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“The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.”
Jim Fowler
It was certainly a day to look forward to!
‘The Urban Reader’ Literary Club and ‘Sadhana’ IT Club cojointly organised an outdoor day trip for the final year DSBA students on 23 Feb’19 to Shukavana [Parrot Park], a rehabilitation centre for birds-in the serene premises of Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashrama, which is on the outskirts of Mysuru.
Apparently, Shuka Vana has made it to the Guinness World Records for housing the largest number of bird species in an aviary which is spread over 1 ½ acres. This remarkable initiative is taken by Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji. He is not only a collector of rare and depriving exotic birds but also a healer who rescues endangered, injured and abandoned birds. There are 2,200 diversity of birds & 468 different species in the aviary. Swamiji has taken a serious resolve to rehabilitate injured birds and Shuka Vana compassionately gives shelter to uncared birds.
All the exuberant final years reached the college premises at 6:30 am on the said date. Prof Hari Krishna, Prof Prakasha, Prof Chaitanya and Prof Meera Krishnan accompanied the students. An air-conditioned bus was organized by Prof Hari Krishna for a comfortable joyful ride. By 7 am, the bus was very much on the state highway to Mysuru. There was a brief stopover at Bidadi, where the students and faculty devoured the famous Thatte Idli. After a satiated breakfast, the group got into the bus. The students shed all inhibitions and enjoyed themselves singing and dancing in turns till the bus reached Mysuru, ‘the City of Palaces’.
At 11 am, the bus reached the premises of Shukavana-a walkthrough aviary. The moment one entered the aviary, one could hear and see squawking, shrieking, chirping birds of every shape, size and plumage. In the cages, there were a riot of colours of a rich collection of rare and exotic birds -Macaws, Amazons, Cockatoos, Conures, Eclectus, and other species. The caretakers were lovingly feeding the birds with cut fruits. Each of the species had a pet name, many of them Indian and what amazed an individual was when the caretaker called out the name, there was a response from the bird.
Truly mind-blowing!! It’s like a mini forest inside the aviary, it’s covered with pigeon net; wherein, the parrots and the parakeets are let loose and they are free to fly. There is a skywalk built really high that is used by the caretakers while they rehabilitate birds. Students were totally enamoured by what they saw -especially the unique bird feeding area.
The other interesting place within the premise is the Kishkinda Moolika Bonsai Garden well-known for its numerous varieties of over 1000 bonsai miniaturized trees. It was established in 1986 and is spread over four acres. It seems Swamiji has structured the garden according to his spiritual beliefs and thus the miniature trees are beautifully placed all across. Inside the garden, there are cobblestoned pathways, Japanese arches, sculptures and the layout of the bonsai trees and plants are intriguing. All the exhibits are properly catalogued and it is so very well maintained. One feels a sense of peace and tranquillity amidst the marvel of nature. For a nature lover, it’s a sight to behold!
After a quick bite, students huddled into the bus again for a trip back to Bengaluru. It was about 6 pm when the bus neared the gates of the institution. The exhausted students thoroughly enjoyed the trip- Learning about the world of parrots and their rehabilitation. The outdoor trip helped in making the students environmentally sensitized and abetted a realization on their responsibilities towards the nature. It was one of a kind ‘educational’ trip!
