Harappan cities thrived between 2500 BCE and 1900 BCE. The Vedic culture thrived between 1000 BCE and 500 BCE. Almost 1,000 years apart, the two cultures reveal two different worlds for women. When we study Harappan women and Vedic women, we realise they display characteristics found in Indian women even today. From Harappa, we get information about clothes, jewellery and food. From the Vedas, we get more information about their relationship with men.

We know about Harappan women from archaeological evidence. There are images of women stopping men from fighting, women connected with trees, women as tiger goddesses. In the major cities, we find clay images of bejewelled turbaned women. Women wore cowrie shells around their neck. Cowries were probably currency and so this practice of wearing cowries around the neck continues today with the practice of wearing gold coins around the neck. They wore beaded necklaces as well as girdles around their hips. These may have been part of some local ritual. The Harappan women loved bangles, a practice which was unique to this civilisation and continues to date. Most cultures have bracelets, but bangles are unique to India, it seems, and starts from Harappa. These women probably invented “rimmed” utensils that we still used in the kitchen today: thali, lota, handi. Their houses had courtyards and they used cotton garments, and probably even sindoor. Their food had spices that we use today such as turmeric and ginger, and they cooked the egg plant. They also loved fish and all kinds of meat.