Horses have a special place in Hinduism .
In a ritual sense, in the Vedic world, horses carried an importance comparable to that of cows or any other animal. Horses were used in sacrifices, in warfare, travel, trade and commerce. In the Vedic tradition, horses symbolize speed, beauty, purity, and the expansive power of Brahman, freedom, grace, and overall strength. The Ashwins, who symbolize the divinity of horses, are extolled in the Vedas as the Gods who rescue people when they are caught in inaccessible places or lost in the wilderness. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, often the sacrificial horse is compared to Brahman, or the ultimate truth that is beyond articulation and form, with each of its bodily parts representing a particular aspect of that reality, a ritual crossing to moksha or liberation.
In the Hindu or Vedic calendar, the Star Ashwini and the month Aswhwayuja are astrological constellations and concepts related to horses. The Twin-Gods, Ashwins, were excellent horsemen and astute physicians. In their lore they once implanted an equine head on a sage to save him from a curse.
When you look at Aslam’s triad of horses rising out of the Prussian blue sky you can recall the flashback of many Indian folk tales that are replete with the symbolism of the steed, including those that could fly to the heavens or steer the chariots of the great epics, we savour the stories of horses that possessed wings, akin to Pegasus in Greek Lore.
The Sun God, Surya goes on his daily tour of the heavens from the East to the West on a chariot driven by horses, as is that of the Goddess of Dawn, Usha. It is said that the horses looked like creatures that embodied the flaming sun, shining like the glistening rays and leaping with an exuberant energy that could only come from the abode of the Gods. The success and victories in wars and conquests of the great kingdoms of yore were carried out on the backs of horses as was the pomp and ceremony of their pageantry. Wild horses were tamed and used in warfare, rather than agriculture since they were expensive and difficult to maintain.
There is no unanimity among scholars whether horses were native to India or imported from outside. Hindus worship Hayagriva, an incarnation of Vishnu who has the head of a horse and who played an important role in saving the Vedas during a conflict with the Demonic Asuras. Horse riding was an important art and martial skill in ancient India. Both men and women from noble families used to practice it. Horses are associated with many Hindu deities as vehicles such as Ushasa, Surya, Vayu, the Rudras and Maruths. Horses are considered to be evolved creatures-they are considered by some to be the embodiment of souls that are reincarnated from ancestors and they are among animals, who should be cared for and celebrated. Aslam gives us his stallions that rise from the plains, as they breathe the energy of the Earth creating the rhythm of the heavens and always bringing back the beauty of horse tales and poetry. One especially, is reminded of the Alfred Noyes poem The Highwayman in which the sound of the horse’s hooves became a metaphor for the entire ripple of rhythm in the story of tragedy and deep love and the sacrifice of a beautiful long haired daughter who let down her hair over the balcony and finally gave her own life in front of the King’s soldiers for love. Through it all is the loyalty of horses as they wait for their masters to mount and take them into the thrill of the chase. Indeed horses are symbols of valour, vitality, virility and bravery