| Summary: | “A flying insect of the order ‘Lepidoptera’, distinguished from moth by their diurnal activities and generally brighter colouring.” -This is the way almost all dictionaries describe a butterfly. But as we all know a butterfly in reality is a much livelier being than such definitions. In many cultures a butterfly symbolises various aspects of life. In Japan it is seen as personification of a person’s soul, but, large number of butterflies is considered as bad omen. Roman belief is a butterfly symbolises soul and in line with it ancient Greek word for a butterfly is ‘Psyche’ i.e. soul or mind. In some cultures it is also considered as a symbol of rebirth. Even Indian belief system (mainly folk-culture) associates a butterfly with some important aspects of life like birth, ancestry, marriage, deceased soul, death etc. The beliefs and customs associated to a butterfly are quite amusing. This paper will try to put a step as far as this symbolism is concerned.
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