Peshwa-era prestige to fatal rivalries: Pune’s pigeon passion spirals into violence

Pigeon keeping in Pune, a tradition dating back to the Peshwa era, continues to thrive — from old-city terraces to rapidly expanding newer neighbourhoods. With an estimated 1000-plus pigeon keepers in the city, the culture is driven by competitive capturing and by the prestige attached to owning more and pricier birds. Yet, beneath the surface, many fanciers grow guarded when conversations shift to the darker undercurrents — where passion, rivalry, and the entry of criminal elements have, at times, spiralled into violence.

In the third week of March, 19-year-old Rupesh Dhanraj Shinde was beaten to death with a bat over a suspicion that he was stealing domesticated pigeons from a dhabal — a local term for a pigeon loft — in Pune’s Hadapsar. Police arrested four brothers from a family that owned the Dhabal. This was not the first time the fights, disagreements and suspicions of theft had escalated to violence. Cases of thefts of pigeons, fights between people who own pigeons resulting in cases of murder, and attempts to murder have been reported in the past.

In 2022, a 15-year-old boy from Moshi area of Pimpri Chinchwad was murdered with a sharp weapon by a group of his friends over suspicion of stealing pigeons. In 2021, A 28-year-old man was attacked with an axe by his step-brother following a dispute over releasing the pigeons in the coop owned by the latter in Chikhali area of Pimpri Chinchwad. In 2014, a 17-year-old college student from Nigdi was killed by two persons over a dispute about sale of pigeons. In September 2013, a 30-year-old pigeon keeper from Talegaon was killed when he was trying to stop two men from stealing his birds.

Pigeon keeping in Pune, a tradition dating back to the Peshwa era, continues to thrive — from old-city terraces to rapidly expanding newer neighbourhoods. ( Express Photo by Sushant Kulkarni)

Noted historian Pandurang Balkawade said, “The location of today’s Ramanbaug in the heart of the city housed a Kabootarkhana from the Peshwa era and even prior to that. Training of pigeons with homing skills used to be held here. Until as late as 40 years ago there used to be a weekly market of pigeons at Ramanbaug. Later this market shifted to the current location of Vruddheshwar Ghat. Pune has always had dhabals in central city areas of Kasba Peth, Narayan Peth, Shaniwar Peth. And that tradition continued even today. Owners of these dhabals have always competed, rather thrived on competition. It is this competition that sometimes crosses the line.”

Balkawade added, “Flocks are flown at set times, often converging mid-air; in the ensuing mix, one keeper may capture another’s birds and claim it as a win. New additions are familiarised with one’s old flock and new ones soon become part of it. Historical correspondence as old as 250 to 300 years shows that prized pigeons were often exchanged as gifts between Maratha rulers and their Peshwas, reflecting not just the value of these birds but also their role in diplomacy, prestige, and courtly culture. This has given rise to the passion of keeping, training, pigeons in common households and their subsequent competitive culture. Parallels of this existed in places of Delhi, Kolkata and other historic cities.”

Senior Inspector Bhausaheb Patil of Wanawadi police station who probed the latest murder in March said, “We have observed that those who resort to such violence are the ones who keep pigeons because of the price they fetch in the market. Due to the money involved, it escalates into attacks.”

A tenth generation pigeon keeper and breeder, Mohsin Baba Shaikh, 42, is a regular seller at bi-weekly pigeon market of Pune, “Raising pigeons involves raising their families. Which includes everything from constructing their dhabals to choosing the right mates for them.

These birds have specific diets of grains, lentils and some seeds. So those who breed pigeons earn money from selling them and use it for their passions. Breeds of pigeons range from Rs 500 for local breeds to even Rs two lakhs for high endurance homing birds. Pigeons are first familiarised with the boundaries of their home lofts before being trained in homing. None of the traditional keepers do it as their main business, but, for example, I am an AC repairman, others too have their own businesses and jobs. Those who resort to theft and violence are not traditional keepers but new entrants who don’t understand the passion and are in it for money.”

Jawan Basundiwale, 61, who looks after his family business of selling basundi or rabdi, has been a pigeon keeper for the last 45 years. “The right description for this pigeon keeping can be found in the Urdu word Shauk. It’s a hobby or passion that has a flavour of prestige to it. What do you call the likes of us whose interest lies in winning five more birds from the rival’s flock when I already have 80 of my own? We have fixed timings, 6 am and 5 pm when we pigeon keepers fly our flock. It’s true that there are health risks due to its droppings and possibilities of respiratory disorders. We take good care of our pigeons. It’s the stray pigeons that are problematic. There are now WhatsApp groups of pigeon keepers. The entry criminal elements in this is like having criminal elements in any walk of life, they are the exception. These are just some bad apples who have brought a bad name to this passion,” Basundiwale said.