Delhi Rooftop Trainers Keep 400-Year Pigeon Tradition Alive

Every morning on the rooftops of Old Delhi, something magical takes flight. More than 120 pigeons soar above crowded lanes near Jama Masjid, trained by keepers who've inherited a 400-year-old tradition from India's Mughal emperors.

Azhar Udeen, 30, learned kabootarbaazi (the art of pigeon keeping) by watching his grandfather as a child. Now he gathers daily with his brother and friends on his terrace, releasing birds they've spent months training to fly in precise formations and race across the sky.

The training process takes nearly four months of dedicated work. Keepers teach their birds to fly directly against the wind and return from long distances by creating loud noises with whips, encouraging the pigeons to fly farther each time.

Under Mughal rule, this practice flourished as emperors patronized pigeon keepers who maintained flocks and used the birds as messengers. Men would compete to see whose pigeons could fly the farthest and return home most reliably.

Today's keepers mark their birds with colored feathers to identify different flocks during annual competitions. They feed them carefully prepared mixtures of pearl millet and protect new birds with nets until they learn to recognize their home rooftops.

Why This Inspires

For practitioners like Khalifa Mohsin, kabootarbaazi offers something beyond cultural preservation. "We sit with our friends and students, and all the tensions from our work or homes, all of it disappears," he explains. "That's what the main intention behind pigeon keeping is."

These rooftop sanctuaries create pockets of peace amid Delhi's chaos. The keepers pass down not just training techniques but a form of meditation, where watching birds circle overhead becomes therapy.

Just kilometers from New Delhi's affluent neighborhoods, this ancient practice connects modern practitioners to centuries of tradition. Each flight honors the ustads (teachers) who came before, keeping skills alive that might otherwise vanish.

In Old Delhi's bustling heart, these devoted keepers prove that ancient traditions can thrive in modern cities when people care enough to preserve them.