a civilization of their ancestors i.e-Aryans which seems very dangerous. Also every figurines can be termed as a single Mother Goddess as some can be simply toys or for decorative figurines other can be cult with separate features for household rituals. A study of Harappa terracottas by Alexandra Ardeleanu-Jansen has underlined great variety in female figurines. A figure of women often perceive as Goddess is a slim female figure wearing a fan shaped headdress and a short skirt, wearing heavy ornaments, armlets, bangles etc. Some figurines have cup like attachments and flowers on either side of the head could be worshipped in households or part of the paraphernalia of domestic rituals. There is also matronly pot-bellied type of female figurine who may represents a pregnant or prosperous woman who is basically naked sometimes wears some jewellery and a turban or head dress and slim type women may hold a baby in their arms. Most female figurines have been found in Harappa, Mohenjodaro or Banawali but not at sites such as Kalibangan, Lothal, Surkotada or Mitathal. Most of the figurines found in Harappa are broken thus Marshall suggests they were used as a votive offerings than a cult. Another aspect of fertility related beliefs during Harappa could be found through the stone icons of linga and yonis(male & female sexual organs respectively), but this perspective has some doubts as they can be used as for some other work or can be unfinished structures. Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient & Early Medieval India From The Stone Age to The 12thCentury,Pearson(New Delhi,2013) ,pp.170-74. Though the female figurines found at Harappa could reflect divinity in them but that does not necessarily reflect a high status of women in that society as many of them were also ordinary female figurines, some fat female can be pregnant women as pregnancy was a process fraught with danger in ancient times. Many figurines have been found holding child in their arms or near their breasts shows the importance of fertility of women. Ibid.,170-74. Marshall opines many of these Mother Goddess absorbed into Vedic tradition as the representation of Shakti which worship can be seen in modern day village cult of goddess or Gramadevatas. Marshall’s supposition of the worship of female Goddess during Indus has been proved by the presence of a divine tree. In a Mohenjodaro seal a female figure wearing a pigtail and three pointed headdress standing in the midst of a pipal tree, before her is a half kneeling suppliant wearing the similar headdress and pigtail accompanied by a goat. On the lower portion of the seal there are 7 female ministrants or votaries wearing pigtails, tunics and projecting from the top of their heads what appear to be small branches. Marshall also points out to a seal of Harappa where a nude woman upside down with legs apart from where a plant growing from a vulva. The meaning of this scene may be the production of vegetation from the womb of the Mother Earth. On the reverse of the seal a nude woman sat on the ground with uplifting her arms which Marshall suggests as a sign of supplication. Before her a standing man holding a sickle like knife in one hand and a bowl in other. Marshall interprets this scene as a sacrifice to Goddess depicted on the seal’s other side. Herbert P.Sullivan , A Re-examination of The Religion of The Indus Civilization, History of Religions,Vol.4,No.1,University of Chicago Press, 1964, pp.117-18 The so called Mother goddess during Harappa does not seem to make any direct divine connection like Marshall tries to prove, as the lack of evidence of temple worship during Harappa is quite evident. Thus it could symbolize more like a woman with high status which only can be achieved through her fertility and her worship is the celebration of new life on Earth, as Harappa mostly remained pro agricultural society. During Vedic period Mother Goddess was mostly associated with Heaven as there was several mentions in hymns and other scripts about the marriage of Mother Earth and Heaven and its result of creating new life. In Mahabharata first time Mother Goddess was prominently used who became the consort of Vishnu. When Mother Goddess was burdened under the pressure of excessive population she sank down thousands yajanas and seek protection from Vishnu and Vishnu as a form of boar lifted her to her own place. A legend of Bramhapurana mentions about Narakasura as sprung from the union of Vishnu in his boar from reflects the connection of agriculture with her non-Aryans inhabitants where the presence of asura creates doubts about the identity of the boar as purely a Aryan. In Vedic hymns Sita is the furrow who bears crop for men and the word Rama associates with agricultural activity. N.N Bhattacharya, Indian Mother Goddess, Indian Studies: Past and Present, R.K Mitra and R.D Press (Calcutta, 1940),pp.23-25. Male deties got more high status during this time where prominent Goddess like Durga, Kali, Usha all enjoyed high status but mostly as a married wife to male Gods. In primitive culture the responsibility of the mother for the production of new life had been respected highly whereas there was a obscure conception about the paternity, but this benefit of doubt was not possible due to their organs for life giving per excellence from the beginning of their appearance in Europe, Middle East at the beginning of upper Paleolithic. In many cases the agriculture is associated with sex rites as primitive people imitated the process of human procreation to increase the productivity of nature i.e- in Bihu festival of Assam women are granted license to their sexuality which representation does not acted as obscene or blemish, in Manipur among naga tribes a tug of war takes place among girls & boys represents the omens to for future crops before the fruits are grown and after the paddy is sown etc. The ritual of sacred prostitution is associated with the vegetation of Mother Earth. In ancient time sexual acts were associated with the production of nature thus there was not so much of restriction or shame associated with sexual activities of human. Ibid.,34-41. Mother Goddess has been worshiped in many places in many forms- as proctor of city dwellers(ramna kali of Dacca , Kapileswri of Kapilmuni), Goddess of diseases(small pox goddess sitala devi of north India, plague mother of Gaya is Bombai mai ,in south India she is