The 5 Sacred Animals of India

  • 2017

Animals have traditionally been considered sacred in the Hindu culture . The symbolic meaning of the sacred animals of India are as vehicles of God or deities themselves. The bull, the vehicle of Lord Shiva, the tiger the vehicle of Maa Durga, the mouse is also considered as one of the holy animals in India, It is vahana (mount / vehicle) of Lord Shri Ganesh.

The Karni Mata temple is very popular, like the rat temple in Rajasthan . The Indian eagle Garuda and the peacock are considered as the sacred bird of the Hindu. Not only animals are the sacred cult in India, the sacred rivers, the sacred trees, the earth and the birds are also a reason for worship in the Indian culture.

It is a street show of animals like monkeys, bears and snakes used by the people of the tribe to live the hood. Still in the rural parts of the country, the buffalo, the goat and the chicken are sacrificed to the deities by the different tribes . Animals are slaughtered as part of an old annual tribal custom or tradition in India, although at some time there are incidents of killing of wild animals by villagers.

Next we will explain which are the most revered and sacred animals of India, and why they are.

5 sacred animals of India

1- The Cow

The cow is the most sacred animal in India and its slaughter is prohibited throughout India. The cow is one of the most revered animals in India, she is treated as an animal-shaped god. The Cow is even more revered than a mother, in the sense that it meets all the needs of her children. It is believed that the cow is a gift from the gods to the people.

2- The Monkey

It is believed that the monkey is the form of God Hanuman or Bajrang Bali, the god of power and strength. Many Indian temples such as Durga Varanasi Temple and the famous Monkey Galta Temple, Jaipur is home to thousands of monkeys. The largest monkey is known as langur or Langur de Hanuman, it is one of the sacred animals of India. There is a famous Ubud monkey forest and temple complex in Ubud, Bali that is one of the best tourist attractions in Bali and Swayambhunath in Nepal.

3- The Snake

Snake worship in deities is present in several old cultures. In the Hindu religion Lord Shiva uses the Nag snake "Cobra India" as an ornament around his neck. The Indian cobra is the most sacred snake in India. Nag Panchami, the festival of snakes, is a Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of snakes and snake deities. It is an important festival in India, and the villages offer puja, milk and adore the snakes.

4- The Elephant

The elephant is the vehicle of Indra and "The elephant head God" Shri Ganesh, the deity of success and education is worshiped in indigenous peoples. The elephant in India is part of ethos and Hindu culture. It was used as an instrument of war and also as a bearer of the log in the woods. The great Indian elephant is decorated and worshiped in Kerala, many important temples possess elephants that others hire or donate elephants during the seasons of the festival.

5- The Tiger

The Royal Bengal Tiger "National Symbols of India" is another of the sacred animals of India. The national animal of India is the Tiger and Great Lion, and they are the vehicle of the Hindu deity "Maa Durga". The Bengal tiger is worshiped by the tribes and by the Sundervan people too.

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