The shrew is the vahana or vehicle of Lord Ganesha. (although some consider Ganesha’s vahanas to be a mouse or even, a rat). In Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is accompanied by the shrew wherever he travels. An offering to Lord Ganesha and His small companion forms an important part of Hindu worship.

In most parts of the country the shrews are caught in live-traps, rather than being killed and released in the wild, away from homes.