HINDUISM AND ECOLOGY
(Source: Hinduism
and Nature by Nanditha Krishna,
Penguin India, Delhi, 2018)
Nanditha Krishna
At the beginning and end of every Hindu ritual, a shanti mantra is invariably recited, such as this stanza from the Yajur
Veda (36:17):
“May peace radiate in the whole sky and in the vast
ethereal space,
May peace reign all over this earth, in water, in
all herbs and the forests,
May peace flow over the whole universe, May peace be
in the Supreme Being,
May peace exist in all creation, and peace alone,
May peace flow into us.
Aum—peace, peace and peace!”
Every
shanti mantra invokes peace on the forces of nature: if there is harmony
among the elements, in Nature, there will be harmony on earth.
The basis of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain culture is dharma or righteousness, incorporating
duty, cosmic law and justice. Environmental protection is a dharma or law of righteousness. It is sanātana,
or eternal, for it is without beginning or end, and it supports the whole
universe. “Dharma is meant for the
well-being of all living creatures. Hence that by which the welfare of all
living creatures is sustained, that for sure is dharma” (Mahābhārata, XII.109.10). Dharma means many things: righteousness, duty, justice and
law. Every divine incarnation is born to restore dharma. Every
person must act for the general welfare of the earth, humanity, all creation
and all aspects of life. Thus Hinduism is called Sanatana Dharma by its
adherents.
The verses of the Vedas express a deep
sense of communion of man with God. Nature is a friend, revered as a mother,
obeyed as a father and nurtured as a beloved child. It is sacred because man
depends on it and because of this everything is sanctified, including man and
even the terrifying aspects of nature: landslides, earthquakes and storms.
Natural phenomena are the manifestations or expressions of the gods and not the
gods themselves. They express the principles that govern the world and the
cosmic order, ŗta.
In Vedic literature, all of nature was divine, part
of an indivisible life force uniting the world of humans, animals and plants.
The Vedas are dedicated to a variety
of pantheistic deities called Devas
or the Shining Ones, representing the stars in the firmament and forces beyond
human knowledge or control. Man recognized that there were powers of Nature
beyond his control and he was thus compelled to resort to prayer to win the
cooperation of the winds and rains to ensure the regularity of the monsoon,
control earthquakes, forest fires and all major elements of nature. Thus Indra
was Rain, and Agni was Fire. Vishnu was the all-pervading Sun, along with Surya
and Savitr, while Ushas was the Dawn. Pushan represented Agriculture. Dyauspitr
was the Father of the Shining Ones and Prithvi was Mother Earth. The rivers
were sacred, and so on.
The concept of the sacred environment was
established in the Vedas themselves.
Five thousand years ago, the sages of the Rig Veda showed a clear
appreciation of the natural world and its ecology, the importance of the
environment and the management of natural resources (I.115, VII.99; X.125). The
Rig Veda dedicates a whole hymn to the rivers – the Nadistuti Sūkta. The hymn to the earth - Prithvī Sūkta, Book 12 of the Atharva Veda - consists of
sixty-three stanzas in praise of Mother Earth and nature, and human dependence
on the earth. Creation is
described in the Nāsadiya
(non-existent) Sūkta, described as
“India’s tradition of sceptical questioning and unselfconscious humility before
the great cosmic mysteries”.
Creation comes from the Supreme Being. “In the
beginning there was the Self alone. He transformed himself into man and woman.
Later, He transformed Himself into other creatures: bipeds and quadrupeds. In
this way He created everything that exists on earth, in water, and sky. He
realized: ‘I indeed am creation, for I produced all this.’ Thence arose
creation”. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 1-5).
The primordial or cosmic matter of nature is made up
of five elements - prithvī (earth), vāyu (air), agni (fire
or energy), āpa (water) and ākāsha (space) - better known as the pancha-mahā-bhūta.
Their proper balance and harmony are essential for the well-being of
humankind, and maintenance of this harmony is a dharma, or righteous duty (Fig.1).
The Maitrāyani Upanishad has a beautiful
analogy of Brahman as a tree with its roots above and its branches below, the
branches being earth, water, air, fire and space (Fig.2).
The fusion of air, water and sky produced fire.
