An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c17.s6.1

v1.c17.s6.1

The term mother goddess, equivalent to Indian *mātā* (*mātṛ*, *mātṛka*) or *mātṛ-devī*, is widely applicable to a variety of female figures symbolizing creativity, birth and fertility. The emphasis in the depiction is on maternal aspects with variable features such as prominent breasts and navel, steatophygia, display of *yoni*, a well-marked girdle and an infant on the left side. Unlike Europe Indian Palaeolithic sites have not yielded any mother goddess figurine. The suggestion that the upper Palaeolithic [4.4] bone harpoon from the BELAN valley