Sacred Animals Of India

Animals are worshipped in India in many ways as deities?the elephant-god Ganesha and the monkey-god Hanuman as avatars?like Vishnu?s fish tortoise and boar forms and as vahanas?the swan bull lion and tiger were all vehicles of major deities and are thus sacred by association. Some animals like the snake are worshipped out of fear. Birds such as the crow are associated with the abode of the dead or the souls of ancestors while the cow?s sanctity may derive from its economic value. There are also ...See More