Hundreds of denizens of Chittoor town, who performed the ‘Shraddha Karma’ to mark the conclusion of ‘Pitrupaksha’ of the Mahalaya Amavasya period on Tuesday, were a worried lot, as they could not find a single crow responding to their invitational shouts of ‘kah kah’ to receive offerings meant to please the souls of their forefathers.
People of Chittoor, like any other growing urban entity, have felt from time to time that crows are also heading to meet the fate of house-sparrows sooner or later, the particular occasion of presenting offerings to the forlorn souls has made them consider the importance of crow, the vehicle of Lord Shani Deva.
Till five years ago, crows used to flock at residential localities from dawn to dusk before returning to their nests atop trees in various corners and on school campuses. Now, the trees are still there, but the nests of crows are missing. Once in a while, a bird or two would be seen perching on the power or cable lines.
Under these conditions, the Shraddha Karma performers had launched a frantic search for crows, even reaching out to parks.
Some households prompted children to detect the distant cawing sounds and place the offerings nearer to them, but most attempts failed. Several households satisfied themselves by making offerings meant for crows to cattle prowling in the streets.
Though the households finished the rituals as suggested by priests, they felt sorry for the plight of the disappearing crows.
Saradamma, a 75-year-old vendor, lamented that she did not find a single crow to receive the offering meant for her husband’s soul, recalling the old days when hundreds of crows stormed the markets in the town.
