Where in Bengal peacocks reign? Visit our very own Mayur Mahal
Remember that scene from Feluda movie Sonar Kella? Where peacocks reigned? Peacock, the National Bird as pompously explained by Jatayu in his comical flair and the peacocks that frightened away the impostor Dr Hazra. If you are fascinated by the beauty of India’s national bird, then you do not need to travel to North India. You have your very own Mayur Mahal right here in Bengal.
About 7-8km from Chinsurah, off Delhi Road lies a small hamlet called Rajhat. This is where one gets to find Bengal’s Mayur Mahal. Dozens of peacocks have found a home in Rajhat and neighbouring villages of Choutara, Gandhigram and Saheb Bagan. What is encouraging is that locals have joined hands to protect these birds from getting poached and killed for their plume. In absence of any help from the authorities, villagers of the area have come together to regularly feed these birds and keep the flocks alive and healthy.
If you visit the area, you will be surprised to find how these beautiful birds respond to the locals just like pets. The unique communication happens through whistling. In the mornings, locals feed these birds and call them through myriad whistling techniques. They spread grains under trees and from every nook and corner, one gets to see waves of plumes coming out in a colourful splendour. Locals have tried hard in their own way to protect these birds that have on and off lost their habitats due to human intervention.
This region off Chinsurah can be turned into a sanctuary for peacocks and can be a spot of tourist interest too. The place where the peacocks in this region live is also very picturesque, due to the flowing Kunti river behind Rajhat gram panchayat and an equally beautiful stream of Saraswati flowing through neighbouring Debanandapur. It is in this region between the two rivers where the peacocks thrive. The region also has many mango orchards and bamboo forests. These are ideal places for peacocks to live, as they feed primarily on fruits.
The place has a huge potential to be the next tourist destination. However, villagers complain that stray dogs at night hunt down the peacocks and even they are dying due to excessive heat and rains. As peacocks cannot fly to a great height and cannot run also very fast, they become easy prey to stray carnivores. Hence, it is an absolute necessity to save these birds immediately and build a sanctuary for them in the area. Locals also believe the forest department should hold regular camps to create awareness in the area.
