The Indus Civilization c6.20

c6.20

A third amulet of the same material shows two men each holding a tree, or part of one, while between them is a tree-deity with outstretched arms. It is difficult to say whether this scene shows a tree that has been torn asunder to release a tree-spirit, or whether two trees are being planted in honour of the deity, who may be presiding over the ceremony; the latter suggestion is more probable, as each tree or portion has separate roots. The two trees are of the same species, and the scene can hardly be that of the tree-marriage so common nowadays in India. The planting of sacred trees, however, is a custom which has prevailed in the country from time immemorial; it is looked upon as a religious rite which confers merit upon the performer. In modern times this practice is accompanied by ceremonies of the same nature as those used for the consecration of the image of a deity, and a similar ritual may have been followed in the Indus valley in ancient times. On the reverse of this same amulet a kneeling man is seen making an offering to what appears to be a *nim*-tree.