As volunteers spread a mix of jowar (millet), corn and green gram on the sand, thousands of them gather in no time. “We do this every single day, come rain or shine. They are like our family,” says Vijay Jain, a businessman from Sowcarpet. He says, “In Rajasthan, it is part of our culture to feed pigeons. Back in 2008, I had come for a walk to the beach with a friend. We started feeding some breadcrumbs to the pigeons, and then, it became a daily ritual. Initially, there were only eight to 10 birds; this slowly grew to a few hundreds, and now, around 15,000 pigeons come here daily.” 

As the number grew, they formed an official group. They also have a room at the beach, where the food is stocked. “We feed 650 kg of jowar and corn along with one kg of green gram every day. We have hired a person to drop these materials directly at the repository and lock it. Some of us have the keys. Whoever comes first, opens the door and starts feeding the birds. We start at sharp 5 am and go on until 7 am,” says Vijay. 

“The funds for this come from donations from well-wishers. We place a donation box on the beach for those two hours when morning walkers can contribute and also leave our contact details on a placard for those interested in making a donation,” he explains. The birds have become like their family, and they sometimes go out of their way to help one that is injured. 

“We have been seeing them for years, and we know if a bird is unwell the minute we look at them. We keep a close watch, and sometimes, when they collapse or are hurt, we take them to the vet for treatment,” says Vijay. Not just birds, they also feed the crows and dogs who come there. “We have special food for the crows that flock in a different place and we buy biscuits for the dogs. We also place a water can for morning walkers,” adds Vijay.