BENGALURU: Valli is part of an extended family of over 20 members, who have arrived in Bengaluru from Salem, Tamil Nadu, with their drove of 17 donkeys. They are going door-to-door in an effort to sell donkey’s milk to people. They milk the donkeys in front of customers, and sell it for Rs 50 per paladai (a cup-like feeding vessel for babies). The family earns around Rs 800-Rs 1,000 every day.
Valli (20) says this is how they earn a living. They travel across Tamil Nadu, and Bengaluru and Mysuru in Karnataka, to sell the milk. Only five to six of their donkeys can produce milk. “Each donkey cannot produce more than 250 to 350 ml of milk. We milk them between 6 am and 8 am at the doorsteps of customers. We do not milk them after 8 am or store the milk. If anyone asks for milk post 8 am, we fix up an appointment with them the next day and sell the milk,” she says.
The joint family, consisting of five families, stayed in Mysuru for a month. “We came to Ramanagara and then reached Kengeri. We will be travelling to different localities in Bengaluru for about a month and a half.” They would travel to Nagarbhavi, JP Nagar and Uttarahalli, camping at each place for a couple of days, before reaching Hosur and heading back to Tamil Nadu.
They stay in the open with their donkeys. They walk most distances or take lorries to reach their destinations. “We come to Karnataka every year, mostly during the winter. We travel when it’s not raining. So, we cover Tamil Nadu for most of the year,” she says.
Donkey’s milk is popular in Tamil Nadu, where many hold the age-old belief that it boosts immunity and gives clarity of voice to newborns. Valli says, “The donkey milk is good for cold, cough, jaundice, headache, stomach or muscle pain, digestion and improves immunity and blood circulation. It can be given to anyone, from a 15-day-old infant to seniors.” She adds that a minimum of three paladais should be consumed raw. “It should not be boiled or added with sugar,” she says.
They started the business about three-four years ago. “We bought these donkeys from a man at our native place, Ammapet in Salem. We aren’t sure how old are they.” She says people in Bengaluru are curious to know more about donkey’s milk. “The Tamilians here get easily convinced, especially if there is an elderly person in the house. Some enquire about the milk and ask us to come the next day,” she says. Her uncle, Dorai, and his wife have also joined the business to fund education of their two sons in Salem.
Used for donkey’s years
The father of medicine, Hippocrates, was perhaps the first to write about the benefits of donkey milk. Legend has it that Cleopatra, queen of ancient Egypt, took bath in milk of 700 donkeys to preserve the beauty and youth of her skin. The first scientific consideration was given to donkey milk only in the Renaissance era. French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc mentioned its benefits in his Histoire naturelle. Napoleon’s sister, Pauline Bonaparte, is also said to have used donkey milk for skincare. The milk is thought to improve immunity and help people with asthma, eczema or psoriasis.
Not popular in India
Donkeys are domesticated in Italy, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. But no study on donkey’s milk can be found in India, says dietitian Sheela Krishnaswamy. Another city-based dietitian, Ryan Fernando, also says that donkey milk is popular in Egypt, but not in India. “We ask our clients to try goat or sometimes donkey milk if they are lactose intolerant and want to consume ‘something white,’ as some believe that the child will otherwise have stunted growth. It has less fat than cow milk,” Fernando says, adding that any milk has nutritional value, which can also be obtained from fruits and other foods.