bombai amma), Goddess of animals(bhagai devi the tiger goddess of Berar, huliamma a Goddess in form of tigress in Mysore) etc. Ibid.,43-52 The menstruation of female body represents new life thus it has been celebrated among agricultural tribe as well. During the first rain of June-July it has assumed that Mother Earth is preparing herself for new production thus she menstruate this time in Bengal where farmers constrains themselves from production of any kind of sowing, widows does not eat rice. Next comes the rite of purification where a stone resembles Goddess is fixedly erect at ground where her top is smeared with the vermilion, a survival of blood sacrifice, a housewife baths it with turmeric water, a betelnut is placed close by on a wood, the stone is bedecked with flowers and offerings of milk and flowers are made. In Punjab, Malabar or Deccan every parts of this country go through similar kinds of festivals where Mother Earth prepares herself every year for production of new life. W. Crooke, The Cult of The Mother Goddess in India,Folklore,Vol.30,No.4,Taylore and Francis ,1919, pp.288-9. The modern day symbolization of India as Mother Goddess dated back during the Banga-Bhanga movement when her sketch first surfaced through the painting of Abanindranath Tagore which represented the Mother India wearing a orange saree looks like a saint holding crops, scripture, lotus etc in her different hands. This concept of Mother India later used during the freedom movement to inspire people mainly men of India to end the imprisonment of their mother from the alien rulers i.e-British . Also the symbolism of India as Mother Goddess reflects her as the savior of mankind from the evil like Durga with imposing the very characteristics of mother on her which bound her to only one kind of function or represents the fulfilment of womanhood of Indian women only as a mother or imposing some specific characteristics like Goddess which can be only acceptable from them. Anything different from the specificity has been assumed as the degradation of character and all these things can be attributed to Indian Patriarchy. Bandyopadhyay Sekhar, From Plassey to Partition:A History of Modern India, Orient Black swan(New Delhi,2013), pp.387-88. CRITIQUE OF MOTHER GODDESS According to feminist theory the beginning of pastoral society, domestication of animals and settled community began the journey of patriarchy in human history before that matrilineal settlements with female descent was quite common and within agricultural society this tendencies seemed more largely due to the fertility of land has been directly connected with female’s fertility and the occupation of agriculture predominated by women which later transformed with the advancement of technology. The worship of Mother Goddess in many primitive societies till modern age mainly in different tribes shows the high status of women in general perspective. And yet it is quite true as the sexuality of women in this way can get a open representation without any social abstains whereas in primitive societies women fulfilment of womanhood had not been perceived through the negotiation of male and female body but paternity was perceived in a very obscure way, where perception was women can fulfill their duty without the men’s help or the menstruation of women have been conceived as a natural process for new life which also have been celebrated through festivals in different parts of India. From Harappa-Mohenjodaro to modern India the worship of Mother Goddess remains a important part of society, but this very worship of female deity only as a mother confines a woman’s duty to be only a mother or isolate others who can not be mother by making the motherhood as the one and only culmination of womanhood. This very nature of Mother Goddess is the base of patriarchy where woman has been assumed to perform only certain kind of jobs. But the confinement of women only as a mother is a very recent phenomenon which can be attribute to the vedic age, the beginning of Indian Patriarchy. The primitive form of worship of Mother Goddess particularly during Harappa was more kind of universal as it projected female fertility same as land whereas during vedic age this worship transformed with the fertility of women associated with human life and put emphasis on the married status or the negotiation of male and female body to utilize female’s fertility. But during Harappa women’s fertility was not depended upon male’s role in it but further female’s fertility summed up with the fertility of land and many other things basically a kind of fulfilment of female’s fertility was possible without mentioning men’s role in it. But also in that society a barren woman was left isolated which further imposed the notion of womanhood can only be achieved through motherhood upon this ancient civilization. Thus not completely but partially the beginning of Indian Patriarchy can be attributed to Harappa-Mohenjodaro civilization. CONCLUSION The patriarchal concept of womanhood can be traced back to ancient Harappa-Mohenjodaro civilization in India. But the primitive worship of Mother Goddess which still can be seen in different parts of India mainly among tribals which represents quite a kind of matrilineal is far different from modern day worship of India as “Mother India” or female deities of brahmanical Aryans as the former has a rigid territorial base with a rhetoric of a particular religion whereas later is the pre version of Mother India with a strong rhetoric of patriarchy. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. N.N Bhattacharya, Indian Mother Goddess, Indian Studies: Past and Present, R.K Mitra and R.D Press, Calcutta, 1940. 2. Hannah Fane, The Female Element in Indian Culture, Asian Folklore Studies,Vol.34,No.1, Nahzan University ,1975, pp.51-112. 3. W. Crooke, The Cult of The Mother Goddess in India,Folklore,Vol.30,No.4,Taylore and Francis ,1919, pp.282-308. 4. Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India from The Stone Age to The 12thCentury,Pearson,New Delhi,2013. 5. Herbert P.Sullivan , A Re-examination of The Religion of The Indus Civilization, History of Religions,Vol.4,No.1,University of Chicago Press, 1964, pp.115-125. 6. Bandyopadhyay Sekhar, From Plassey to Partition:A History of Modern India, Orient Black swan, New Delhi,2013. (total number of words including footnotes-2859)        17 | Page