CATS IN INDIA
By Helen Wilson
According to Sanskrit texts, cats have been in India for thousands of years. While the cat was not as renowned there as it was in Egypt, cats had a place in the spiritual life of the people, even as a totem animal of the folk goddess Shashthi. Cats in India were responsible for fertility, the domestic household, and children (from A Cat’s Tale, a journey through Feline History, Paul Koudounaris, 2020).
The legend off Patripatan, who could make time stand still, tells how the great cat was the companion of a courtier, in competition with a highly esteemed Hindu priest, who ascended into Heaven holding a blessed flower. Patripatan’s human vowed that his cat could outdo the priest, creating “a level of awkwardness unmatched before or since.” (p. 45, A Cat’s Tale). Never before had a cat set foot in Heaven, but Patripatan made the trip and the gods were thrilled by his presence! He was treated as an idol. Unfortunately, while they gave the cat a flower from the sacred tree, they refused to let the cat leave Heaven. A deal was arranged allowing his return to India in 300 years.
When the time came, the sky glowed and “a cloud of 1,000 colors opened to reveal a throne of 1,000 flowers from the sacred tree.” Patripatan sat upon the throne and went back to Earth, proving the high esteem in which he was held in India.
Cats are associated with some Hindu deities, such as the goddess Shashthi, who protects children and is often depicted riding a cat.
Cats are also associated with Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity. "In Hindu sacred writings, cats are often seen as wise creatures. These cat qualities are like lessons that help people who want to become wiser and more spiritual. They tell us that these traits are good to have in our own lives."
In India, cats have been written about in ancient epic tales, such as the Mahabharata (4th-5th century) in which the cat Lomasa & mouse Palita deal with death & power. The God Indra disguises himself as a cat. Cats were honored in homes, farms and palaces for their help in pest control, but were also revered and loved.
In literature, poets used the medium to describe their love of cats:
Mohini the Cat
Mir Taqi Mir
A cat called Mohini one day
Came home and decided to stay.
Of some of us she grew fond then
And seldom left, staying mostly in.
And then she grew so fond of me
In all things she’d then look to me.
At dawn she’d come to me and purr.
Qit’a 19
Asadullah Khan Ghalib
I own a noble-tempered cat
Whose leap’s a wave of fairy-wing.
She sways coyly when back on earth,
Her footprints now buds blossoming.
Today, more people are taking in cats as pets, and organizations to help stray cats are expanding across India. Cat cafes that offer adoption are also popping up in cities like Mumbai and Pune.