In Hinduism, almost all the animals are considered to be sacred. However, given below are some of the important animals and the reason that they are considered sacred.

Asiatic Black Bear:

Jambavantha (also known as Jambavan or Jamvanta) is a bear in Hindu mythology and is believed to have lived from Treta Yuga to Dwapara Yuga. In the epic Ramayana, Jambavantha helped Rama find his wife Sita and fight her abductor, Ravana.

Cock:

The cock is the emblem on Lord Murugan's battle flag (seval kodi). It symbolises eternity of time.

Spotted Deer:

The deer is associated with innumerable stories in Indian mythology. In the epic Ramayana, Mareecha assumed the form of a golden deer in order to draw the attention of Sita.

Indian Golden Gecko:

The golden gecko is revered in the east and south as an animal whose mere touch assures a person of moksha (liberation) of the soul. As it is not possible to touch one, several temples keep a golden replica to be touched for good luck. At the Varadaraja Temple in Kanchipuram, gold and silver geckos are fixed on to the ceiling to be touched by devotees in search of good luck.

Shrew:

The shrew is the vahana or vehicle of Lord Ganesha. (although some consider Ganesha's vahanas to be a mouse or even, a rat). In Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is accompanied by the shrew wherever he travels. An offering to Lord Ganesha and His small companion forms an important part of Hindu worship.

In most parts of the country the shrews are caught in live-traps, rather than being killed and released in the wild, away from homes.

Indian Ringneck Parakeet:

The bird is sacred to Goddess Meenakshi, who is depicted holding a parakeet in her right hand. The famous Meenakshi temple at Madurai, Tamil Nadu has a separate Killikoondu (Parakeet cage) mandapam. The parakeets in the mandapam are trained to repeat Goddess Meenakshi's name. The bird is also associated with Sri Andal, the only female, of the 12 Alvars (the renowned saints of Vaishnavism). According to legend, the parrot is Sri Suka Brahma Rishi, who was sent by Saint Andal to Lord Ranganatha as thoodu (messenger).

Sarus Crane:

The bird is venerated in the northern parts of India and is believed to symbolize marital bliss in India. The bird is also regarded as a good omen for crops in India. People encourage the bird to nest in their fields.

Legend has it that Sage Valmiki cursed a hunter for killing a Sarus crane. It is believed that the incident inspired the sage to write the epic Ramayana.

Indian Star Tortoise:

Kurma was the second avatara of Lord Vishnu, where He incarnated in the form of a gigantic tortoise and sat at the bottom of the ocean. He helped the devatas (devas) attain amrita or the nectar of immortality, from the celestial ocean, by holding the mountain, Mandara on his back.

The tortoise is the vahana of Goddess Jamuna, who personifies the holy river Yamuna.

Yak:

While the yak itself is not sacred, its bushy tail is in great demand as a fly-whisk (fan) in many Buddhist monasteries and temples.

Asiatic Lion:

Narasimha, the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu was half-man (Nara) and half-lion (Simha). He killed a demon named Hiranyakashipu.

Goddess Durga, the fierce form of the Goddess Parvati, is often depicted as a warrior-Goddess, who destroys demons. She is referred to as 'Sheravali' in the northern parts of the country, as her vahana is a lion.

The state emblem of India is adopted from the famous lion capital on the Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. The capital was erected by Emperor Ashoka to mark the site where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon to his five disciples.

Brahminy Kite:

Garuda, the celestial carrier or vahana of Lord Vishnu and his consort, Goddess Lakshmi, is a swift-flying Brahminy kite. In Hindu mythology, he is often referred to as the 'king of birds'. He has been give the status of a deity by the religious scriptures and hence, is worshipped. In most Vishnu temples, there is a separate shrine for Garuda, also known as Garudalwar.

Garuda is also the symbol on Lord Vishnu's flag (Garuda dwaja).

Conch:

The conch shell is a major Hindu article of prayer, used as a trumpet and in order to get rid of negative energy and evil spirits. It is also used as a container for holy water (shankha teertham). In Hindu customs, not every shell can be used in rituals. The horned shells are never found in temples. Only a shell that turns towards its left is used for worship. The holed ones are blown before, during or after a ritual but are never actually a part of the prayer rituals. The smaller shells are often used for predictions. The shankha (conch shell) mudra is also used during various tantric rituals and meditation.

