Tell this to the birds!
Tell this to the birds! Did you feed the cow, the crow and the dog this Makar Sankranti ? Feeding birds and animals, which are not necessarily anyone’s pets but strays as well, has been a centuries-old tradition in our country. On most auspicious occasions, after the gods have been appeased with delicacies, food is offered to a crow, a dog or a cow before the worshippers themselves take the first bite. While the cows are revered as gaumata (cow-mother), crows are believed to be our link with our ancestors and dogs are said to help foil the ill-designs of some celestial bodies. How these creatures manage to accomplish this superhuman and supernatural task, is beyond my comprehension, so I would give that a miss. To feed a dog or a cow you leave the food at a spot which you feel the animal is likely to visit, eat, be happy and in exchange for the morsels, put up an application to the gatekeepers of heaven to secure your entry. My concern is about feeding the birds. Don’t get ...