Diwali may be a festival of lights, but a dark shadow looms over owls in India.
For these nocturnal birds, the celebration is not as bright since they often become victims of superstitious beliefs and rituals, particularly in smaller towns and villages.
People look for them all night long, from forests to places where they are thought to be.
A month before Diwali, the demand for owls in the illegal bird market spikes, with prices ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000.
In smaller towns and villages, the parts of an owl — the skull, feathers, ear tufts, claws, heart, liver, kidney, blood, eyes, fat, beak, tears, eggshells, meat, and bones — are used for a variety of ceremonial pujas and rituals, especially during
Diwali.
According to a 2018 study on the illegal traffic in nocturnal birds conducted by the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, 15 out of the 30 species of owls found in the nation are sold illegally.
As per WWF India, owl species often found in the illegal wildlife trade are Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides, Barn Owl Tyto alba, Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis, Brown Hawk Owl Ninox scutulata, Brown Wood-owl Strix leptogrammica, Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei, Collared Scops-owl Otus bakkamoena, Dusky Eagle Owl Bubo coromandus, Eastern Grass-owl Tyto longimembris, Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum, Mottled Wood-owl Strix ocellata, Oriental Scops-owl Otus sunia, Rock Eagle-owl Bubo bengalensis, Spot-bellied Eagle-owl Bubo nipalensis, Spotted Owlet Athene brama, and Tawny Fish-owl Ketupa flavipes.
Satish Pande, the founder of the Ela Foundation, told The Times of India that it is hard to determine how many owls are killed or smuggled into India because there has never been a precise owl census.
Also read:
It’s a happy Diwali for gold: Rs 1,000 price surge in a day, Rs 21,200 in a year
Owls are associated with many superstitious and contrary concepts.
Some Hindus believe that Goddess Lakshmi rides an owl, while others say that she rides an elephant with the owl. It is said that if Goddess Laxmi’s Vahan or vehicle is killed when she visits your home on Diwali, she will be unable to leave and the wealth and prosperity will remain with you always.
Owls are also associated with death, misfortune, or bad luck. Another school of thought says that wherever Goddess Lakshmi goes, she is accompanied in a different form by the unauspicious Alakshmi, her elder twin sister, who is seen as her shadow opposite. As a result, believers kill the owl because they perceive it as a symbol of this unlucky form.
Traditional healers and priests are also to blame for the rising demand for raptors’ body parts. They deceive people into thinking that by consuming or using the birds’ body parts in the rituals, they can be cured of illnesses or negative effects.
Pande told The Print about an incident in which he saw young boys using a catapult to carry an owl in a bag in an isolated Maharashtra village. When asked, they said that they intended to consume the owl’s eyes in order to find the hidden treasure.
Also read:
Diwali 2024 calendar: Know when is Diwali, date, time and puja muhurat
According to the Puranas, owls are ideal for Tantra Sadhana because of their ability to endure even the most severe circumstances. There are numerous tales in the Owl Tantra in Tantric Sadhana books.
As per one of the most well-known stories, King Daksha conducted a yagna at Haridwar without summoning Lord Shiva. The lack of respect angered Lord Vishnu, who punished the Brahmins with inadequate education. When Bhrigu Rishi stepped on Vishnu’s chest in revenge, Goddess Lakshmi cursed the Brahmins with poverty and a shortage of food.
Gautam Rishi devised the Uluk Tantra to break this curse. Goddess Lakshmi and Vishnu were pleased with his efforts and lifted the curse. Since then, owls have been worshipped during Diwali by Gautam Gotra followers.
Owl-based tantric rites, including maran and vashikaran, start around a month prior. Many books provide in-depth explanations of sadhana techniques.
The owl is housed for almost a month and fed meat and alcohol in preparation for the Diwali night ceremonies. The owl is sacrificed on Diwali, and its body parts are arranged in various places. They are kept in areas where people gather because it is thought that their eyes have hypnotic qualities. Its beak is thought to defeat enemies, and its feet are kept in a safe.
Wildlife SOS reports that during Diwali, the Rock Owl or Eagle Owl is most in demand. In the days leading up to the festival, illegal bird sellers sell each owl for between Rs 4,000 and Rs 10,000, depending on the bird’s weight, colour, and other attributes.
In India and around the world, people believe that owls are intelligent because of their steady, round eyes.
The owl is venerated as Choka-Dhola and recognised as the “Lord with Circular Eyes” in Odisha’s Puri. The Puranas describe Goddess Lakshmi sitting atop a big white owl. As a result, an owl is never chased out of Bengali households.
In ancient Greece, it represented the goddess of wisdom, Athena. With an astounding 85 per cent success rate in collecting prey, these birds are regarded as smart and skilled hunters. They are directly associated with wealth, success, and both good and bad omens in many Greek and Asian cultures.
Drew Meyer, a wildlife ecology expert, as per News18, claims that because owls can see in the dark, something that humans cannot, they are frequently connected to Jesus. This skill functions as a metaphor for the owl’s function in pointing us in the direction of truth in the midst of crime and darkness.
India is home to about 36 of the more than 250 species of owls found worldwide.
They inhabit a variety of environments, including forests and deserts, as well as human settlements in the majority of the world. However, because of their nocturnal habits, they are difficult to spot even if they are prevalent.
Schedule-1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, protects all Indian owl species, making it illegal to catch, hunt, trade, or utilise them in any other way. Their international trade is also prohibited.
With inputs from agencies
Link to article –
