Post
by Sakobav » Thu Sep 21, 2006 7:38 pm
Forget exotic birds like quail etc..This time in Chandigarh I hardly saw or heard chirping/cackle of common house sparrow..chiddhi!
LONG BEFORE "Pie In The Sky'' became a hit song in the early part of this Century, people only knew about the four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie! The nursery rhyme goes on to say that when the pie was opened the birds began to sing, much to the amusement of the royal diner. This is not just a mere tale but something that was a part of entertainment in feudal society in the West and the East too. When the first Nawab of Tonk gave a wedding party, his guests among whom were many rajas, nawab and high officials, both Indian and British, were pleasantly surprised to find live birds flying out as soon as the dishes were opened. The credit for this, of course, went to the royal cooks and also to those who had caught and trained the birds.
Bahelias or bird-catchers have all but vanished from Delhi, though not from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Bengal and Assam despite wildlife preservation laws and a big decline in the number of birds.
Trapping of birds was an ancient art that was handed down from father to son. Bahelias were active not only in the jungles, but also in the hills, marshes and riverbeds. Birds were caught both in the day and night. Skill, patience and knowledge of bird life were a hereditary trait of the bahelias.
The bird bazaar that flourished on the steps of the Jama Masjid in Delhi provided a variety of birds, both for the pot and for those who were interested in acquiring pets. Lovebirds, the weaverbird and baya, bulbuls, piddis, lals, parrots, mynas, pigeons, partridge and quail were among the many varieties on sale. Pigeons, parrots and partridge are still easily available.
Munna Mian of Jaipur was an expert bird catcher who had netted birds for over 60 years. He used to supply them not only to rich families of Tonk and Jaipur but also to the Jama Masjid market in Delhi. The man would oblige those seeking a demonstration from him in the Ghat Gate bazar itself. Sitting on the roadside and inching his way up, he caught a sparrow so skilfully that one could not but applaud.
Sparrows were netted in large number for those fond of chidi pulao. Hundred of birds were needed for the dish that was supposed to be both a delicacy and an aphrodisiac. Early in the morning or late in the evening nets were thrown over trees where the birds came to roost, and the catch sometimes exceeded thousands.
When not using a net, the bahelia used other devices -- a heap of straw or a tree branch to approach the birds at close quarters. Traps were also used, and at night a light to blind the birds which sometimes involved the ringing of a bell to confuse them. The use of glue was also quite common. But more than anything else it was the skill of the bird catcher that helped him to succeed in his daily hunt.
Now few people know how chidi pulao used to taste and many have surely not seen a bahelia. Munna Mian is long dead and his sons no longer practice the family profession. Nobody produces singing birds on the table. And the only bird Delhiwallas eat with relish is the chicken. Titar and bater parties are a thing of the past. But many old timers miss the bahelia stalking the Yamuna bed at night or the wilderness in the day, catching a bird swiftly and putting it away in a bag slung on his shoulder or carried by an assistant. His performance was so deft that even those using an airgun marvelled at the man's hereditary art.
You may still meet a bahelia or two on the northern steps of the Jama Masjid. That's after the evening bazaar when the man may be sitting cup-in-hand gazing wistfully at the birds on dome, minaret, tree or in the dusky sky. But his hunting days are far behind him and the only birds he catches now are parrots and pigeons. But then parrots and pigeons don't sing at the dinner table, do they?
Though the bahelia may be on his way out, the pigeon fancier still flourishes. Matia Mahal, near Jama Masjid, is one of their main haunts. They are also found in Bara Hindu Rao, Daryaganj, Chawri Bazar and Chandni Chowk, besides other localities. Here pigeon-lofts vie with TV antennas on housetops and you can find the sky full of pigeons, morning and evening, wheeling to and fro in military precision. The whistling of their masters below and the whirling of red flags in many hands on the terrace guide them.
The sport gained great popularity in Moghul times and Emperor Akbar owned several thousand birds from Turkey, Afghanistan, Armenia and Iran. He called the sport Ishq-bazi or love-play, for pigeons are great lovers and mostly monogamous, like humans. Now flocks are not so big as feeding and housing them is a problem. But still there's no dearth of pigeon-fanciers who sometimes have contests with those from Agra, Bareilly, Moradabad, Rampur and Lucknow when most engaged in local competition among themselves.
The bahelia helps to supply pigeons to them but most birds are bred at home and are highly prized like the greybund, greybaz and lotan kabootars. Din Badshah used to be a legendary pigeon fancier but now he's no more.
R. V. SMITH
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but never raced.
