Khichan
Encyclopedia
Khichan is a village
in the Jodhpur district
of the India
n state of Rajasthan
that in recent years has established a tradition of feeding wild birds, including Demoiselle Crane
s that winter here every year. Up to 5000 kilograms (11,023.1 lb) of bird seed are consumed every day by the feeding birds.
Khichan village now hosts over 9,000 Demoiselle Cranes from as early as August each year to as late as March of the following year. The village, which has become popular among bird watchers, achieved international recognition when it was featured in Birding World magazine in an article titled, “Khichan - the Demoiselle Crane village."
city. The nearest town is Phalodi
, which is 4.5 km away.. Phalodi is a railway station on the Broad Gauge line and connects all important towns in Rajasthan. Phalodi Railway station lies on the Broad Gauge
line of the Delhi
- Jaisalmer
and Bikaner - Jaisalmer train route. There are three trains from Jodhpur
and three from Jaisalmer. A direct train also runs from Delhi.
Jodhpur
is the nearest airport and from there the village is well connected by road (139 km). Bikaner(156 Km. towards north), Nagaur
(145 Km in east) and Jaisalmer (165 Km in west) are also connected to the village. The Pakistan
Border is about 100 km away. National Highway No.15 skirts towards Phalodi.
of the village started offering grains to birds every morning. This attracted a large number of Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropides virgo), locally called ‘kurjas’, to the town. These are found in 47 countries and are the smallest and the second most abundant of the world’s crane species. The breeding grounds of these birds are reported to be from the plains and steppes of Eurasia
and Mongolia
. During migration, which is long and arduous (many are reported to perish due to hunger, fatigue and attack by predators), the cranes fly with their head and neck straight and their feet and legs straight behind them and attain heights of 4,875-7,925 m (16,000-26,000 ft). They weigh about 2-3 kg with a height of 89 cm and wing width of 155 -180 cm. Essentially grassland birds, the cranes have plain bluish gray plumage and are omnivores. They mainly feed on plant materials, insects, peanuts, beans and other cereal grains, and small animals. But the villagers in this Thar Desert
town adore them for their apparent vegetarian eating habits and for the practice of monogamy. What started initially as a few dozen visiting birds has now become a major migration with over 9000 cranes visiting the village year after year, during the period of August to March, and the number is reported to be increasing. This is attributed to the organised and natural feeding done by the village community, twice a day during the birds entire sojourn to the town in the months of August to March, with November to February being the peak season.
The Cranes fly into specially created rectangular enclosures of 50x60m, at the edge of the village, called locally as chugga ghars, where they have a breakfast session which lasts for about 90 minutes. They are fed in groups, one after the other. Their flights, in the setting of the conventional mansions (some of them are heritage buildings being converted to tourist lodges) of the village, present brilliant photo-ops for the large number of tourists who flock to the village for bird watching. After feeding, the Cranes, in large congregations, are seen at some of the water bodies (ponds) and sand dunes to the north of Khichan. Peacocks are the other dominant birds seen around the Cranes.
The Cranes fly in different directions in small family flocks, in a disciplined order led by the female, followed closely by two young ones with the male forming the rear guard. Again, during mid day, they assemble for a drink, followed by an occasional bath, and a second feed. Acrobatic exhibition of mutual affection between couples is also seen. They roost in far away agriculture fields and return to the same water bodies next day, early in the morning. As per the report of the International Crane Foundation
:
Marwar Crane Foundation (MCF) has also been set up recently, thus recognizing and fully supporting the initial efforts of the villager of their community whose actions of feeding cranes has brought national and international recognition to this village for bird watching. Government of Rajasthan has now recognized this place as tourist site.
has visited Khichan. This foundation is also supporting the efforts of Marwar Crane Foundation in feeding the cranes.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Jodhpur district
Jodhpur district
Jodhpur District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Jodhpur is the administrative headquarters of the district.As of 2011 it is the second most populous district of Rajasthan , after Jaipur.-History:...
of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
that in recent years has established a tradition of feeding wild birds, including Demoiselle Crane
Demoiselle Crane
The Demoiselle Crane, Anthropoides virgo, is a species of crane that breeds in Central Asia and winters in India, with a few found in Cyprus and eastern Turkey as well. The crane annually migrates to Africa and South Asia in winter...
s that winter here every year. Up to 5000 kilograms (11,023.1 lb) of bird seed are consumed every day by the feeding birds.
Khichan village now hosts over 9,000 Demoiselle Cranes from as early as August each year to as late as March of the following year. The village, which has become popular among bird watchers, achieved international recognition when it was featured in Birding World magazine in an article titled, “Khichan - the Demoiselle Crane village."
Access
Khichan (27.135°N 72.415°E) the desert village in Phalodi tehsil is 150 km west of JodhpurJodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
city. The nearest town is Phalodi
Phalodi
Phalodi is a city and a municipality in Jodhpur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated between latitude 27°-06 to 27°-09 north and 72°-20 to 72°-23east. It has an average elevation of 303 metres...