Lord Vishnu is said to hold a special conch, Panchajanya, which represents life as it has come out of life-giving waters.

It is believed that Paanchajanya emerged during the churning of the Ksheerasagara by the devatas (devas) and the asuras. As it rose out of the ocean, its tremendous decibel frightened the asuras who appealed to Vishnu to save them. Lord Vishnu obliged, taking charge of the conch shell. The primordial sound of creation, that is the 'Omkar' or 'Pranavanadham', was thereby controlled.

Dog:

Lord Dattatreya, looked upon as the incarnation of the holy Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, is usually followed by four faithful dogs, which symbolically represent the four Vedas and his complete mastery over them.

Dove / Pigeon:

Goddess Rati, the Goddess of passion and lust and the consort of Kama, the God of love, is believed to be usually depicted with a pigeon as her vahana.

Langur Monkey:

Hindus revere the Hanuman langur as the living incarnation of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god. He is a loyal devotee of Rama, an incarnations of Lord Vishnu. An army of monkeys or the vanara sena under the leadership of Hanuman was instrumental in the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama. Other notable vanaras who feature in the epic Ramayana are Sugriva, Vali and Angada.

The langurs often live in and around Hindu temples, where they are fed by devotees. The Jakhu Hanuman temple in Shimla is a famous example. It is often referred to as the 'monkey temple' because of the countless monkeys it houses.

Indian Cobra:

Snakes, especially the cobra have been one of the most significant symbols in Hindu religion and mythology and are mostly associated with wealth, power and fertility.

The cobra is most commonly associated with Lord Shiva, who wears a Cobra coiled around his neck. This symbolises the power the Lord has over the deadliest of creatures.

Lord Vishnu also rests on a coiled cobra, the Adi-sesha in Vaikuntam. Adi-sesha is believed to have been asked by Lord Brahma to bear the weight of the entire world on his head. Some of the avatars or manifestations of the Adi-sesha are Lakshmana and Balarama, who are always with the Lord.

There is great veneration for the snakes in south India, especially Kerala. Most houses have a snake shrine referred to as the 'sarpa kavu' (sacred serpent grove) in their backyard with a 'nagakal' (carved snake-stone). Women offer milk and light a lamp at the nagakal to propitiate the snake-Gods.

Nagapanchami is an important Hindu festival associated with snake worship. It is celebrated on the fifth day in the month of Shravana (July - August).

Indian Peafowl:

The peacock is considered sacred in Hindu religion. The divine vehicle or vahana of Lord Muruga is a peacock named Paravani. It is believed that during a battle between Lord Muruga and a demon named Surapadman, the demon assumed the form of a big mango tree. This tree was split into two by Lord Muruga's spear (vael). From one half emerged a rooster and from the other a peacock. Lord Muruga took the peacock as His vahana and the cock as His flag symbol.

Lord Krishna has a peacock feather on His crown.

The bird is also associated with Goddess Saraswathi. The Goddess is often shown with a peacock. Whenever Lord Indra transformed himself into an animal, he is believed to have become a peacock.

The bird is also associated with the famous Kapaleeshwarar temple at Chennai. Karpagambal (manifestation of Goddess Parvati) in the form of a peacock is said to have worshipped Lord Shiva, represented by the traditional lingam. In fact, the part of Chennai where the temple is located is called Mylapore. (literally translated as 'a town of peacocks').

Indian Vulture:

According to the epic Ramayana, when Ravana was abducting Sita to his kingdom of Lanka, a fierce battle took place between him and the vulture king, Jatayu. The bird was fatally wounded in its attempt to rescue Sita from Ravana. He lived long enough to inform Lord Rama about Sita's abduction by Ravana.

Another vulture, which finds mention in the epic Ramayana, is Jatayu's brother, Sampati. Sampati was very fond of Jatayu. Once when the brothers were young, they tried to fly close to the sun. Jatayu almost got his wings burnt. Seeing his brother in distress, Sampati flew higher and shielded his brother from the sun's ray and in the process burnt his wings. Sampati played his role in the epic by confirming Sita's abduction to Lanka and her imprisonment in Ashoka - vana.