These four elements originate from the same source. When these four elements
moved downward, earth was produced. Later, the five elements caused the birth
of śrishti (creation) and prakritī
(nature). The harmonious coexistence of these five elements is essential for
the well-being of life on earth. Nature is thus an indivisible part of the
existence of all beings. The earth and its inhabitants are part of a highly
organized cosmic order called ŗta,
and any disruption results in a breakdown of peace and the natural balance. The Supreme Being or Brahman is the underlying power of unity, pervading all creation:
forests and groves, trees and plants, animals, rivers, waterbodies, mountains,
gardens, towns and precincts and seeds.
Finally, Mother Earth is acknowledged as the world
itself: 'O Mother Earth! You are the universe and we are but your children.
Grant us the ability to overcome our differences and live peacefully and in
harmony, and let us be cordial and gracious in our relationship with other
human beings' (Atharva Veda, XII.1.16).
Hinduism has a definite code of environmental
ethics. According to it, humans may not consider themselves above nature, nor
can they claim to rule over other forms of life. Hence, traditionally, the
Hindu attitude has been respectful towards nature. Five thousand years ago, the
sages of the Atharva Veda said, “The earth's attributes are for
everybody and no single group or nation has special authority over it” (XII.1.18). The hymn also describes the earth as the
mother of all species living on it. “Let the whole of humanity speak the
language of peace and harmony and let all living beings live in accord with
each other” (XII.1.16).
Pollution or pradushana
was once a punishable offence. “Punishment . . .
should be awarded to those who throw dust and muddy water on the roads . . . A
person who throws inside the city the carcass of animals . . . must be
punished” (Kautilya, Arthaśāstra, 2.145). Environmental pollution (vikriti) was
identified several millennia ago. “From pollution two types of diseases occur
in human beings. The first is related to the body and the other to the mind,
and both are interrelated . . . coolness, warmth and air—these are three
virtues of the body. When they are balanced in the body it is free from
disease” (Mahābhārata, XIII.16.811). Charaka was prescient when he
predicted, “Due to pollution of weather, several types of diseases will come up
and they will ruin the country. Therefore, collect the medicinal plants before
the beginning of terrible diseases and change in the nature of the earth” (Charaka
Samhitā, Vimānasthānam, 3.2)
Tamil Sangam literature describes the aindu
tinai, the fivefold division of the geographical landscape. These are: kurinji
(mountains), presided over by Lord Murugan or Karttikeya; mullai (forests),
whose reigning deity was Lord Krishna; marutham (agricultural lands),
ruled by Lord Indra; neithal (coastal regions), the world of Lord
Varuna; and pālai (wasteland/desert), the region of Goddess Korravai
(Durga). Each tinai has its own characteristic flowers, trees, animals,
birds, climate and other geographical features.
Hinduism has a definite code of environmental
ethics. Humans may not consider themselves above nature, nor can they claim to
rule over other forms of life. There is a very strong and intimate relationship
between the biophysical ecosystem and economic institutions. The two are
inextricably held together by cultural relations. Hence, traditionally, the
Hindu attitude has been respectful towards nature. “The earth's attributes are
for everybody and no single group or nation has special authority over it” (Atharva
Veda, XII.1.18).
Atas samudrā girayaś ca sarve asmāt sandante
sindhavas sarva rūpāh
Atas ca sarvā oshadhayo rasaś ca yenaisha bhūtais
tishţhate hyantar ātmā
“From Him, all the seas and mountains, from Him flow
rivers of every kind;
From Him are all the herbs and their juices too;
by which, together with the elements, the inner soul is upheld”
(Mundakopanishad, 2.1.7)
Vidyā vinaya
sampanne brāhmane gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva pāke ca panditāh sama
darśinah
“Those
who are wise and humble treat equally the Brahmin, cow, elephant, dog and
dog-eater”
(Bhagavad Gītā, 5.18).
“So long as the earth is able to maintain mountains,
forests and trees
Until then the human race and its progeny will be
able to survive”
(Durgā Saptashati, Devī
Kavacham, 54).
