Have you ever held a sparrow?

Years ago, one warm summer afternoon we were called out of our doors with the sound of a soft thud on our porch. Probably something had fallen over our underground tank-top.

And indeed something had. To be precise a living thing- a sparrow. We are still at a lose to guess how it landed there, but it did appear very scared. A cute little thing, it sat cuddled in one place looking around with utter helplessness and shock. When it realised our presence it cuddled up even more.

We were worried if it was hurt. I and my sister were about to check on it when my mother stopped us and warned us against touching the innocent thing for its own good.

My mother has spent her childhood in the countryside of Tamilnadu and witnessed from her own eyes, so she knows. Sparrows are very puritan kinds and never ever forgive being touched by a human (she does not know if they have other species in their taboo list). Once a sparrow is touched by a human it becomes an out-cast in its community and never taken back. In fact (my mother has seen so herself) the rest of the sparrow community pecks the erring bird to its death.

Maybe that is why, as I realise it now, I don't recall even one of the sparrow handlers in zoo and museums ever hold them. They have always entreated them to perch on their balled up fists.

So, have you ever held a sparrow? If so, have you seen it through to the end?
What is your opinion in this regard?

Showers of blessing

It has finally rained here in K.G.F (my home-town) today, after a long period of wait and desperation.

As mid-June to mid-october is the season of monsoon in India, you can understand the relief the birds, animals and people felt on finally receiving a good shower just today through out the entire season this year; that too when all other parts of India, esp. South India and more precisely most of the neighbouring districts received irregular but moderate rainfall. All the while we were thankful for the few light showers we received and prayed for even better in the days to come.

As always several theories abound to explain our predicament. Scientifically they say as the plantation of eucalyptus trees has increased in the past decade in our district, it has upset the water balance which in turn has upset the rain-bearing clouds.

Another theory suggests that the high voltage lines of the newly laid electric gauges for railway dissipates the clouds away.

The local folks even assert that the sporadic digging of borewells to overcome the water shortage has released so much of earth's internal heat that it drives away the clouds to cooler zones where they then fall as rain.

A common apprehension however is that the Almighty is angry by the reckless erring mentality of the folks here, and He is punishing us this way.

I don't know what's the exact reason, or how much weight each theory actually carry... But I truly hope and pray our wait is over and more such rainy days are here to come in K.G.F.

And if you are wondering what or where on earth is this K.G.F, you can wiki or google it out, but do stay tuned for my next blog, for a small glimpse of my home-town through my eyes (and words).