Kokkare Bellur

Driving in from Karnataka‟s Bheemeshwari, we have a tendency to passed villages with stands of

mulberry and silkworm farms, interspersed with lush fields of rice and sugarcane.

This district is termed „The Land of Sugar‟ then, at first, we have a tendency to thought that activists

were provocative either for or against the value of cane. It had a „rent-a-crowd‟

quality concerning it As we have a tendency to got nearer, however, the collective sound sliced itself into cheeps, squawks and guttural honks. Then we have a tendency to noticed them: soaring, swooping, dots in the sky, circling and landing and rising around a spot hidden during a mass of trees.

We‟ve seen this happening on top of landfills around major cities however there have been no urban centres during this inexperienced and extremely rural region. Our guide aforesaid “We‟re returning

to Kokkare Bellur”

The name of the village captures its individuation. Kokkare Bellur, in step with one of the numerous interpretations given to U.S. later, might mean The Place of the Water Birds. That‟s terribly apt. To our delight, we have a tendency to discovered that this lovely very little village was home to an improbable host of nesting pelicans and storks, cormorants, herons and even a try of black wading bird although there might need been more of those sacred waders on the outer fringes of the village. . All the birds had built vast untidy nests on the trees shading the cottages. Most of the nests carried crèches of shrieking chicks, additional strict than the most effective skilled agitators.

Yet, in spite of the vertebrate cacophony, the individuals of the village appeared unperturbed. A young man cycled past carrying an extended fishing pole, a homemaker spread grain to dry then lined it with a internet, a grownup browse a newspaper on his porch, a furred gray cat lay curled on a chair, all its ends tucked in contentedly. Clearly, they'd got wont to the all-pervasive choral, the faint fishy-phosphorus odour, and also the constant splatter of detritus from the flocks on the trees on top of them We picked a drizzle-free spot and actor up next to alittle, fenced off, grove. Inside, there have been stone benches and tables stippled with bird-lime, and two hut-sized piles of straw on that pelicans waddled like fat counsellors, and leggy storks stood relating to U.S. with cold curiosity

It was a most uncommon place during a most extraordinary village. As we have a tendency to were wanting over the fence, a grizzle haired man walked up and introduced himself to U.S. as Linge Gowda. He said, during a soft and extremely matter-of-fact manner, that this enclosure was associate degree health facility for abandoned fledglings.

He opened the gate and that we followed him in with 3 boys trailing behind. One of the boys picked up a fish from a metal bowl and threw it to a pelecaniform seabird. It caught it dextrously in its ungainly beak then, on second thoughts, dropped it.

“Not fresh” explained Linge Gowda. “It incorporates a broken wing thus it cannot forage for itself, however still it chuck solely recent fish!” He seen another bird, blind in one eye.

“When they're work they fly away however, for a few time, they come here. Then, when

they build their own nests in our village, they are doing not raise to be fed”

The differently-enabled pelicans plastered themselves. .

Gowda aforesaid he was a farmer. “The birds ar like our children” he explained. “My people prayed at the temple of Bhairaveshwari, gave a present to the idol and asked

for the birds to be sent to our trees. The birds arrived.”

“Why did they raise the birds?” we have a tendency to queried. “Do the birds keep your fields free

from pests?”

He cask his head. “No. Nothing like that.” Then he other, “It is claimed that long

ago, a eu visited our village and aforesaid that the birds were gift even

then. In 1914 – 1917, once an outbreak smitten the village, the individuals abstracted.

The birds followed. once our individuals came, thus did the birds”

That was odd. What did the birds pay to the village for sheltering and

feeding them? What was the dependent relationship during this intriguing place?

In Malaya we have a tendency to had detected apertures within the walls of recent concrete structures.

They had been created to encourage swifts to make their saliva-bound nests. Birds‟ Nest soup may be a delicacy. Then, in Egypt we have a tendency to had seen conic, towers honey-combed with holes. These were wild-pigeon farms wherever fledgling squabs were by selection harvested for his or her apparently rejuvenating flesh. however the pelicans and their fellow residents were, clearly, not being harvested by the individuals of Kokkare Bellur. Possibly, then, they vie a socio-spiritual role. In Medieval,

Christian, traditional knowledge the pelecaniform seabird was thought to be a logo of Jesus. Its ability to regurgitate food for its chicks was misinterpreted as its unselfish passion to

nurture its issue on its own blood.

A memory of what we have a tendency to had seen in Asian nation, surfaced. There, we have a tendency to had detected very littl holes let into the walls of village huts. These had been created for sparrows. The rural folks of Asian nation believed that after they died, sparrows would carry their souls up to heaven. People, living near nature, had found a reason to respect the intricate internet of life. might this natural sensitivity make a case for the surprise of Kokkare Bellur? Linge Gowda, however, didn't elaborate. He bimanual U.S. a well made pamphlet created by the Mysore Amateur Naturalists. It said We depend entirely on the generosity of individuals such as you to sustain

our project. .. we've to get giant quantities of fish, every day,

during the breeding season, to feed the orphan chicks…”

We offered him a donation. He smiled and cask his head. “No, we have a tendency to don‟t wish to

take cash from guests. once cash enters, bother starts!”

Possibly. Or, perhaps, they accepted the previous folks belief that smart deeds earn cumulative social advantages if they're not rewarded in money. regardless of the reason, it definitely appeared enough to cause a blatant collective cacophony within the crowded groves of Kokkare Bellur.