Hindu traditions acknowledge that all biotic and
abiotic forms - humans, animals and plants - are equal and sacred, and are thus
even appropriately placed to take on contemporary concerns like deforestation,
intensive farming of animals, global warming and climate change.
Sacred forests
The sacred forests of ancient India are today the sacred
groves of rural and tribal India. The sacred gardens of ancient India, the nandavana of literature, continue to be
the nandavanam of temples. Sacred
trees may be seen in the sthalavrikshas
of temples. Every river is sacred, while waterbodies and tanks were imbued with
sanctity by association with temples. Every sentient being is sacred, with some
animals like the elephant and the monkey attaining divine status. And sacred
mountains dot the landscape from cold Kailas in Tibet to Sabarimala in the
south.
There was a
close symbiotic relationship between people and nature in ancient India. The
country was thickly forested. The Indus-Sarasvati seals contain figures of wild
animals such as the elephant, water buffalo, tiger, rhinoceros, deer, gazelle,
antelope, wild sheep and goat and ibex. Obviously, the area was once covered
with dense forest. Forests were places of retreat, a source of inspiration, for
all Vedic literature was revealed to the sages here. “So may the mountains, the
waters, the liberals (wives of the gods), the plants, also heaven and earth,
consentient with the Forest Lord (Vanaspati) and both the heaven and earth
preserve for us those riches” (Rig
Veda, VII.34.23).
Āranya means
forest. Early Vedic literature includes the Āranyakas,
which represent the earlier sections of the Vedas,
the speculations of the philosophy behind rituals. They were composed by sages
living in the forest. One of the most beautiful hymns of the Rig Veda is
dedicated to Aranyani, the goddess of the forest. Aranyani never returns in
later Sanskrit literature or modern Hinduism, yet her spirit pervades the
goddesses of Hinduism: Prakriti, or nature; Bhu, the earth goddess; Annapurna,
the giver of food; Amman in Tamilnadu and so on.
Rama's entire journey from Ayodhya to Lanka was
through forests. The Rāmāyana is a
botanist's delight with detailed descriptions of forest types and plants that
grew there. Rama stays in four different forests during his exile: at Chitrakuta,
a deciduous forest; at Dandakaranya, also a deciduous forest with sal, badari
and bilva trees, among others; at Panchavati, where Sita was
abducted, a tropical dry deciduous forest named after the pancha (five) vata
or banyan trees that can still be seen there; at Kishkinda, a dry and moist
deciduous forest. The last forest - the Aushadhi mountain of Kailas, Rishabha
and Mahodaya - is situated in the trans-Himalayan region with alpine plants.
Finally, the author describes the evergreen forests of Lanka, situated off the
Indian mainland. It is amazing how much Valmiki knew and how little has
changed, except in the devastation caused in the name of development.
Among the many uses of the forest, three categories
were set aside for religious purposes: tapovana, mahāvana and śrīvana.
The tapovana was a refuge for meditation, an abhayāranya or
sanctuary, where kings and commoners sought the guidance of sages. The mahāvana
was the great forest in which all species could find refuge. The shrīvana
was the forest which provided prosperity (Shree=Lakshmi=prosperity). It was
maintained by temples and set aside exclusively for religious use.
Deforestation and illicit tree felling was punishable by deya (levy) and
atyāya (fine). Ecological balance was maintained by the appointment off
forest managers. Protection of different species of animals was an important
duty of the state. These rules were generally in force till about the 7th
century. The importance of plants in Indian culture can be seen from the fact
that many towns and villages in India were – and still are – named after plants
and animals, such as Vrindavan from the vrindā
or tulasi plant and Mylapore, the
town of peacocks.
The sacred forests of ancient India live on in the
sacred groves of rural and tribal India. Sacred groves or forests are the home
of local flora and fauna – a mini biosphere reserve. Their rich plant life
retains subsoil water. This is a unique form of biodiversity conservation,
whereby religion and traditions are used to conserve the ecology as a natural
heritage. They are an area of conservation as well as a spiritual retreat.
Sacred groves are the single most important heritage of the ancient culture of
India: the tradition goes back to food-gathering societies who venerated nature
and natural resources. They were the tapovana
where the āshramas of rishis were
located. Today they are significant reservoirs of biodiversity, conserving
unique species of plants, insects and animals.
