06 May,2010 06:58 AM IST | | C Gangadharan Menon
The village of Morachi Chincholi in Maharashtra gets its name from the 2,000 peacocks who've made it their home Proud as a Peacock Peacocks prefer to graze in isolation. They are very individualistic, and not known to mix well with other domesticated birds or animals.
It's a sight that stands out against a vast, brown landscape, dotted with shrubs. About 225 kms from Mumbai, on the Pune-Ahmednagar Highway, is a lone, green island of tamarind trees.
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But this is not just one of the many oases along Maharashtra's highways.
Under the shade of these trees, over 2,000 peacocks live in harmony, in a village with a population of roughly 2,000 people. An interesting statistic surfaces ufffd one peacock for every villager.
So the story goes ufffd
Four generations ago, a farmer discovered that a pair of peacocks had descended from theu00a0 hills, nearby and made this idyllic village their permanent home.
He grew fond of these pets, kept track of their movements, stumbling upon two observations in the process: every morning and late evening, this pair would graze in the open farmlands, nibbling on wheat, green gram, jowar and spring onions.
More importantly, they took refuge in the dense branches of the lone tamarind tree to protect themselves from the sweltering afternoon sun.
The farmer, a devout follower of Khandoba (incarnation of Shiva, known for his love for peacocks), believed that these feathered visitors were a godsend.
He called a meeting of like-minded farmers under the shade of this tamarind tree, where three important decisions were taken ufffd tamarind trees would be planted so when peacocks breed, their entire flock will be sheltered in the heat, streams must never run dry, save water and dig small waterholes around the village during harsh summers.
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Finally, every farm that cultivates five kilos of grain must produce eight kilos. The surplus three kilos would be kept aside for the peacocks, irrespective of floods or droughts.
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These three tenets have been followed by four generations of farmers. Today, a few hundred tamarind trees in the village provide dense canopies for the peacocks to roost.
Welcome to the party
Morachi Chincholi, whentranslated from Marathi means 'Tamarind trees for peacocks.' In fact, today nobody remembers what the earlier name of the village was!
When we drove down to this village, we expected to see peacocks everywhere, like domesticated ducks.
That's when we were told by local resident Sanjay Navale that their famous residents were wild peacocks who roamed freely in open spaces.
However, at high noon, they rested on tamarind trees and climbed down only after sunset.
When the sun lost its bite, the peacocks descended from tree tops, walking nonchalantly into the farmlands to graze and nibble at the food set aside by the villagers.
We saw them grazing, at an arm's length of farmers working in the field. Watching these magnificent birds descend against the backdrop of the setting sun was priceless.
In these magic hours, sunlight brushed their vibrant plumage, adding a fluid shimmer. Despite their beautiful appearance, these birds possess a loud and coarse mating call.
Savingu00a0the Bird
An organisation called Jai Malhar Krishi Paryatan Kendra has made it easy for nature lovers to witness this amazing act of conservation. They've built a complex on 25 acres of land that promotes agri-tourism.
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Small rustic cottages give urban folk a taste of rustic living. Headed by Maharashtra Krishibhooshan Award Winner Advocate Gorde, this group is serious about responsible tourism.
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This is clearly underlined by the fact that the place is strictly vegetarian and prevents consumption of alcohol.
The approach adopted by Morachi Chincholi's villagers to guard these natural assets is a lesson in wildlife protection.
A bunch of kids took us to meet these peacocks.
While trying to capture a peacock perched on a tamarind tree, the eight year-old girl cautioned me, "Don't get too close, you will frighten them!" I chided myself for forgetting that I had my tele-lens for close-ups.
We didn't spot poachers, known to kill peacocks for their feathers, in the name of souvenirs of Lord Krishna. The network of local sleuths keep track of outsiders and any attempt is thwarted aggressively by villagers.
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The next time, you spot someone buying a peacock feather from the poacher-turned-seller spare a thought that a peacock might have been killed in the process.
If this alarming trend continues it won't be too long before our national bird is phased into extinction. Morachi Chincholi has managed, in its own small way to demonstrate how using local support, can propel preservation.
Contact: info@morachichincholi.com for details on stay at the agri-tourism centre within Morachi Chincholi.
Believe it or not
1. Despite weighing between 4-6 kgs, the male peacock is one of the largest flying birds when the combined length of its train and its large wingspan are considered. It's body measures 90 to 130 cm while it's tail is
5 feet long.
2. The distinctive train is more than 60 percent of the peacock's total body length
3. In Indian mythology, the peacock represents Indra, the god of thunder, rains and war. In south India, it is regarded as a vahana (vehicle) of Muruga.
How to reach
By road: Take the Pune-Ahmednagar highway and turn left at Shikrapur. Proceed Ganegaon village, which is 10 kms from Shikrapur. At Ganegaon, turn left to take an uneven 10 km-long road, to reach Morachi Chincholi. Alternatively, take the Mumbai-Pune Expressway exit at Talegaon, proceed to Chakan, from where you could drive up to Shikrapur.
By rail: Board any Mumbai-Pune passenger train or South/ South-Central bound long distance train, to reach Pune. Drive down to the village taking the Pune-Ahmednagar Highway, thereafter.
