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Why did water play an important role near sacred places?

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Charles Sprague Pearce: Religion — Nature worship Detail of *Religion*, mural in lunette from the Family and Education series by Charles Sprague Pearce, 1897; in the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.

In the context of nature worship, water holds a central role near sacred places primarily because it is viewed as a powerful instrument of purification, expiation, and life-giving energy.12

Because water dissolves dirt, it is considered uniquely suited for purifying the soul after the commission of a sin or the violation of a taboo. Consequently, cultic acts often require lustrations—such as sprinkling or immersion—before one can enter a sacred space or community. This practice of ablution serves as a necessary preparation for rituals, including visits to shrines.213

Beyond purification, water is revered for its perceived animation and its role as a vivifying and fructifying force. It is believed to bring new life to vegetation, heal the ill, and symbolize fertility. In many traditions, the location of a sacred site and the presence of water are mutually reinforcing, as seen in the tīrthayātrā or Hindu pilgrimage to holy rivers. Ultimately, water is seen as a bridge between the divine and the earthly, acting as a medium for healing, renewal, and spiritual judgment.243