Sacred
plants
Tree worship is as ancient Indus Sarasvati
civilization, for there are definite scenes of tree worship on the Indus seals.
Trees were recognized as being animate and having life. The value of several
plants was known. The pipal was
sacred for its air-purifying value while the pipal and shami together
produced fire. The most sacred tree of
India is the pipal or ashvattha,
whose importance goes back to the
Indus-Sarasvati culture. On a steatite seal from Mohenjo-Daro, a figure with a
horned headdress, long braid and bangles on both arms stands within a pipal
tree. Is this the spirit of the tree, a yaksha?
On one side, there is a kneeling worshipper and a gigantic ram, possibly a
sacrificial offering. Seven figures stand in a row below, possibly the
Saptarishis of Vedic religion, identified with the seven stars of the Big
Dipper or Ursa Major - a hierarchy working under the guidance of the Supreme
Being. Or, in deference to the bangled arms, could they be the Sapta Matrika of
popular religion? All the seven figures are dressed identically, with a single
plumed headdress, bangles and folded dhotis
(Figure 3).
The worship of the tree, pervaded by
the yaksha or spirit within, is apparently as old as the Indus-Sarasvati
civilization. Even today, Hindus circumambulate the pipal seven times,
chanting,
Mulato Brahma rupaya, Madhyato Vishnu rupine,
Agrato Shiva rupaya, Vriksha rajaya te namah.
(Whose root is the form of Brahma,
whose middle is the form of Vishnu,
Whose top is the form of Shiva, My
salutations to you, O King of Trees.)
Sthalavrikshas are those trees that initially sheltered the deity
beneath the sky, to be later replaced by a temple. Then the sacred tree became
secondary and was worshipped along with other nature gods as the sthalavriksha of the temple, becoming a
part of the faith.
Plants were regarded as sacred because
·
There was a close association with a deity. For example, the Bilva (Aegle marmelos) is
associated with Lord Shiva, Neem (Azadirachta
indica) with Goddess Mariamman and Tulsi
(Ocimum sanctum) with Lord Krishna.
·
They sheltered the deity or an object of worship
·
Some plants are believed to have originated from the Gods
themselves, and hence the sanctity. For example, the flame of the forest (Butea
monosperma) is believed to have originated from the body of Lord Brahma and
the Rudraksha tree (Elaeocarpus
ganitrus) arose from the tears of Lord Shiva.
·
Some plants became sacred through what might have occurred in their
proximity. E.g., the Pipal tree (Ficus religiosa), under which Gautama
Buddha attained enlightenment
·
Plants with an important social or economic or ecological role were also
considered sacred. For example, veneration of the Khejri (Prosopis spicigera)
by the Bishnois of Rajasthan is related to the crucial role the tree plays in
desert ecology. It provides the community with food, fodder and building
material.
Ancient
Indians apparently knew the ecological value of plants, such as the production
of oxygen by the pipal and its effect on the brain: the Buddha attained
enlightenment beneath the pipal. They realised the importance of trees like the
banyan as a home for fruit-dispersing bats, the medicinal value of plants like
the tulasi and neem, and the economic value of several other plants. And thus gave
them sanctity as a means of protection.
Sacred
waters
The waters were most sacred. Almost all rivers,
lakes, springs were attributed to and associated with the local pantheon of
Gods and Goddesses.
Rivers are sacred, for they provide life. Rivers
were given a divine status and have been worshipped as divinities. As rivers
were believed to be divine manifestations, polluting water was a great sin,
according to Sanskrit texts. Many appear as deities in temples, each has
an origin myth and important pilgrimage sites are situated along the banks of
rivers. In ancient India, all the rivers were and are regarded as goddesses:
Ganga, Yamuna, Sindhu, Sarasvati, Godavari, Narmada and Kaveri, not to mention
the great Brahmaputra, son of the Creator Brahma. Small local rivers were
likened to the great rivers, for they too provided water for life, sustenance
and agriculture. By respecting the greatness of rivers, ancient Hindus ensured
their cleanliness and longevity too. Unfortunately, in this age of reason,
rivers are no longer respected and are used as receptacles for offloading
sewage and other pollutants. This has created a great water scarcity in India.