Bengal Tiger:

The tiger is associated with Lord Ayyappan of Sabarimala, who was born by the union of Lord Shiva with Mohini (incarnation of Lord Vishnu). According to legend, Ayyappan, was found by a king and queen on the banks of a river and brought him to their palace. When the queen had a child of her own, she became jealous of Ayyappan and planned to get him killed. She pretended to be ill and sent Ayyappan to fetch tiger's milk to cure her illness. She expected him to be killed by the tigers and was surprised to see Ayyappan return to the palace riding on a tiger, with the other tigers following him.

Lord Shiva is often depicted wearing or seated on a tiger skin. The Lord also bears the name 'Vyaghranatheshwara' (Vyaghra means tiger + Natheswar means Lord), because he once had slain a demon, who had taken the form of a tiger. Goddess Durga is sometimes depicted riding a tiger.

In India, many tribal communities revere the tiger. The Warli tribe of Maharashtra worship 'Waghia' or the lord of tigers in the form of a shapeless stone. The Gonds of Madhya Pradesh worship 'Waghai Devi'; the Bhils worship 'Waghaika Kunwar' (tiger prince) to who fruit, wine and sheep are offered. 'Dakshin Rai ' is the folk deity presiding over the tiger-cult in Sunderbans, West Bengal.

Butterfly:

In Indian philosophies, the life-cycle of the butterfly is held up to explain the importance of meditation. Just as the egg becomes a caterpillar that metamorphose into a beautiful butterfly after spending time in the cocoon, human beings must practice meditation to metamorphose from mere mortals into enlightened people.

Cow:

The cow / bull occupy a special place in Hindu culture. The reverence of the animal has been one of the central themes of Hinduism, since ancient times. The animal is equated to one's mother (hence the expression 'Gaumata'. In Hindu mythology, Kamadhenu, the wish-fulfilling celestial cow, is said to be the mother of all Gods. It is believed that she could grant any wish for the true seeker.

Cow is most commonly associated with Lord Krishna, who is usually depicted as a cowherd. Lord Krishna is also known as Gopala, literally meaning "the protector of cows". The cow is also associated with Lord Shiva, whose vahana (divine vehicle) is a white bull, Nandi. A statue of Nandi is usually seen facing the main shrine in every Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Mattu Pongal (the third day of the harvest festival 'Pongal' in Tamilnadu) is the cattle thanksgiving. People decorate and worship their cattle on this day.

Fish:

In His first avatara, Lord Vishnu took the form of a matsya (fish). Matsya is generally represented with the upper torso of a man and the lower of a fish.

Many tribal and fishing communities use fish as totems. For example, the Mals of Midnapur and Manbhum (Hinduised tribe of Central India and W. Bengal) have penkal mach and sal mach as their totem.

In many parts of our country, fish as a food finds place in many religious ceremonies / rituals including weddings and sraddha.

In several temples tanks fishes are protected, fed (usually with puffed rice) and venerated. For example, at the Kuleepini threertham in the Koodalma nikyam temple (Irinjalakuda in Thrissur District of Kerala), Meenootal - feeding of fishes - is an important ritual.

Indian scriptures often compare the form of one's eye to that of a beautiful fish. Goddess Meenakshi's name comes from the words Meen (meaning fish) and akshi (meaning eyes). It is believed that like a fish, Goddess Meenakshi's eyes are always open, watching over her devotees.

Swan:

Saraswathi, the Hindu Goddess of wisdom, knowledge and learning uses a white swan as her vahana and hence, is also referred to as Hamsavahini. The swan is also the carrier of Lord Brahma, the creator.

A swan is said to have a sensitive beak, which can distinguish pure milk from a mixture of water and milk. The swan thus symbolises discrimination between the good and the bad. Persons who have attained great spiritual capabilities are sometimes called 'Parama-hamsa' (Great swam) on account of their spiritual grace and ability to travel between various spiritual worlds.

Water Buffalo:

The buffalo is most commonly associated with Yama, the Hindu God of death. He is usually depicted riding a fierce-looking black male water buffalo.

The buffalo is sacred to the Todas of the Nilgiris. The animal plays an important role in many of their rituals. In the Mhasoba cult of western and southern India, people worship Mhasoba (a horned buffalo deity, sometimes associated with Lord Shiva / Mahesh) and His consort Jogubai (Goddess Durga).

