On New Delhi's rooftops, pigeon trainers keep ancient Mughal tradition alive

In the heart of India's capital, a handful of men are keeping alive the ancient Mughal tradition of pigeon-rearing, training birds to navigate long distances and passing the skill on to the next generation. 

Kabootarbaazi, as the tradition is known, comes from the Hindi and Urdu word for pigeon. It was patronised by Mughal kings who ruled India, when men kept flocks, taught them to fly in formation and used them as messengers. 

Flocks of pigeons soar across New Delhi's skyline at the call of their keepers, who guide them through dense neighbourhoods and bustling markets with patience and precision.

“I used to see my grandfather do it and I have been interested ever since. Now I have my master, Ustad Akhtar, whom I watch and learn from," said pigeon keeper Azharudeen Khan.

Training the birds takes nearly four months, the trainers said. It involves beating a whip against a hard surface — the loud sounds scaring the birds into flying farther out — before they learn to fly straight against the wind and return over long distances.

Despite rapid urbanisation, pigeons circling above New Delhi's rooftops remain a constant — and for the men who keep them, the tradition is deeply personal.

“Pigeon-rearing is a passion. Just like you love someone, I love doing this,” Khan said.

-Bhawika Chhabra, Tarun Kumar, Sunil Kataria/Reuters