Natural, rain-fed lakes were very sacred too, for
they were the gifts of the divine. Manasarovar in Tibet is an example of a
sacred lake whose waters are maintained with pristine purity. On the other
hand, the constant failure of the monsoon resulted in man-made lakes such as
the Brahma sarovar in Kurukshetra and
Pushkar in Rajasthan, among many, many others scattered all over the country.
They were the lifeline during the summer and in times of drought. In the hot
and dry desert lands of Rajasthan and Gujarat, step wells or vāv combined the joint functions of
water harvesting and storage and cool covered halls to avoid the blazing heat.
In Tamilnadu, rainwater harvesting lakes were called yeris and the annual desilting was a dharma, a duty and the silt used for making clay figures, that were
never baked, of Ganesha and other deities. Different parts of India gave these
artificial tanks different names, but their usage was the same: to harvest
rainwater. The rain-fed lands of the Deccan plateau and the drylands of western
India developed the tradition of digging temple tanks as rainwater harvesting
structures. It is likely that the so-called Great Bath of Mohenjo Daro was also
a temple tank. The temple tanks maintain the ground water table. The waters are
medicinal, for the herbal abhishekha
jalam goes into the tanks. The tanks support a variety of life forms and
are maintained by temples.
Sacred
animals
India's greatest contribution to world thought is
the concept of ahimsa or
non-violence, in thought, word and action. Killing animals has been prohibited
since the Vedic period: “No person should kill animals who are helpful to
all; By serving them one should obtain heaven.” (Yajur Veda, XII.47).
The term ahimsa
is an important spiritual doctrine shared by Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism,
which implies the total avoidance of harm to any living creatures by thought,
word or deed. Ahimsa has been
described as a 'multidimensional concept', inspired by the belief that the
Supreme Being lives in all living beings—human or animal. Therefore, to hurt
another being is to open oneself to possible karmic repercussions.
The earliest reference to the idea of non-violence
to animals (pashu ahimsa) is in the Kapisthala
Kathā Samhitā of the Yajur Veda (31.11). The Atharva Veda (XII.1.15) says “The earth was created for the
enjoyment of bipeds and quadrupeds, birds, animals and all other creatures, not
humans alone”. The Chandogya Upanishad (8.15.1) bars violence against
all creatures (sarvabhūta) and the practitioner of ahimsa is said to escape from the cycle of birth, death and
rebirth, the transmigration of the soul of a human being or animal into a new
body of the same or of a different species. It also names ahimsa, along with satya vachanam (truthfulness), arjavam
(sincerity), dānam (charity) and tapah (meditation), as one
of the five essential virtues (3.17.4).
Interestingly, the concept of veganism first
appeared in the Rig Veda: “The yatudhana who fills himself with the flesh of
man, He who fills himself with the flesh of horses or of other animals, And he
who steals the milk of the cow: Lord, cut off their heads with your flame (Rig
Veda, X.87.16).
Ahimsa as an ethical concept started evolving in the Vedas and became increasingly central in
the Upanishads. Atharva Veda (XII.1.15)
says: “Born of Thee, on Thee move mortal creatures; Thou bearest them—the biped
and the quadruped; Thine, O Earth, are the five races of men, for whom, Surya
(Sun), as he rises spreads with his rays”. Manu Samhitā (5.45) says, “He
who injures innocent beings with a desire to give himself pleasure never finds
happiness, neither in life nor in death.” Tirukkural, written about 200
BCE and sometimes called the Tamil Veda,
dedicates several chapters to the virtues of compassion and ahimsa, particularly vegetarianism, the
non-harming of animals and non-killing of all life forms.
Albert Schweitzer said that “there hardly exists in the literature of the world a collection of
maxims in which we find so much of lofty wisdom. Like the…Bhagavad Gītā,
the Kural desires inner freedom from the world and a mind free from
hatred. Like them it stands for the commandment not to kill and not to damage.
