Which deity was the primary female god worshipped by the people of the Indus Valley Civilization?

The Mother Goddess is widely accepted as the primary female deity worshipped by the people of the Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world’s earliest urban societies. Numerous terracotta figurines discovered during archaeological excavations across sites like Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and Lothal indicate that the people of this ancient civilization deeply revered the concept of fertility, motherhood, and nature’s ability to give life. These figurines typically depict a female figure with exaggerated reproductive features, symbolizing prosperity, growth, and the continuation of life. This has led historians and archaeologists to conclude that the Mother Goddess held a central role in their religious beliefs.

The worship of the Mother Goddess reflects the agricultural nature of the Indus Valley society. As an agrarian civilization dependent on fertile land and seasonal cycles, it made sense for them to honor a deity associated with fertility and abundance. By worshipping the Mother Goddess, the people expressed gratitude for good harvests and sought blessings for prosperity and protection. This type of goddess worship is one of the earliest forms of feminine divine representation found in the South Asian region.

The presence of these artifacts also hints at a sophisticated belief system, even though the Indus script remains undeciphered. Without written records, these figurines serve as the strongest evidence of religious life in the region. The Mother Goddess is considered a precursor to later Hindu concepts of feminine energy and divine motherhood, although the Indus Valley religion itself was unique and not fully comparable to later traditions.