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N. Shiva Kumar

Come winter and thousands of cranes home their way to a tiny village in Rajasthan, that plays ideal host to them. N. Shiva Kumar on the unique experience.

A few days' off were reason enough to hit the road to Rajasthan to see yet another attractive locale. We packed up for a four-day trip to Keechan, a small non-descriptive hamlet, located in the remote and bleak terrain of western Rajasthan. The quest for a quiet spot meant taking the road less travelled. We travelled past well-known tourist destinations such as Jhunjhunu, Bikaner and made it to Keechan, almost 700 km from Delhi, via the National Highway 11 and 15.

No words can authentically describe the pleasure of carefree-driving on the desert. The highway is dotted with roadside eateries that offer aromatic tea laced with cardamom and ginger. Our aim was to see the lovely Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropoides virgo), which come in large numbers to this desolate but friendly region. Flocks of Demoiselles of 300 or more birds migrate over 4,000 km mainly to India, while a lesser number travel to North-East Africa.

While cranes prefer to fly at much lower altitudes, some batches of Demoiselles must reach altitudes of 20,000 ft, as they negotiate the high Himalayan mountain passes on their way to wintering areas in the Indian sub-continent.

When we reached the specific spot in the evening (in the last week of October), there were hundreds of birds flying over the tiny village of Keechan near Phalodi. As the yellow orb of the sun sank behind the nearby sand dunes, the crane calls filled the air. Circling in clusters and family groups, the cranes were seemingly calling it a day and were retiring to the surrounding pastures in the countryside.

ome of them settled on the outskirts of the village on the peripheries of small lakes. Vowed to be up and about early the next day morning to observe the beautiful big birds display their drama.

At crack of dawn, thousands of dainty Demoiselle cranes were winging their way to a specially constructed enclosure within the Keechan village. Several were patiently waiting on the nearby sand dunes, while a few stood in the vicinity of the enclosure awaiting their turn to feed on the grain spread out by the villagers.

The first group of cranes were picking up the grain in frenzy when an unruly group of Blue Rock pigeons joined the Demoiselle Cranes for a feast.

As the large golden sun climbed up from behind the sand dunes, an unimaginable and unbelievable sight unfold before us. Promptly the designated enclosure was quickly filled up with hundreds of Demoiselle Cranes constantly calling loudly to each other. The villagers spread sorghum (Jowhar) out, twice a day. While the afternoon meal is distributed in the late morning, the early morning meal is disbursed on the previous evening for the cranes to relish.

An astounding 500-kg of grain for the winged visitors from distant lands is scattered every day and all of it is paid for by monetary donations from local people and visitors. Two small organisations operated by the local villagers for protecting the cranes are effectively conducting the vital job of nature conservation. The villagers fiercely oppose any intrusion and have successfully warded off two enthusiastic hotel-ventures that were to come up close to Keechan. Even some unauthorised constructions have been forcefully removed near the communal feeding enclosure to give easy passage to the cranes.

The adult Demoiselle Crane stands between 70-80 cm high donning smooth, light grey body feathers. A stately elegance in its walk and an attractive contour adds to the overall effect. Locally they are called Koorjas and have been part of the traditional folklore, even today mentioned in the harvest songs sung by the villagers of Keechan and surrounding hamlets.

Not very long ago, the Demoiselle Cranes were common in the Deccan region of Andhra Pradesh, parts of Maharastra and even in Karnataka.

In recent years, they are concentrating on the dry regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan. As the smallest of the 15 species of cranes found worldwide, the Demoiselle is docile and easily domesticated. Its close relationship with human beings has helped it to thrive in large numbers at Keechan. We witnessed 4,000 Demoiselle Cranes encircling the village precincts without any fear and at the same time keeping their distance from the natives.

Keechan, a sleepy small village, is a peaceful location about four km off the main highway from the nondescript town of Phalodi. Phalodi is equidistant from the famous tourist destinations such as Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

The village is set amidst a series of sand dunes that offer a stunning desert panorama, especially during sunup and sundown. Keechan also has some very old havelis. The tiny village has now acquired an international status in the ornithological circles because of the Demoiselle Cranes.

Demoiselles are the second most numerous cranes with an estimated population of about 2,30,000 worldwide. The year 2001 was probably the most difficult to deal with, as the dainty Demoiselle Cranes had to negotiate the war-ravaged Afghanistan. Despite the deafening sounds of aircrafts and the explosions of bombs unleashed by the Americans on the flight path over Afghanistan, the cranes seem to have made it in large numbers to their favourite place — Keechan.

There are also reports about flocks of 20-50 Demoiselle Cranes being sighted in parts of Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. But the largest congregation is at this tiny hamlet of Keechan in Rajasthan. Miles and miles of flat land with scattered scrub, sand dunes with sparse vegetation make Keechan attractive to the visiting cranes. By the end of March, it is time for the Demoiselle Cranes to bid goodbye and return to their homeland.

Picture by the author

Fact file

How to get there

By air: The nearest airport is about 165 km away in the desert town of Jaisalmer.

By rail: The nearest railhead is seven km away at Phalodi, which is on the broadgauge railway line that connects Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.

By road: Keechan/Phalodi is about 140 km from Jodhpur, 165 km from Jaisalmer and 150 km from Bikaner. Tthere are regular buses crisscrossing through this area during the daytime.

Where to stay: While Keechan has no hotels, Phalodi has a few small and comfortable hotels.

When to visit: Any time from the first week of October to the last week of April.

Tips: Bring along a pair of binoculars and get your own stock of film. While the days seem deceptively pleasant and comfortable, nights can be pretty cold in winter. Paucity of public transport is telling and it is better to have your vehicle.

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