There appears in the Kural the living ethic of love”
Animals were elevated in several ways. Some were
Gods, like Ganesha or Vaghdeo of Central India / Maharashtra / Karnataka. The
elephant, a keystone species, was the remover of obstacles. The tiger was the
prime ecological indicator. Many were divine vehicles- vahana - of the Gods. Some, like Hanuman and the dog, were man’s
friends – of Rama and Bhairava respectively. Some were divine incarnations: the
fish or Matsya was an ecological indicator, Kurma was the God of the Bhils,
assimilated into Sanatana dharma, Varaha the boar was an indicator
of rain and ploughed the soil, teaching and aiding the farmer and Narasimha was
the much-admired lion. Some were deemed sacred because of their economic value,
such as the cow, which was essential for milk and the bull, a draught animal.
The blackbuck was essential for the survival of the khejri plant which was the mainstay of the desert.
Some animals were a part of social history. Mahisha,
the buffalo vehicle of Yama, was the deity of ancient India, with many kingdoms
named after him, such as Mysore (Mahisha-ur) and Mahishmati. The buffalo was
worshipped by the indigenous pastoral tribes of India. The war between Mahisha
and Goddess Durga replicates the conflict between the buffalo-worshipping
pastoral tribes and the Dravidian farmers who worshipped the Mother
Goddess. When the latter won the war, the former became a demon. But Mahisha
lives on as the buffalo god of the Todas, Gonds/Maria Gonds, as the deity
Mhasoba in Maharashtra and Bhainsāsur in Madhya Pradesh.
The totemic tradition was widespread in ancient
India: many Sanskrit gotra (lineage) names and names of sages are of
animal origin, such as Bharadwaja (owl), Garga (crocodile), Rishyashringa (born
of a doe), Jambuka (jackal) and Gautama (rabbit). Many clan names have animal
origins, such as Maurya, More (peacock) and Ghorpade (monitor lizard).
In the Hindu tradition, animals are recognized as
having feelings and passions as human beings. They can also understand human
speech, thus becoming divine. By recognizing the divinity in animals, they had
a unique position which helped protect many species. The deification of several
animals led to their protection, a safeguard that was lost in the medieval,
colonial and post-colonial period when many animals were described as vermin
and hunted to death.
There are three paths (mārga) to the
liberation (moksha) of the soul: jnāna or knowledge of the
illusory nature of life is the highest; karma or action follows; bhakti
or total devotion or surrender to one's personal god is the third. A human
being can consciously choose his path. Animals too can rise above the
limitations of their birth and need not be subject to the cycle of life, death
and rebirth. They too can attain liberation.
Several medieval saints, like Ramananda, Mirabai,
Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas, Jnaneshwar, Namdev, Ekanath, Sant Tukaram, Ramdas,
Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, Vadiraja, Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, Shri Krishna
Chaitanya, Sankaradeva, Narasimha Mehta and Narayana Guru preached kindness to
animals and vegetarianism. In 1536, Guru Jamboji died leaving behind guiding
principles for his community, and said that he would be reborn in every
blackbuck. Thanks to him, the Bishnois have never allowed anyone to kill any
living being or cut any green trees.
Sacred
mountains
Mountains play an important role in Indian ecology.
They are the source of water, life, fertility and healing. Hindus look up to
the Himalayas as the source of sacred rivers, such as the Ganga. Mountains and
hills play a vital role in the conservation of local ecology. Many sacred
mountain traditions are an important link between cultural identity and
traditional patterns of land conservation. They are exceptionally comprehensive
ecosystems. Due to their topographic location and bio-cultural richness, they
provide opportunities for climate change adaptation and act as a refuge for
plants and animals during environmental change and from competing species. They
play a vital role in the survival of top predator species like the snow
leopard. Sacred mountains and sacred sites within mountains have resulted in
communities maintaining and preserving their natural resources in often
pristine conditions. Indigenous communities have long realized the value of the
high diversity and natural resources within mountains, which nurture precious
resources of nature. Beliefs and attitudes held by people who revere them can
function as powerful forces to preserve the integrity of natural environments,
promote conservation, restore damaged environments and strengthen indigenous
cultures. These mountains highlight values and ideals that profoundly influence
how people view and treat each other and the world around them.
