Wildbuzz | In the heart of India, tigers are worshipped as Gods
The British Raj wove ingenious narratives embellished by poetic flourishes and delectable prose to justify the extermination of any creature- be it a cobra or a cheetah- posing a threat to the conquerance of India and the exploitation of the proverbial Aladdin’s cave of natural wealth
Isn’t one glad the tribal communities of central India probably never read British Raj narratives of a man-eating tiger ferreting off a delicate memsahib from her tent with her satin robes slipping and blood glinting on the cat’s arching whiskers. The ferocious cat’s amber eyes afire with blood lust. As William Blake feverishly pondered upon The Tyger, “What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?”
The British Raj wove ingenious narratives embellished by poetic flourishes and delectable prose to justify the extermination of any creature- be it a cobra or a cheetah- posing a threat to the conquerance of India and the exploitation of the proverbial Aladdin’s cave of natural wealth.
But here, to borrow selectively from Kipling, prevails an alternative truth: “Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet”. In the forested heart of India, among the Gonds, Govaris, Baigas and other indigenous communities, the tiger “was and is” duly acknowledged as a powerful predator. But not just this, the stripes “were and are” held as sacred. The tiger was a creature worshipped as the Waghoba deity: the tribals believed their ancestors’ spirits dwelt in the tiger. It was also invoked as a guardian of their crops against deer/boar foraging - a balancer of herbivore numbers and dispatched to the tribals’ relief by Mother Nature herself.
India is blessed that a young breed of wildlife conservationists are venturing into these heartlands, where the nation’s spirit truly resides. Ashraf Shaikh from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, is engaged in researching the folk traditions that anchor Waghoba.
“Waghoba worship embodies a dual relationship with tigers, who are both revered as divine guardians and feared as potential threats. Shrines dedicated to Waghoba often mark sites of tiger attacks, serving as memorials and symbols of protection. The Govari community’s belief in Waghin, a female counterpart of Waghoba, highlights this bond, with shrines commemorating women lost to tiger attacks. At the Waghin shrines, the offerings are associated with women such as a saree or a mangalsutra. These rituals help communities process grief and build resilience,” Shaikh told this writer.
In Tapal, prayers to curb tiger attacks are said to have led to the miraculous appearance of a shrine, while in Tadoba, a Gond leader’s death by a tiger inspired a memorial shrine. Such narratives underscore the tiger’s central role in the community’s spiritual identity as a deity and a reminder of human vulnerability.
“This cultural reverence also fosters conservation. For the Gonds and other communities, the tiger is a “kuladevta” (clan deity), and protecting it is seen as a moral obligation. Similar traditions are found among tribes like the Baigas in Chhattisgarh and the Nyishis in Arunachal Pradesh, as well as in Southeast Asia, where tiger worship reflects respect for nature’s balance,” Shaikh added.
However strong and embedded may these helpful cultural beliefs be to tiger preservation, the increasing penetration of tiger homes by humans has led to traditions coming under stress. “In regions like Brahmapuri, where nearly 300 people have been attacked by tigers in the decade past, rising conflicts strain the cultural ties that encourage co-existence. While some question the effectiveness of rituals, others continue to honour the dead and the tigers through Waghoba shrines, preserving a link between tradition and resilience,” said Shaikh.
What then is a futuristic vision? “Waghoba worship offers valuable lessons in co-existence by channelling fear into structured rituals. When combined with modern conservation strategies—such as awareness on tiger behaviour, safety measures and community-driven wildlife conservation planning—these practices can help mitigate conflicts and promote tolerance of big cats,” said Shaikh.
By honouring cultural traditions while adopting modern solutions, these communities could chart a path toward a future where both people and tigers thrive.
