The Animals of Magadh

Medininagar (Daltongonj) March 31, 1984

Baba came to Medininagar from Allahabad.

Baba visited Betala, a forest reserve for wild animals, where He talked about the eco-biological background of Magadh.

Baba made the following observations about the animal life in the region.

Indian elephants are of 3 varieties:

1. South of Nagpur variety
2. Chotanagpur variety
3. Bengal-Assam variety

Lions sometimes eat bamboos.

Elephants do not eat hard wood.

Royal Bengal tigers can live in this region.

Wild boars and small deer are the favourite food of tigers.

Rhinoceroses can not lie around Betala because there is no mud for them to wallow in.

Panthers and elephants of east and south Indian varieties all live here.

The average rainfall of Betala is higher than the regional average.

The mammoths existed here 2 millon years ago.

The 4 present varieties of elephants are their direct descendants.

1. An African variety from just south of the Sahara which has a small head and little intelligence.

It cannot be tamed.

2. The Indian variety found in Orissa, West Bengal, North Bengal and Assam.

It has a big head. The male has tusk, but it is smaller than the African variety.

In Sanskrit, the big Indian elephant was known as area’vata.

3. The North-east Indian variety found in Tripura, Nagaland, Assam and Burma.

It is 3/4 of the size of the big Indian variety and is of ash colour.

It is very intelligent but cannot be tamed.

Sometimes it might walk on rail tracks during the night and obstruct trains in hilly areas.

4. The south variety is found in Burma and Thailand and is whitish in colour but rarely found.

People worship this variety. 150 years ago, such elephants were found in Tirhuta.

In the past, large numbers of rhinos and elephants were found around Medininagar because of the high rainfall in the region.

But deforestation had adversely affected the rainfall and the region has practically become a desert.

If the rainfall increases, rhinos, elephants and even crocodiles will be able to live here.

Indian crocodiles are of 3 varieties:

1. Those that eat small fishes, Bangalites which live in non saline water and sometimes eat people (in the local language they are known as magaramach); and Bangalites Gangelites which are found near Sundervana and Gangasagar are the most dangerous variety.

In the past Betala had plenty of rainfall. Cane was grown here (cane means Beta in Sanskrit), and the place was known as Betrala. Presently it is known as Betala.

Deforestation caused the rainfall to decrease and cane production also diminished.

Reforestation will increase the rainfall in the region and Medininagar (Daltonganj) and the Koyal dam will have water throughout the year.

A constant supply of water apart from reforestation, is inappropriate because they are too costly.

There are several varieties of animals of the cat group.

1. Tiger

The Royal Bengal tiger is the biggest animal in the group.

It conists of 2 types:

• Those that eat people
• Those that don’t

2. The leopard, known as Citra-vyaghra in Sanskrit.

3. The panther, known as Gulbagha, since it contains the print of a ‘gulab’ or rose in its coat.

4. The Jaguar which is found in South America.

5. The hyena

6. The wild cat

7. The domestic cat which is the smallest animal in the group.

Topographically, Palamu is the highest place in Magadh, while the lowest is Mokama.