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Peacock Garden in Jaipur
by Lokendra Singh

     Jaipur: Jaipur has a garden of sculpted peacocks, which has been called Mayur Vatika (a peacock garden). It aims at generating public awareness about the need to protect and preserve the National Bird. The gradual urbanisation of Jaipur has caused a reduction in the city's peacock population. The national bird is now mostly seen in photographs only. Visitors are thronging the 'Mayur Vatika' and have welcomed the theme. "The garden is being developed. The children are enjoying it, and the theme is great. Nowadays, we get to see peacocks only in photographs. It is a national bird, and therefore, it requires conservation. It is a good theme," said Neeraj Khandelwal, a visitor.

     Claiming the peacock garden to be the first of its kind in the country, Jaipur Development Authority officials say their only aim is to save the peacock from the ravages of urbanisation. "The aim is to create awareness among the people about the preservation of the national bird peacock," said Bahadur Singh, the Superintendent of Mayur Vatika. The 17 peacock sculptures in the Mayur Vatika have been crafted by local artisans under a project worth rupees 1.5 crore. The garden contains fountains and other specially crafted articles of stone, all procured from the Bharatpur's Bansi Paharpur area, which is the eastern gateway of and to Rajasthan. The Bansi Paharpur mines are famous for its rose pink sandstone. Be it poaching, indiscriminate use of pesticides or laxity in the execution of laws to nab the ones hunting the long winged bird for its feathers, all these reasons have added up to pose a serious threat to peacock's total population. A decade back there were many more peacocks than the ones left today. The special garden's objective is to create awareness among visitors about preserving the peacock, whose killing is prohibited by the Central Government for being the national bird. "The peacock is our national bird. This garden is just to create awareness among people about this bird and preserve its heritage," said N.K. Singhal, Engineer of the State-run Jaipur Development Authority. The garden has seventeen fibreglass statues of peacocks, fixed at vantagepoints to allow visitors watch the birds. Many bird lovers consider the park as a grim reminder of the sorry state of affairs about an all-captivating bird. "It's in the process of being developed. But the children definitely enjoyed the garden. The theme of the park is very good. But, while earlier peacocks used to come till our homes, now they are confined to photographs. If this park can, in anyway, help us conserve our national bird, it will be a good thing," said Neeraj Aggarwal, a visitor. Bird lovers say it is shameful the peacock in India is facing such danger.

     Peacocks are generally killed for commercial purposes and medicinal value. There have also been incidents of farmers trying to get rid of peacocks by poisoning due to fear of the birds destroying their crops. Whereas the environmentalists claim this fear is unfounded as peacocks save the crops by eating insects and reptiles. Though trade of felled feathers is legal in India, environmentalists fear huge demand for its beautiful feathers also leads to poaching and subsequent killing of the birds. The Peacock is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act,1972.However, this has proved ineffective in battling poaching and illegaltrade of their feathers. Decorative items made by peacock feathers are in demand in India, as many people consider their possession as auspicious. Officials also say the high market price of the exotic peacock meat is also responsible for a large number of bird killings.
-Dec 28,  2006

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