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CHAPTER IX
ANIMAL WORSHIP The following animals are considered sncred At the time of celebrating a coronation sind worshipped by the Hindus.
ceremony an elephant is worshipped. There
is a tradition that in ancient times the corona1. The cow :is regarded as the holiest of
tion waters were poured over the king by a Finimals. She is worshipped on the fourth
she-elephant. day of the dark half of Shravan which is
4. The lion The lion is considered known as Bol Choth; and a row is observed sacred because it is believed to be the lord of by women in her honour on the fifteenth day the beasts of the forest and the vehicle of of Bhadarva. It is known as Gautrad Vrat, goddesses. On this day women do not eat whent, milk,
5. The tiger >The tiger is worshipped clarified butter and the whey of a cow.
with Vàgheshvari Mata as it is believed to be
her vehicle. The sanctity which attaches to the cow is
6. The she-buffalo Some sanctity attaches due to the belief that in her body reside
to the she-buffalo, as it is believed that a thirty-three crores of gods.2
she-buffalo was given in dowry to a Nag 2. The horse The horse is believed by 1 kanya (snake girl) by her father. some people to be the last incarnation of God.
To atone for a great sin a she-buffalo It is also believed to represent Vachhado, the decked with a black wreath, iron, red lead deity who cures hydrophobia.3
and marks made with the flour of adad is Some people believe the horse to be a
to be a presented to a Bráhman. celestial animal. It is said that in ancient 7. The donkey Is believed to be the times it had wings, traces of which are vehicle of the goddess of small-pox. 10 believed to be still visible in its knees.
It is also believed that the god Brahnia ha? Of the fourteen jewels obtained by the formerly five mouths, one of which was like gods and demons by churning the ocean, one that of a donkey 11 was a horse with seven mouths. Hence the 1 8. The dog : The dog is believed to horse is considered divine.
have divine vision and to be able to see the The horse is worshipped on the Dasara dny." messengers of the god of death. Some
believe that in its next life a dog becomes a 3. The elephant: The elephant is consi
man. 12 dered divine because it is the vehicle of
| The dog is also believed to be the vehicle of Indra, the lord of gods, and because its lead Kål Bhairav and is worshipped along with his was fixed on the trunk of Ganpati, the son of
son of image 13 Parvati and Shiva. It is believed by some Some people offer bread to dogs in the people that vows to offer cocoanuts to an belief that they will bear witness to their lephant are efficacious in curing fever. merits before God.14
1 The School Master of Dhank.
2 The School Master of Kotda Sangani, 3 The School Master of Davalia.
The Deputy Educational Inspector, Gohelwad. 5 The School Master of Ganod.
6 The School Master of Chhatrasa. 7 The School Master of Todia.
& The School Master of Chhatrasa. 9 The School Master of Moti Marad.
10 The School Master of Chhatrasa. 11 The School Master of Moti Parabdi.
12 The School Master of Chbatrása. 13 The School Master of Aman.
14 The School Master of Limbdi. See pp. 48-49.
