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.
