Thus Hindu ceremonies tend to revolve around the need for moisture. Rituals are usually preceded by bathing, libations, or similar liturgies. In Vedic mythology, the gods are portrayed as ruled by Indra, god of rain, river, and war. In addition, many goddesses are associated with water as manifestation of fertility and agricultural forces in general. As they worship these deities, Hindus seek to maintain and improve relations with the bountiful if occasionally fickle and often unfathomable procreative forces of nature.
Farmers tend to be conservative in all civilizations.
Farm folk were far less likely than progressive city slickers to adopt the radical new faith. In India the traditionalism of farmers was reinforced by geographic isolation. Except for the Aryans about 3,500 years ago, foreigners have not successfully penetrated India. Archaeologists generally begin the discussion of India with the civilization of the Indus valley which was contemporary with the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. They made and used fairly simple copper and bronze utensils, and raised chickens, goats, sheep, and pigs.