Lears Parrots

  

Edward Lear's beautiful illustrations, the first commercially and scientifically notable collection were unique in that they were drawn using LIVE parrots. A rather splendid departure from old. The collection was drawn up based on several friends aviaries in the United Kingdom. 

The Indian parakeet is a recurring theme in Indian mythology and folktales. The parrot in Hindu mythology is associated with Kama, the god of love. The reason for this could be its green feathers and red beak which associates it with fertility. Red beak represents the red earth before the rain and the green feathers represent the green earth after the rains. Red represents unfulfilled desire, full of yearning, while green represents fulfilled desire, full of joy. Kama is most often depicted as riding a parrot.

In many south Indian temples, the Goddess holds a parrot in her hand. The goddess Meenakshi, the "Fish-eyed" One. She is accompanied by a bird, usually a parrot.