Nanditha Krishna, M.Amirthalingam and
Archana Godbole
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.
Animals assumed sacredness because of their
association with the Gods. The swan, the eagle and the bull are considered
sacred because they are the vehicles of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva respectively.
Some of the animals acquired sanctity because they directly manifested as Gods
- Ganesha the elephant headed god, Hanuman the monkey god, and Naga the snake
god. Many gotra (lineage) names of the Brahmins are derived from animal names,
such as Bharadwaja (owl) and Garga (crocodile). Many castes or clans within a
caste in Maharashtra have totemic names such as Mor and Ghorpad, derived from
peafowl and monitor lizard respectively.
There are many classifications of animal
worship including pastoral cults, hunting cults and totemistic cults. The
tradition of worshiping 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.
In this paper the authors have attempted to highlight the sanctity
attached to various animals in the state of Maharashtra and their roles in the
local ecological traditions.
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