The festival of Vijayadashami is celebrated to mark the victory of Goddess Durga over a demon named Mahishasura (mahisha - buffalo + asura - demon). He was born out of the union of the demon king, Rambha with a water buffalo and hence, could change between human and buffalo forms at will.

Blackbuck Antelope:

Vayu, the Hindu God of wind has an antelope as his vahana. Its ability to run swiftly has probably led to this association with the wind God. The animal is also the vahana of Chandra, the Hindu moon-God.

The blackbuck is held sacred by the Bishnoi tribes of Rajasthan. They consider it a sin to kill these animals. Many men of the sect have died protecting these and women have even breast-fed the antelopes.

House Crow:

The house crow occupies a special place in Hindu religious rituals. It is usually identified with departed souls or ancestors. Throughout the country, certain communities observe the ritual of 'pinda pradhana' (offering of cooked rice balls) to the crow, during ancestral worship. The crow is supposed to be a connection between the living world and the world of the dead.

Also, in traditional Hindu homes, the crow is offered a handful of rice first, before any meal.

The bird is also the vahana of Lord Saneeshwara (astrologically equated to Planet Saturn), one of the navagrahas or nine planets.

Frog:

The frog is a symbol of reincarnation, for it goes through several forms from eggs to the tadpole breathing through its gills to the air-breathing adult. It is likened to the many forms a soul may be born in.

There is an entire philosophic treatise, the Mandukya Upanishad, which explains the meaning of the sound AUM as three stages of consciousness: A is the state of wakefulness, U of dreams and M of deep sleep.

Horse:

The chariot of Lord Surya is pulled by seven horses. Hence, he is sometimes referred to as Saptashva (Lord of Seven Horses).

One of the minor manifestations of Lord Vishnu is Hayagriva, where His face resembles that of a horse. Lord Kubera, the Hindu God of wealth sometimes uses a horse as his vehicle.

In South India, terracotta horses are offered to the folk deity - Aiyanar, who is believed to ride them. The Gonds of Central India worship a horse-God, 'Koda Pen ' in the form of a shapeless stone.

Indian Elephant:

Elephants are sacred animals to the Hindus. Many Hindu temples (especially in South India) own elephants that carry the deities during festivals processions and ceremonial circumambulations in the temples. The famous Guruvayoor temple in Kerala owns more than 60 domesticated elephants, most of them donated by devotees.

Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God of wisdom, is probably the most worshipped Hindu deity in the country today. He is usually worshipped at the beginning of every religious ritual or puja by devout Hindus.

The elephant is associated with Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu deity of wealth and prosperity. One of Her eight manifestations (Ashtalakshmi) is known as Gajalakshmi. One of the navarathnas was a white elephant named Airavatha, which later became the mount of Lord Indra.

Squirrel:

Squirrels are considered sacred in India and are not to be harmed. They are even fed by many Hindu families. This is mainly because of their association with Lord Rama.

An interesting legend explains the stripes on the back of most of the squirrels. During the construction of the Adi Sethu (bridge) at Rameswaram by Lord Rama and the vanara sena, a little squirrel also contributed in its own little way. It rolled in the beach sand and then ran to the end of the Sethu to shake off the sand from its back (chanting Lord Rama's name all along).

Lord Rama, pleased by the creature's dedication, caressed the squirrel's back and ever since, the Indian squirrel carried white stripes on its back, which are believed to be the mark of Lord Rama's fingers.

Wild Boar:

The third avatara of Lord Vishnu was Varaha, a boar. Varaha is generally depicted having a boar's head on a human body.

Varahi is the Hindu Goddess Durga in the form of a wild boar. She is regarded as the consort of Varaha and one of the saptamatrikas (seven fierce forms of Goddess Devi).

A vast majority of Hindus also avoid pig meat although it is beef (cow meat) that is forbidden by the religion.

Monkey's and cows

Cows. Therefore, it goes against the Hindu religion to eat any beef.

Hindus consider all life as sacred, creation of God, part of God. Of course, Cow tops the list for the gifts this animal gives to people, milk, whey, yoghurt, butter, chese, male calfs which would be used to till the fields and draw the carts, and leather even when a cow is dead.

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