Many temples have been designed as symbols of Mount
Meru, which is a part of the cosmic ocean: the sun, planets and stars are believed
to circle the mountain as a single unit. Mount Meru is clearly mythical, but
was the epitome of a sacred mountain. The best recreation of Meru is the Hindu
temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, with its five spires representing the five
peaks, the (original) seven walls symbolic of the seven continents and
interspersed with moats that represent the oceans. Meru sits on Jambudvipa, the
earth's landmass. To the south of Jambudvipa is Bharatavarsha.
Some mountains may be associated with individual
gods or saints, or may contain sacred sites such as temples and groves. E.g.
Mount Govardhana at Vrindavan for its association with Lord Krishna. Some are
revered as places for spiritual attainment, such as Arunachala Hill in
Tiruvannamalai. Tirumala and the Mukurthi Peak in the Nilgiris.
Festivals
Festivals are a celebration of nature,
generally taking place during certain phases of the moon or on specific
asterisms and nakshatras (lunar mansions) or during the change of seasons. On 14 January, Hindus
celebrate Makara Sankranti, when the sun transits to Capricorn in the northern
hemisphere, marking the end of winter and the beginning of longer, warmer days.
People all over India pray to the sun, the source of life and warmth. Ancient
Indians knew their astronomy. It is known as Lohri in the north, Bihu
in Assam and Pongal or the
celebration of harvest in the south. The previous day old domestic items, such
as mats, brooms and unwanted wooden furniture are burnt in a bonfire. The
disposal of useless items is considered to be symbolic of the discarding of
vices and attachment to material items. It is also an opportunity to throw away
those items which can deteriorate, become a hideout for termites and insects,
decompose and become a source of disease. Holi,
in the month of Phalgun
(February-March), is a celebration of the spring harvest in north India and the
fertility of the land. The Holika dahan is held the previous night, when old items in the house are burnt. Akshaya Tritiya is yet another spring festival.
Several festivals celebrate the role of
Mother Earth. The earthen tanks constructed for harvesting water are desilted
during May-June, and the clay is used to make unbaked images of Ganesha which,
after the festival, are put into a water source—sea, river or lake.
Unfortunately, today the idols are baked or made of plaster of Paris and
painted with toxic colours, becoming a source of pollution. The Navaratri festival also celebrates
clayin the form of beautiful images of Durga in Bengal and Bihar or small kolu dolls
of Tamil Nadu. Again, these simple figures of Durga have been supplanted by
huge painted and elaborately decorated images of the goddess.
Festivals
like Bathukamma in Telangana and Onam in Kerala celebrate flowers. In
Telangana, they are made into elaborate bathukammas, and later floated in
lakes, rivers and tanks, along with turmeric powder to clean the water source. Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala,
which celebrates the annual return of Maharaja Bali to see his subjects.
Hindus, Muslims and Christians make elaborate pookalams on the floor
with flowers, fruits and leaves to welcome him.
Tribal people in different states
celebrate the diversity of nature and the importance of clay in elaborate
festivals that are an integral part of their lives.
The Atharva Veda (XI.1.16) says that it is up
to the progeny of Mother Earth to live in peace and harmony. “O Mother Earth! You
are the world for us and we are your children; let us speak in one accord, let
us come together so that we live in peace and harmony, and let us be cordial
and gracious in our relationship with other beings.” All life is to be treated
with reverence and respect. The family of Mother Earth - vasudaiva kutumbakam - must promote the welfare of
people, animals and trees - sarva
bhūta hita (Yajur Veda, XII.32). In order to be sustainable over the
long term, environmental policies and programmes need to take values and ideals
into account. If forests and trees, fresh water and clean air disappear, so
will all life on earth.
While disposing of a writ petition filed by the
owner of a commercial building in Chennai, the Hon’ble Justice S. Vaidyanathan
of Madras High Court made this observation: “Our tradition and values,
passed down to us from our ancestors, are not wrong beliefs. They are
scientific, rational and logical. That is why they worshipped nature. Even now,
many of them who follow our ancestral beliefs continue to do so as they have
got abundant sanctity…It is not at all irrational. When nature gets the
sanctity, it will not be ruined . . . Thus, nature was protected in those days.
However, in the name of rationality, religious taboos were violated, the result
of which we suffer these days”
(The Hindu, 27 August, 2017).
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