Coimbatore: Villagers on the forest fringes in Vazhapadi taluk in Salem district do not go picnicking on Kaanum Pongal day; instead they snare a fox from the jungles and offer prayers to the animal.
In a queer, centuries old tradition, villagers trap a fox and take the animal on a procession.
They believe that a glimpse of a fox in the auspicious Tamil month of Thai brings good fortune. But this year, villagers missed out on fox darshan as the Forest department slapped a ban on the tradition as it flouts the Wildlife Protection Act.
“Our Pongal festivities are not complete without the fox darshan. We are not harming the fox. We only have its darshan and let the animal back into the forest ten days later. So, what is wrong?” asks Chinnamanaikanpalayam panachayat vice president S. Periyasamy.
However, Attur DFO K.Dhanapal issued a stern warning to the villagers not to snare a fox. “Stringent action will be taken against those who catch the fox as it is a serious violation of the Wildlife Protection Act,” the DFO told Deccan Chronicle.
Forest officials have launched an awareness campaign in the hamlets to debunk the superstitious belief over fox darshan.
“Instead of offering prayers to a live fox, they can perform the pooja to a picture of the fox,” Dhanapal reasons. But the villagers are in an unrelenting mood. “We have done the fox pooja for the last so many years now. How can we stop it now?” they ask.
