Aranyā

Chaturthi - Forests Most of us forget quite often that we too are animals. For some absurd reason, we always wanted to distance ourselves from the other animals. But when remember our origins, the call of the forests become very strong. Though we, humans, do not live in the forest, it still provides and protects trillions of beings. From the majestic elephant to the small velvet worm, all live in a cycle of interdependence. Mothers never stop loving their children. Even if the child leaves the mother, the mother will continue to provide and protect the child. Similarly, the forests have never stopped proving to us, humans. To the seekers of peace and solitude, the forests are irresistible. To the lovers of nature, the forests, its trees, its birds, its animals beckon them constantly. Irrespective of its rights and wrongs, to the businessmen, the forest is a resource to be exploited. To the hungry, it is yet another place to source their food from. Today, it is a necessity that we all learn to respect the forests. We will end the blog with a verse from the Rig Veda. ‘I have spoken about Aranyani (Forests), who is the mother of animals. She has the scent of musk. She has varieties of food and is uncultivated’.