India is the birthplace of four world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism.  Islam and Christianity are two other major religions which have played an important part in the lives of the people in India.

          Archaeologists know that the early people of the Indus Valley had many different beliefs because of the artifacts they have found.  However, they haven’t decoded the language yet so there is no written evidence to help explain those beliefs.

          The figures of deities and animals on seals indicate that the Harappans worshipped gods and goddesses and also possibly animals or gods in animal form. They also had rituals and ceremonies. No large sculpture has survived, but countless terra-cotta statues of the Mother Goddess have been discovered suggesting that she was worshipped in nearly every home.  From pre-historic times, Venus figures or Mother Goddess figures were carved to ensure fertility of both the people and the land on which they lived.  Below is an example of a baked clay Mother Goddess figure from the Indus Valley.