365
other species that were in part integrated with human communities and their
veneration.
10
41.3 Cows and Buffaloes
Most notably, in India, the cow has always dominated the construct of animal worship, and there are estimated to be at least 100 million Brahmanical Hindus who
abide by that connection, are vegetarian, and have ordained the institution of the
goshala, or cow shelter. In Hindu ancient scripture, the cow is viewed like Aditi, the
goddess of fruition responsible for all other gods. A general all-India cow protection
society (Gaurakshini Sabha) was first established in the state of Punjab in 1882.
11
Jain panjorapors—animal sanctuaries—had been in existence for many centuries
before that.
12
Cow worship far exceeds India’s lovely obsessions with Nagas
(snakes), elephants (Ganesha), the few remaining lions and tigers that were said to
have once been ridden upon by the Goddess of powerful energy, Durga, and the rat,
the vehicle for Ganesha, for whom the famed Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan was
built. Some 20,000 rats are said to live there—all believed to be “reincarnated members of Karni mata’s clan,” who was herself “the reincarnation of the goddess
Durga”.
13
But in a country with more than 200 million Muslims who annually celebrate
animal sacrifices en masse, Eid-ul-Adha, and who advocate for cow slaughter as a
fundament of religious freedom,
14
little wonder there have been bloody Hindu/
10 Lewis G. Regenstein, Replenish the Earth: a History of Organized Religions’ Treatment of
Animals and Nature – Including the Bible’s Message of Conservation and Kindness Toward
Animals, Crossroad Publishers, New York, 1991. See also, Richard H. Schwartz, “Tsa’ar Ba’alei
Chayim: Judaism and Compassion for Animals” in Roberta Kalechofsky, ed., Judaism and Animal
Rights: Classical and Contemporary Responses, Micah Publications, Marblehead, MA, 1992. See
also, Animals into Art, Edited by H. Morphy, Unwin Hyman, London, 1989, deriving from the
consequential 1986 World Archaeological Congress in Southampton, UK, which addressed critical
animal/cultural themes, such as: “What is an Animal?” “The Appropriation, Domination and
Exploitation of Animals,” “The walking larder: patterns of domestication, pastoralism, and predation,” and “Signifying animals: human meaning in the natural world.” From Foreword to Morphy,
by P. J. Ucko, p. x.
11 The Making of an Indian Metropolis, Colonial governance and public culture in Bombay,
1890/1920, by Prashant Kidambi, p. 176, Routledge, Abingdon-on-Thames, UK, 2007, p. 176. See
also, Sacred Animals of India, by Nanditha Krishna, Penguin Books, Ltd., London, 2014, pp. 80,
101–108.
12 See Life Force – The World of Jainism, by M. C. Tobias, Asian Humanities Press, Fremont, CA,
1991.
13 See “India’s Karni Mata Rat Temple,” “India’s Karni Mata Rat Temple” 1 May 2013.
HowStuffWorks.com. 13 April
2020.
14 Shabnum Tejani, Indian Secularism: A Social and Intellectual History, 1890–1950, Indiana
University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 2008, pp. 43–49.
41.3 Cows and Buffaloes
other species that were in part integrated with human communities and their
veneration.
10
41.3 Cows and Buffaloes
Most notably, in India, the cow has always dominated the construct of animal worship, and there are estimated to be at least 100 million Brahmanical Hindus who
abide by that connection, are vegetarian, and have ordained the institution of the
goshala, or cow shelter. In Hindu ancient scripture, the cow is viewed like Aditi, the
goddess of fruition responsible for all other gods. A general all-India cow protection
society (Gaurakshini Sabha) was first established in the state of Punjab in 1882.
11
Jain panjorapors—animal sanctuaries—had been in existence for many centuries
before that.
12
Cow worship far exceeds India’s lovely obsessions with Nagas
(snakes), elephants (Ganesha), the few remaining lions and tigers that were said to
have once been ridden upon by the Goddess of powerful energy, Durga, and the rat,
the vehicle for Ganesha, for whom the famed Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan was
built. Some 20,000 rats are said to live there—all believed to be “reincarnated members of Karni mata’s clan,” who was herself “the reincarnation of the goddess
Durga”.
13
But in a country with more than 200 million Muslims who annually celebrate
animal sacrifices en masse, Eid-ul-Adha, and who advocate for cow slaughter as a
fundament of religious freedom,
14
little wonder there have been bloody Hindu/
10 Lewis G. Regenstein, Replenish the Earth: a History of Organized Religions’ Treatment of
Animals and Nature – Including the Bible’s Message of Conservation and Kindness Toward
Animals, Crossroad Publishers, New York, 1991. See also, Richard H. Schwartz, “Tsa’ar Ba’alei
Chayim: Judaism and Compassion for Animals” in Roberta Kalechofsky, ed., Judaism and Animal
Rights: Classical and Contemporary Responses, Micah Publications, Marblehead, MA, 1992. See
also, Animals into Art, Edited by H. Morphy, Unwin Hyman, London, 1989, deriving from the
consequential 1986 World Archaeological Congress in Southampton, UK, which addressed critical
animal/cultural themes, such as: “What is an Animal?” “The Appropriation, Domination and
Exploitation of Animals,” “The walking larder: patterns of domestication, pastoralism, and predation,” and “Signifying animals: human meaning in the natural world.” From Foreword to Morphy,
by P. J. Ucko, p. x.
11 The Making of an Indian Metropolis, Colonial governance and public culture in Bombay,
1890/1920, by Prashant Kidambi, p. 176, Routledge, Abingdon-on-Thames, UK, 2007, p. 176. See
also, Sacred Animals of India, by Nanditha Krishna, Penguin Books, Ltd., London, 2014, pp. 80,
101–108.
12 See Life Force – The World of Jainism, by M. C. Tobias, Asian Humanities Press, Fremont, CA,
1991.
13 See “India’s Karni Mata Rat Temple,” “India’s Karni Mata Rat Temple” 1 May 2013.
HowStuffWorks.com.
2020.
14 Shabnum Tejani, Indian Secularism: A Social and Intellectual History, 1890–1950, Indiana
University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 2008, pp. 43–49.
41.3 Cows and Buffaloes