Ancient Gods of India
The religion of the Hindus is one of the oldest religions in the world. It started before the emergence of the first known civilizations in the Orient and probably before the first scripts, which appeared around 3000B.C in Egypt and in Mesopotamia. The Aryans entered India and destroyed the cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro.After setting on the plains they gradually spread out and pushed the original inhabitants to further south. However they allowed them to venerate their own Gods and rituals.
The ancient Indian society honoured first the sun and the moon the latter often being considered as a feminine deity who was both the companion of the sun and the Great Mother of life and the universe. This very ancient cult of a feminine deity had its origin in Indus valley civilization, which was stamped out by the Aryans who turned to patriarchal worship more suited to their aggressive and wild nature. However slow evolution towards Hinduism and intermarriage the Aryans return to ancient rituals and cult of the mother goddess. This was accompanied by worship of Shiva-the phallic God who was represented by 8 million yonis. There were no less than 3000 Gods venerated in Vedic times. The principal divinity was Indra - the God of War and Thunder whose power was capable of destroying the wall of cities of burning them down in order to conquer and pillage them. He was the King of Gods. Brahma was the creator or protector who was also given the name of Narayana Prajapati or Pursha. He was the father of all creatures. Agni was the God of fire. He was the guardian of the world and giver of eternal life. Surya the Sun God was also deeply venerated. The other secondary Gods were Arjuna or the God of the dawn and the charioteer of the sun. He was the son of Vinata and the wise Kasyapa. The Kubera was the God of wealth. Vayu or the God of wind. Wind is the friend of fire--perfumed and caressing, it wonders around the abode of the gods, stimulating the senses. It is the messenger of the gods, the breath of the world, the bringer of life to all beings.
The many ancient Vedic gods remained unchanged from Pre-Vedic times. Their names were passed down by oral tradition from time immemorial. We also see some gods (who had been thought of as beneficent spirits) being demoted by successive generations to secondary divinities and then to wicked, cruel spirits. New gods then replaced them. The Vedic period passes smoothly into the Hindu period, which was flourishing by 700 to 600BC. With the modifications of the ancient gods a whole new spirituality developed that carried a real harmony of life, light, mental purification and spiritual searching for the Higher Self.
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