On the morning of October 15 every year, Jugal Kishor Jain takes a boat out from the bay right across his Chowpatty residence and stations himself in the water about 2 or 3 kilometres out to sea — a daily ritual he follows for the next six months.
Dangling his legs over the side, he waits patiently for sunrise and the return of his winter companions. A few minutes after sunrise, his little white boat is surrounded by thousands of seagulls and the air is filled with their cries as he slits open packet after packet of gaati (gram flour sticks) and throws it into the water for them to eat. Feeding these birds has been a hobby that has lasted 50 years.
“I love listening to the sound of their voices, it’s like music,” the 65-year-old says, his face breaking into a smile as he looks out over the sea from his 16th floor apartment.
“They come to Bombay between October 15 and March 15 every year and I have always wondered which part of the world they are coming from. I have seen them in many places I have travelled to — Australia, New Zealand, even in America.”
Passion for water sports A successful and wealthy property dealer now, the diminutive Mr. Jain is still incredibly fit and retains a passion for water sports — be it rowing, kayaking or sailing. “I started boating when I was 15 and my family used to live in Walkeshwar. I was just a student then and I didn’t have much money, but I took whatever little food I could afford. I just loved boating and I always had a curiosity about birds.”
These days the feeding of the seagulls is a rather more elaborate ritual. About 40 kg of gaati arrives every morning, specially ordered from a factory so that they don’t contain any spice.
“I feed them to my heart’s wish now,” he says. The timing then, is everything. “About 10 minutes before the sunrise you can see the first gulls flying toward the shore because they understand exactly when it is going to happen.” After feeding the gulls at Chowpatty, Mr. Jain often also drives down to Haji Ali and the Gateway of India to feed the gulls there.
“A strange thing has happened over the years. People think the birds flock around my boat because they can smell the food, but it is actually because they recognise the smell of my body. I’ve taken the boat out sometimes without any food and they still come. They sit calmly around me, just waiting.”
So strong is this association that Mr. Jain says that he sometimes just has to park his car at Haji Ali or the Gateway and a few seagulls will inevitably come and sit around the car.
Able partner A few years ago, Mr. Jain’s wife Usha Devi Jain also picked up boating, sometimes filling in for her husband to feed the birds when he had to travel. At other times, various other members of the family, including his younger brother are co-opted and the family certainly see it now as an annual commitment.
While they are around, the seagulls will always be welcome.
