SACRED ANIMAL - TIGER
Various animals are considered
sacred by different religions and cultures of the world. In India, several
animals are regarded sacred by one or more communities and thus they have been
well preserved. Some of the common sacred animals are the tiger, peacock,
tortoise, cobra, elephant, monkey, buffalo, bear, jackal, dog, deer and black
buck. The tradition of attributing sanctity to plants and animals dates back to
the days of hunter-gatherers. Sacred animals also became the vehicles of
various Hindu Gods and Goddesses. At times they also reflected the character of
the deities.
There are many classifications of
animal worship including pastoral cults, hunting cults and totemistic cults.
The tradition of worshipping animals is a common phenomenon throughout India
and there are different cultures and anthropogenic groups in various states
wise with traditions that are common, with subtle variations according to the
regional cultures and practices.
Indian tradition accords animals a revered
position unequalled by any other. For this reason, many animal species have
been traditionally protected and continue to be conserved in many parts of
India.
Throughout its range which once
extended from Siberia to Southeast Asia, the tiger has been revered as the
guardian of the forest. The tiger evokes myriad images: provider, protector, guardian
and intermediary between heaven and earth.
Tigers are depicted carrying
princesses on their backs, growing wings in order to travel great distances, to
cure and heal, turning white to become part of the milky way and thus keep a
protective eye on the earth and its inhabitants, fighting dragons to create rains,
guarding forests against thoughtless wood cutters, changing into men and back again,
carrying people into next world, fighting evil so that mankind can love and reproduce.
People have looked to them to prevent disaster, regenerate life and provide balance,
peace and fertility. No other animal has so much attributed to.
In Maharashtra, the Gond tribals,
being forest dwellers, hold great respect for the forest and its fauna, many of
which are worshiped.
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| gonds |
Waghoba whose image may be seen on the outskirts of
many villages represents a man killed by a tiger. They believe that the soul of
the slain will inhabit the image of the tiger thus set-up, and being inimical
to his slayer, will attack the tiger at every opportunity. It thus acts as a
guard for the village.
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| WAGHOBA TEMPLE |
Waghoba is recognized as a forest
god by villagers and there is a special function in the month of Chaitra
(March-April) when hens and goats are sacrificed to this tiger deity. Waghoba
is worshipped is to ensure that tigers cause no harm to the people and farm
animals. An image of the tiger made of clay, known as Waghdev, or the tiger’s
pugmarks in clay (in its modern form), is worshipped at Pench National Park in
Maharashtra.
The Warlis or Varlis
are an indigenous tribe or Adivasis, living in Mountainous as
well as coastal areas of Maharashtra-Gujarat border and surrounding
areas.
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| warli tribe |
Warlis worship Waghya, the lord of tigers, which is symbolically
represented in the form of a shapeless stone. The tiger is associated with Lord
Siva and Goddess Durga and its cult is restricted to a few forest tribes.
Waghya is the main deity of the Dhangers and Bapujipoa of the Kolis.
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| Waghya |
Wagle is a family name derived from the tiger
as a totemic symbol. Waghmare, as the name indicates, is a title borne by one
who killed a tiger.
Among the Warlis, the tiger’s connection with
fertility extends even to marriage and pregnancy. Warli bridal couples wear red
and yellow shawls resembling the skin of the tiger when they visit the temple
to propitiate Palaghata, the goddess of marriage.Legend claims that if she is
angry, the shawls will turn into a real tiger and devour the couple. If this
does not happen, the union is sanctified and the couple rendered fertile.
http://www.cpreecenvis.nic.in/Home.aspx
http://www.cpreecenvis.nic.in/Database/BengalTiger_835.aspx
source :
Excerpts from “The land of the Tiger-
A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent” Valmik Thapar.
Ecological Traditions of Maharashtra –
C.P.R.Environmental Education Centre Envis.
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