COIMBATORE: Residents of Thimmarayanpalayam village near Sirumugai on Wednesday performed final rites of a Brahminy kite (Haliastur indus) similar to the rituals performed for humans, hoping it would bring rain. Call it coincidence or an answer to their beliefs, the skies opened up after the raptor bird was cremated.
According to sources, the bird was found dead in the farm land owned by retired teacher Mariyamma on Wednesday. Fearing it to be a bad omen that could cause poor rainfall, the villagers decided to perform final rituals for the bird in the traditional manner as has been their practice for several generations. Villagers bathed the red-backed sea-eagle and tied it in a bier covered in white cloth.
Sandal paste and kumkum were applied to the bird and garlands were put around its neck. Scores of men and women from nearby villages, including Thimmaranpalayam, Iluppapalayam, Govindanur and KGN Nagar took part in funeral procession chanting ‘Rama’ and ‘Govinda’ all the way to the burial ground near the Bhavani river. The kite was cremated and the ashes were immersed in the river. After a prayer seeking rains, they left the place.
GS Rangaraj, councillor of Sirumugai Town Panchayat ward 4, said that they believe it would rain whenever a kite flies in the sky. “The bird was found dead in my sister Mariyamma’s field which is near my home on Wednesday. After consultation with village elders, we decided to perform final rituals to get rain. Soon after performing final rituals, our villages got rainfall on Thursday,” he said. “We had performed similar rituals for another bird a decade ago. At that time we collected money and provided Annadhanam to the tribal people. We found the carcass on Wednesday but we suspect the bird died a few days ago,” he added.
S Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulgam, told TNIE that Brahminy kites live close to water bodies but currently the birds are facing severe food crisis due to contamination of water bodies. “The efforts the villagers put in to perform final rituals should also be replicated to check the cause of the bird’s death. This is the need of the hour to protect such species. The difference between a kite and vulture is that kite hunts its prey whereas vulture feeds on carrion,” he said.