Arrival Of Migratory Birds Adds Charm To Ganga's Ghats In Varanasi

Varanasi: As winter blankets the holy city of Varanasi, the ghats along the River Ganga come alive with the arrival of migratory birds that travel thousands of miles to spend the winter months here.

For tourists, the sight of these migratory birds soaring over the Ganga is nothing short of mesmerising. "The beauty of the ghats is being enhanced by these birds. With the onset of winter, birds arrive with the rising sun and people from far and wide, including foreigners, come to feed them. They also click all kinds of photos. They take boat rides as well," said Dolly Chakravarthy, Social Worker
 

Boatmen ferrying tourists eager to see the avian guests up close are experts at calling the birds.

Salman Sheikh, a Boatman said: "These are Siberian birds, they only arrive in winter. They come here for 2-3 months, and after that, they go back. These birds are called "aao,aao" (come), and then they come. They are fed with grains of sev (a savoury snack). We take the boat to the centre and then stop the boat. After stopping the boat, we call the birds, saying "aao...aao...aao," then they come, and we offer them grains."

"These Siberian birds, which come from Australia, start arriving when the winter begins. The colder it gets, the number of birds increases. Every morning, we feed these Siberian birds with bits of sev. They are quite captivating, and many tourists come to Varanasi just to feed these foreign birds. In the morning, after watching the sunrise, they feed the birds," added Sunil Upadhyay, a boatman.

Tourists visiting the ghats buy grains and other food items to feed the birds, hoping to attract them and click memorable pictures. Boatmen say this also creates an additional source of income for vendors along the ghats.