Wednesday 1 April 2015

Asian Koel


ASIAN KOEL:

In Indian subcontinent, spring comes every year in March with its magical touch that drives away the coldness of the winter and fills the nature with colors. Almost everywhere in this vast subcontinent, surroundings is filled with the sweet call of the “Asian Koel” ; “ko-eeul”, two syllables that is uttered at intervals or repeated in rapid series, increasing in pitch.
Since times long forgotten, Koel has found its place in literature, poetry, myths, tribal lore and traditions and admiration to be the harbinger of “spring”. The trembling notes of koel and the sweet fragrance of the mango flowers , together claims the end of winter and signifies the warm feeling of overnight burst of the Spring reflected everywhere in the arena of the mother nature .
If we turn over the pages to find this bird in the history, we see it was mentioned as “Kokila” in Sanskrit and also had mentioned its name with same veneration and reputation in “Manusmriti” like present days .The Vedas, Sanskrit literature dated to about 2000 BC referred to it as “Anya-Vapa” which meant "that was raised by others". This has been interpreted as the earliest knowledge of brood parasitism.

It has been chosen as the state bird by the southern Indian state of Pondicherry.

Asian Koel Male