RAS question
The famous 'Pashupati Seal' depicting a three-faced figure seated in yogic posture surrounded by animals was found at:
Correct answer: (B) Mohenjo-daro.
The famous Pashupati Seal, showing a yogic cross-legged figure surrounded by animals, was found at Mohenjo-daro.
Explanation
The answer is Mohenjo-daro because the National Museum's Pre-historic Archaeology collection identifies the Pashupati, or Proto-Shiva, seal with that site. The museum entry lists the object as a steatite Pasupati Seal from Mohenjodaro and describes a buffalo-horned figure seated cross-legged in yogic padmasana, with buffalo, tiger, rhinoceros and elephant around him. The standard exam detail is that two deer appear at the figure's feet. These features are why the seal is treated as a distinctive Harappan religious-art object and why its findspot is asked so often in ancient-history MCQs: the iconography is memorable, but the site association is the tested fact.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Lothal is wrong because the National Museum entry identifies the Pashupati Seal with Mohenjo-daro, not Lothal.
- (C) Harappa is wrong because this specific seal is listed by the National Museum, New Delhi as coming from Mohenjodaro, even though other Harappan objects appear in the same collection.
- (D) Dholavira is wrong because the Pashupati Seal's findspot is Mohenjo-daro, not Dholavira.
Concept
This tests Indus Valley civilisation material culture, especially the link between famous artefacts and their excavation sites. It recurs in RAS because seals, figurines and site-specific finds are compact facts that distinguish otherwise similar Harappan centres.