IntroductionIn the universe of Indian myth and imagination, few creatures capture the imagination as the layered symbolism as the peacock. The epics tell us that the eyes of the peacock’s shimmering plumage were the gift of Indra, Lord of the heavens. It is said that when the god took refuge beneath the peacock’s fan-like wings during a storm of demons, he blessed it in gratitude, leaving behind the very marks of his thousand eyes. Due to the peacock’s aesthetic splendor, the bird is woven through the subcontinent’s ritual, folklore, and esoteric traditions. Ancient belief held that its feathers could ward off poison, cure illness, and even undo the venom of serpents. During the Vedic era, the flesh of the bird was consumed both for medicinal value and as a delicacy. Tribes such as the Khonds and Koyas venerate the bird as the very form of the Mother Goddess, honored through periodic offerings during festivals like Dīpāvali. Among the Dravidians1 as well, the peacock was Mother Earth herself, and over time, this deified bird transfigured into Murugan — the beloved Tamil God of youth, war, and wisdom — whose mount is the peacock, one of the most profound examples of...