Indus valley civilization
The Indus valley civilization was an urban-agricultural civilization that flourished in the third millennium BCE in the Indus River valley and influenced Hinduism. The Hindus do not typically consider this civilization to be part of their sacred story but from looking on the outside we can see some of the influences made by this civilization on the characteristic Hindu ideas and practices especially those with water, cyclic patterns of existence, yogic meditations, and the great goddesses and god’s.
Aryans
The Aryans were a group of people related to the Indo-Europeans, who migrated into India in ancient times. The Aryans composed hymns and ritual verses called the Vedas which Hindus consider to be timeless, eternal truths and are considered to be the original foundation of Hinduism.
Samhitas
Samihitas, also known as the Vedas, is the collection of the early Vedic hymns and verses. There are four collections: Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Atharva-Veda. Hindus believe these Vedas to be timeless, eternal truths and they consider them to be the original foundation of Hinduism.
Rig Veda
the earliest and most important collection of over 1000 Vedic hymns
Indra
Indra, a Vedic god of the atmosphere., a Vedic storm-warrior god who shows himself in the thunder and lightening. He is a boisterous warrior god, drinking soma, a hallucinating, invigorating drink, and leads people into battles against their enemies.
Agni
Agni, one of the god’s in the earth realm, is the Vedic god of sacrificial fire. The power of Agni is centered, especially in fire sacrifice, as being the sacred power that accepts the offerings and transports them to the realm of the gods. In Hinduism, special importance has been put on the ritual of fire sacrifice, and to the god Agni, as the priest of the gods.
Varuna
Vedic god of the heavens