Navratri, the Festival of Nine
Nights, is celebrated in honor of goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and
Saraswati. The festival is celebrated for nine nights every year
in the Hindu month of Ashvin (September-October) although as the
dates of the festival .........
Contd.
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The National Bird of India
The Peacock, Pavo
cristatus (Linnaeus), is the national bird of India. It is a symbol of
grace, joy, beauty and love. Peacock is a large and majestic bird. Peacock
is a colorful, swan-sized bird with a fan-shaped crest of feathers on its
head, a white patch under the eye and a long-slender neck.
The male of the species is
more colorful than the female with a glistening blue breast and neck and a
spectacular bronze-green tail of around 200 elongated feathers. The female
is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and lacks the tail. Peacock
occupies a respectable position in Indian culture and is protected not only
by religious sentiments but also by parliamentary statute. It is fully
protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The significance of peacock
is attached to cultures of India, Far East, Ancient Persia, Greek and
Christian. In Hinduism, the image of the god of thunder, rains and war,
Indra, was depicted in the form of a peacock. In south India, peacock is
considered as a 'vahana' or vehilce of lord Muruga. The figure of peacock is
painted in various Islamic religious buildings. In Christianity, the peacock
was also known as the symbol of the 'Resurrection'.
In India people believe that whenever the cock
spread its tails in an ornamental fashion, it indicates that rain is
imminent. In a way it is partly true. At the sight of dark clouds
the bird outspreads its tail and starts dancing in rhythmic fashion.
Found wild in India (and also domesticated in villages) they live in
jungle lands near water. They were once bred for food but now
hunting of peacocks is banned in India. The peahen has no plumage.
These birds do not sound as beautiful as they look they have a harsh
call.
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