The profile picture of this WhatsApp group for Karkadaka vavubali also has a crow in it. Why is Vavubali related to Crow? Is there any harm if the Bali chor is not taken by the crow, or if it cannot be given?
Actually,there is no harm if the crow does not take it, or if it can’t be given to the crow. It can be fed to the fishes or you can give it to cows. The Bengaluru city does not have crows like the countryside.This urban city is not suitable for crow habitat. After Pitru pooja, Bali chor is given as an offering to nature and the living beings.While offering the Bali chor to the crow or any animal, we should be aware that it should be done only after the pithru whom we invoked have returned to their rightful places.
And why is Vavubali related to Crow? First, let me tell you about my experience with a family in Bangalore who is very close to me. A small family consisting of father ,mother and children.Unfortunately ,the loving father passed away due to the corona pandemic. Neither we could see him for one last time nor perform his last rites.Sadness overtook the family. No one was able to console the mother.
Then something caught my attention. Every day that mother would boil an egg and cut half of it to keep it outside the house for the crow to eat it. The mother and her children would watch it with great satisfaction. They were doing it for many days . I, as the person who is very close to that family, immediately realized how much fulfillment, pleasure and satisfaction they were getting through that. A simple belief that father eats food in the form of a crow could save a whole family from a great deal of distress. Let the faith save you.
Since ancient times, the crow has been personified as a representative of our ancestors by the Malayalees. It has been passed down through various beliefs.
- Once a king named Marutha performed the Maheshwara Yajna. All the Devas including Indra became a part of it. At that time the demon king Ravana unexpectedly entered there and the devas took the form of birds and animals and fled away from there in fear. Among them, Lord Yama was saved by fleeing away in the form of a crow. Because of it, crows were given a vardhaan that they will be given the Bali chor after pitru pooja. Remember, it is not as being equal to our ancestors.
- The crow is said to be the vehicle of Lord Shani. Another belief is that by feeding the crow, one can get rid of Shanidoshas.
- “Bhojana Kaale Kaka Balinaam” is also a famous saying. It means to feed the crow before the meal.
Mere belief is not enough before the learned. Faith has to be interpreted in terms of science. Let that duty be done in the best possible way.
It is said that the custom of feeding the crow is prevalent…By why?
Crow is one of the most essential birds in nature. For natural cleaning and waste disposal, there is no animal better than the crow. Also, the ayurvedic medicinal plants like Ficus racemosa, dye fig tree, peepal tree ,and Banyan are essential for the balance of nature. It is scientifically agreed these trees take in carbon monoxide and expel oxygen. It is said that breeding of these trees can also occur by means of excrement of the crows.
Haven’t we noticed that crows wake up in Brahmamuhurta and look for food early in the morning. When they find it, they call other crows as well to eat it together. Even when they are in danger, they face it together as a group.
Yes,crow is an important part of our environment. Be it in the name of faith or wisdom, crows are part of our lives.
Poojari Manoj K Viswanthan