Solution:
Correct Answer: Option B — Stones, trees and animals
What the archaeological record from the Indus Valley shows
Excavations at major Indus sites (such as Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Kalibangan, and others) have yielded abundant evidence of
nature-centred cults.
Seals and amulets frequently depict
animals—most notably the humped bull, but also tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses, and the famous “unicorn” motif—indicating reverence, totemic value, or protective power associated with animals.
Several seals and terracottas represent
sacred trees (especially the pipal/peepal), sometimes with a worshipper or a deity-figure beneath or within the tree, pointing to arboreal cults.
Across settlements, excavators also report
aniconic/stone objects used in ritual contexts (e.g., stones and small altars/platforms), consistent with treating select stones as sacred. While individual interpretations vary, the recurring presence of such objects supports the idea that
stones themselves could function as revered, consecrated symbols rather than merely building materials.
How this links organically to Hinduism today
Later Hindu practice preserves a strong
continuity of nature worship: veneration of
sacred trees (pipal, banyan), ritual and festival honouring of
animals (e.g., the bull Nandi associated with Shiva; the serpent in Nāga worship; the cow’s ritual sanctity), and widespread
aniconic stone worship (naturally found or river-worn stones set up as village deities; consecrated stones like the śālagrāma in Vaiṣṇava traditions).
Because these practices are broad, persistent, and deeply rooted, they form a clear
cultural bridge from the Indus era’s nature-centric symbols to living Hindu traditions.
Why the other options are weaker
Option A (Pashupati, Indra and the Mother Goddess): A “proto-Pashupati” figure and Mother Goddess figurines are indeed cited from Indus contexts; however,
Indra is a Vedic deity without secure archaeological attestation in the IVC, weakening this option’s internal consistency.
Option C (Vishnu and Lakshmi): There is
no definitive Indus evidence for the worship of these specific deities; associating them with IVC rests on much later textual traditions, not on Indus finds.
Option D (Siva and Sakti): Readings of a proto-Śiva (Pashupati-like) seal and the divine feminine are
plausible but interpretative. Even if partially valid, this pair does not capture the
wider, well-documented nature cult that best demonstrates continuity.
Conclusion — Why Option B is correct
The most secure, excavation-based through-line from the Indus Valley to modern Hinduism is the
widespread veneration of elements of nature: stones, trees, and animals. This pattern is
abundantly evidenced in Indus material culture and remains
pervasive in Hindu practice. Therefore, when only one choice must be selected,
Option B most convincingly demonstrates the organic relationship between the two.
