Scientific name

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (Rana tigerina) 

Common name

Indian Bullfrog / Tiger Frog

Hindi

Maindak

Sanskrit

Mandukya

Distribution

Throughout India

Religious association

The tiger frog wears the sign of the namam, the Vaishnavite symbol of three vertical lines on the forehead, and is therefore considered blessed. The frog is also a symbol of reincarnation, for it goes through several forms—from egg to tadpole, breathing through its gills, to the air-breathing reptile. This is likened to the many forms a soul may take.

Frog is the vehicle of Brihaspati (Jupiter), the fifth of the nine planets, who carries a rosary and a kamandalu (water pot).