, which is 4.5 km away.. Phalodi is a railway station on the Broad Gauge line and connects all important towns in Rajasthan. Phalodi Railway station lies on the Broad Gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line of the Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
- Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
and Bikaner - Jaisalmer train route. There are three trains from Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
and three from Jaisalmer. A direct train also runs from Delhi.
Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
is the nearest airport and from there the village is well connected by road (139 km). Bikaner(156 Km. towards north), Nagaur
Nagaur
Nagaur is a city in the state of Rajasthan in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Nagaur District. The Nagaur city lies about midway between Jodhpur and Bikaner. It was founded by the Naga Kshatriyas.- History :...
(145 Km in east) and Jaisalmer (165 Km in west) are also connected to the village. The Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
Border is about 100 km away. National Highway No.15 skirts towards Phalodi.
Flocks of the Demoiselle Cranes
Some years ago, a section of local people of Khichan (Mainly: Late Prithvirajji Malu, Late Kishan Lalji Malu, Late Ganeshmalji Malu and Late Ratan Lalji Malu) led by a bird lover belonging to the community of the MarwarisMarwaris
Marwari or Marwadi or Rajasthani people are Indian ethnic group, that inhabit the Rajasthan region of India. Their language Rajasthani is a part of the western group of Indo-Aryan languages....
of the village started offering grains to birds every morning. This attracted a large number of Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropides virgo), locally called ‘kurjas’, to the town. These are found in 47 countries and are the smallest and the second most abundant of the world’s crane species. The breeding grounds of these birds are reported to be from the plains and steppes of Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
and Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. During migration, which is long and arduous (many are reported to perish due to hunger, fatigue and attack by predators), the cranes fly with their head and neck straight and their feet and legs straight behind them and attain heights of 4,875-7,925 m (16,000-26,000 ft). They weigh about 2-3 kg with a height of 89 cm and wing width of 155 -180 cm. Essentially grassland birds, the cranes have plain bluish gray plumage and are omnivores. They mainly feed on plant materials, insects, peanuts, beans and other cereal grains, and small animals. But the villagers in this Thar Desert
Thar Desert
The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
town adore them for their apparent vegetarian eating habits and for the practice of monogamy. What started initially as a few dozen visiting birds has now become a major migration with over 9000 cranes visiting the village year after year, during the period of August to March, and the number is reported to be increasing. This is attributed to the organised and natural feeding done by the village community, twice a day during the birds entire sojourn to the town in the months of August to March, with November to February being the peak season.
Daily routine of Khichan cranes
The Cranes fly in different directions in small family flocks, in a disciplined order led by the female, followed closely by two young ones with the male forming the rear guard. Again, during mid day, they assemble for a drink, followed by an occasional bath, and a second feed. Acrobatic exhibition of mutual affection between couples is also seen. They roost in far away agriculture fields and return to the same water bodies next day, early in the morning. As per the report of the International Crane Foundation
International Crane Foundation
The International Crane Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and conservation of the 15 species of cranes. Founded in 1973, ICF moved to its current headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin, in 1984....
:
All cranes engage in dancing, which includes various behaviors such as bowing, jumping, running, stick or grass tossing, and wing flapping. Dancing can occur at any age and is commonly associated with courtship, however, it is generally believed to be a normal part of motor development for cranes and can serve to thwart aggression, relieve tension, and strengthen the pair bond.
Support community
Monetary donations from local people and visitors are managed by Kuraj Samrakshan Vikas Sansthan,Pakshi Chugha Ghar,Khichan a society established in Khichan for crane protection and care.Marwar Crane Foundation (MCF) has also been set up recently, thus recognizing and fully supporting the initial efforts of the villager of their community whose actions of feeding cranes has brought national and international recognition to this village for bird watching. Government of Rajasthan has now recognized this place as tourist site.
International recognition
A director of the International Crane FoundationInternational Crane Foundation
The International Crane Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and conservation of the 15 species of cranes. Founded in 1973, ICF moved to its current headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin, in 1984....
has visited Khichan. This foundation is also supporting the efforts of Marwar Crane Foundation in feeding the cranes.
See also
- PhalodiPhalodiPhalodi is a city and a municipality in Jodhpur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated between latitude 27°-06 to 27°-09 north and 72°-20 to 72°-23east. It has an average elevation of 303 metres...
- Demoiselle CraneDemoiselle CraneThe Demoiselle Crane, Anthropoides virgo, is a species of crane that breeds in Central Asia and winters in India, with a few found in Cyprus and eastern Turkey as well. The crane annually migrates to Africa and South Asia in winter...
- International Crane FoundationInternational Crane FoundationThe International Crane Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and conservation of the 15 species of cranes. Founded in 1973, ICF moved to its current headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin, in 1984....
- Dhani and villagesDhani and villagesThis article describes the usual characteristics of dhani and villages, particularly as found in Rajasthan.- What is Dhani? : In North-West India, a dhani is the smallest conglomeration of huts. All families living in a Dhani are relatives of each other or at least are of the same caste...