The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
I know its 8:00 AM when I hear them sing. These are the Oriental Magpie Robins, the most musical among the birds I see from my window. These days, this pair seems to be busy courting, for the music is even more pronounced!
The one on the left is the male, clearly identified by its black head and throat. The one on the right is the female, her lighter, greyish, head and throat distinguishing her from her partner. You can see them more clearly here, as seen from another window!
These birds are fairly common across India, and, at one time, were in great demand as cagebirds, due to their melodious voice. Thankfully, they seem to be plentiful these days, across the subcontinent. Here is a closer look at the female....
Incidentally, the Oriental Magpie Robin is the National Bird of Bangladesh! Not really relevant, except that I am reading a book on Bangladesh right now :) Here is the male again, using its vocal chords to full effect!
On another note, this happens to be the first bird Samhith learnt to identify. To begin with, it was quite easy to spot! Second, we saw it wherever we went... and finally, its name sounded so exotic! Years have passed since then, and as today Samhith is sitting down and writing down a bird list (for a long delayed post on Dandeli), I can't help remember that his enthusiasm for birds began with this one!
I live in Mumbai, in a colony lucky enough to still have plenty of trees and open spaces. The best part of living here are the birds I see from my window, every single day. "Birds from my Window" is a series, where I regularly feature photos of birds I see from my home. To see all the posts in this series, click here.
A lovely set. Sometimes a window can provide for such lovely pictures!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mridula! My window is sometimes my best inspiration!
DeleteNice photos, Crisp article. I cannot imagine how eventful surrounding you have got!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dilip Mantri! we are lucky that way :D
DeleteHey! Thanks! I used to see these birds from my window right below yours a few years ago :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I so wish you were still here!
DeleteNice to wake up to these - and even nicer to know Bombay is home to so many birds :)
ReplyDelete