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23-04-2026
Bureau Report
NEW DELHI: In the heart of India’s capital city New Delhi, a few men are practicing the ancient Mughal tradition of pigeon-rearing, training the birds to navigate long distances, as they preserve a skill passed on for generations.
Every day, among the packed lanes near the Jama Masjid, in the old part of the city and a few kilometers away from its toniest areas, Azhar Udeen, 30, gathers with his younger brother and friends at his terrace, letting more than 120 pigeons of various breeds out of their cages.
The birds are then fed and trained to fly in different formations, and are sometimes raced, as men cheer them on.
“I saw my grandfather doing this when I was a child and after I grew up, I watched and learned from my ustad (teacher)”, Udeen told media.
Kabootarbaazi, as the tradition is known, comes from the Hindi/Urdu word for pigeon and was patronized by the many Mughal kings who ruled in India, when men kept a flock, taught them to fly in formation, and used them as messengers.
Training the birds how to fly straight against the wind and return after covering a long distance takes nearly four months, and involves beating a whip against a hard surface to create loud sounds that will scare the birds into flying farther out, the trainers said.
For many, the rooftop gatherings are as important as the flying itself. Practitioner’s describe kabootarbaazi as a stress reliever that creates a pocket of calm and community in a crowded city.
“We sit with our friends and students, and all the tensions from our work or homes, all of it disappears and that’s what the main intention behind pigeon keeping is,” Kahlifa Mohsin, another pigeon-keeper, said.
“We sit with our friends and students and all the tensions from our work or homes, all of it disappears and that’s what the main intention behind pigeon keeping is,” explained Khalifa Mohsin, another dedicated pigeon keeper.
Training these birds to fly directly against the wind and return from long distances requires nearly four months of dedicated work. The process involves creating loud noises by striking a whip against hard surfaces, frightening the birds into flying farther away, according to the trainers.
For many practitioners, the rooftop gatherings hold as much significance as the flying itself. They describe kabootarbaazi as a therapeutic practice that creates a sanctuary of peace and fellowship amid the city’s chaos.
The Mughal tradition of pigeon-rearing, known as Kabootarbaazi, is an ancient practice, heavily patronized by Mughal royalty, involving the meticulous breeding and training of pigeons for formation flying and messengers. It focuses on training birds to fly in formation and return over long distances, often through a dedicated four-month training process.
The Art of Training: Trainers, known as ustads or khalifas, train birds to fly in specific formations and to fly directly against the wind.
Significance of Sound: A whip is struck against a hard surface to create loud noises that scare the birds into flying further out, training them for endurance and navigation.
Community and Therapy: Primarily practiced on rooftops in old cities (e.g., Delhi), this practice serves as a peaceful escape and a social gathering for keepers.
Role in History: Originally used to display royalty’s prowess, pigeons were trained as, among other things, message carriers.
Enduring Tradition: The practice persists in old parts of Delhi, India, where keepers maintain the tradition’s dedication and social elements.
