Cattle Call
– Shivanyah Ghai, 22, CEO Xpressions Salon
There are parts in India where animals are not only exploited but harmed mercilessly since they are mute spectators and are incapable of raising their voice against these cruelties! One cannot even imagine the condition of these poor cattle who were handed over to Dhyan Foundation by the BSF in Kolkata, they were suffering from foot and mouth disease, some have pneumonia and were in a very weak state, they were tortured to such an extent that now they are scared of anyone touching them also. However, they are now safe and being taken care of.
Flights of Fancy
– Aishwarya Vijaywargi, 20, Jewellery Design Student
I am an active participant of Dhyan Foundation’s Befriend a Bird programme. Staring from my terrace in Hyderabad to gardens in NIPER, Mohali, to balconies of Delhi and Chennai, we regularly put food out for birds (pigeons, parrots, peacocks…). However, with the temperatures soaring just food is not enough. Water bowls in varying sizes need to be placed. Here’s a tip to follow: try putting the water bowls in an area which receives shade, otherwise the water in the bowl will begin to boil under the sun.
A Dog’s Life
– Chiranthan Chinchalkar, 17, student
I live in Kochi. My friend was on his way to my place from his, on the way he saw a dog lying without movement then he immediately called us. Then my brother and I went to check. When we reached the spot we realised that the dog was paralysed and called Ushma ji (animal rescue volunteer with Dhyan Foundation). The weather was fine; there were no heavy rains in that area till then. We waited for around an hour for Ushma ji to reach. When she came, with her help we put the dog into the auto and we left for home. I went in the auto along with Ushma ji and my brother stayed back in the same area for a while, to return by bus.
The experience is that, till Ushma ji came there were no rains, the moment we started carrying the dog into the auto, it started drizzling and the moment we left it immediately started raining heavily (heavy rain). Then after sometime my brother who had stayed back there told that the water level had risen quite a lot in the area where the paralysed dog had been sleeping.
It was as if the rain waited for us to complete our rescue operation. Otherwise the paralysed dog would have drowned in the water.
Monkeying Around
– Tushar Sharma, 34, working professional
Ram Lal, Pinky, Chattan, Langra, Mukhiya, Jeera, Laddu, the list is endless… meet my friends from the central reserve forest ridge area. They come in all shapes and sizes and quirky personalities, the rhesus macaques who call this area their home. When not waiting patiently by the water pots (or inside them), then sitting on high branches, or hiding in thick bushes, escaping the blistering heat, waiting for that familiar voice… “Aao re, paani” … and suddenly battalions of monkeys come charging down kikar trees or from behind thick bushes, no less than a war scene, calling each other in excitement. The water man (myself) cleans the vessels, while an excited bunch (anything from a few to around 50) gathers around the vessels in anticipation.
Newborns clinching onto their mummies, staring at you with pristine blue eyes, or an over-enthusiastic adolescent pulling your jeans trying to bribe you with his/her cuteness, another six to seven wrestling on the car to gain a good vantage point and polishing their climbing skills, it is quite an ‘active’ scenario.
Just as water starts pouring, all hell breaks loose! Twenty monkeys drinking from one vessel, the vessel no longer visible, a first floor of monkeys perched on top of the ground floor, trying to take a sip. And then the family of cows, and the fearless piglets, and the very shy jackals, and the birds, and the little wasps, all vying to get a sip of water, in no particular order. Yes, there can be disagreements about who gets a sip first, but then I’m there to mediate, like this morning Kaana (an alpha rhesus) had to wait for Chutki (the yellow wasp) to drink first or she’d sting him bad; and to refill should Baba (a 7ft indigenous Indian bull) or one of his off-springs decide to gulp down 20 litres of water in one go while breathing in your face.
But it’s all worth it. Every moment of it! You feel humbled and at the same time overwhelmed with this amazing opportunity to serve these innocent beings, and the love they shower upon you. So what if they chew the wiper off, or the water jet, or paint the car with exquisite handiwork, it’s all pardoned. They’re family after all.
How a simple act of filling water for animals can be so rewarding, can’t be explained in words. So I suggest, grab some empty cans, place some earthen pots in areas frequented by animals, even your balcony or garden, and be ready to get amazed. All beings understand the language of kindness, and in return love you unconditionally.
Download the Dhyan Foundation – Sanatan Kriya App for Android here and for iOS here.
