Ancient Mughal pigeon-rearing tradition lives on in New Delhi
Delhi keeps Mughal pigeon-rearing heritage alive near Jama Masjid
Kabootarbaazi, derived from the Hindi-Urdu word for pigeon, dates back to the Mughal era when rulers kept flocks, trained them to fly in formation and used them as messengers
Reuters
Published 21.04.26, 02:56 PM
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Mohammed Rashid, alias "Rambo", a kabootarbaaz (pigeon keeper) feeds his pigeons as he trains them, on the rooftop of a restaurant in the old quarters of Delhi, India, January 24, 2026. (Reuters pictures)
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In the heart of India's capital city New Delhi, a few men are practising the ancient Mughal tradition of pigeon-rearing, training the birds to navigate long distances, as they preserve a skill passed on for generations.
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Kabootarbaaz (pigeon keepers) and spectators watch pigeons in flight, as the flocks are tested for distance and their ability to return against the wind, as part of pigeon flying competitions, which according to the keepers, are held annually, in the old quarters of Delhi.
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Pigeons fly over the rooftops of buildings in the old quarters of Delhi.
Every day, among the packed lanes near the Jama Masjid, in the old part of the city and a few kilometers away from its toniest areas, Azhar Udeen, 30, gathers with his younger brother and friends at his terrace, letting more than 120 pigeons of various breeds out of their cages.
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Azhar Udeen, 30, a kabootarbaaz (pigeon keeper) covers his terrace with a net before he lets out his new flock of pigeons to train and familiarise them with their new home, in the old quarters of Delhi.
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A pigeon sits on a rooftop in the old quarters of Delhi.
The birds are then fed and trained to fly in different formations, and are sometimes raced, as men cheer them on.
"I saw my grandfather doing this when I was a child, and after I grew up, I watched and learned from my ustad (teacher)", Udeen told Reuters.
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Azhar Udeen, 30, a kabootarbaaz (pigeon keeper) prepares a mixture of pearl millets to feed his pigeons at his home, in the old quarters of Delhi.
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A kabootarbaaz (pigeon keeper) scares away pigeons as he trains them on a rooftop of a restaurant, in the old quarters of Delhi.
Kabootarbaazi, as the tradition is known, comes from the Hindi/Urdu word for pigeon, and was patronised by the many Mughal kings who ruled in India, when men kept a flock, taught them to fly in formation, and used them as messengers.
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A kabootarbaaz (pigeon keeper) sits under a net as he feeds and trains his pigeons, in Delhi.
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Mohammad Fizaan, a kabootarbaaz (pigeon keeper) scares away his pigeons, in Delhi.
Training the birds how to fly straight against the wind and return after covering a long distance takes nearly four months, and involves beating a whip against a hard surface to create loud sounds that will scare the birds into flying farther out, the trainers said.
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Abdul Wahid, a kabootarbaaz (pigeon keeper), looks up while searching for pigeons flying overhead, in Delhi.
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Kabootarbaaz (pigeon keepers) and spectators celebrate as their pigeons come back after covering a long distance, as the flocks are tested for distance and their ability to return against the wind, as part of pigeon flying competitions, which according to the keepers, are held annually, in the old quarters of Delhi.
For many, the rooftop gatherings are as important as the flying itself. Practitioners describe kabootarbaazi as a stress reliever that creates a pocket of calm and community in a crowded city.
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Mohammed Rashid, alias "Rambo", a kabootarbaaz (pigeon keeper) trains his pigeons, in Delhi.
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Azhar Udeen, 30, a kabootarbaaz (pigeon keeper), shows a pigeon marked with pink colouring on its feathers to differentiate it from other flocks, on the rooftop of his house in the old quarters of Delhi.
"We sit with our friends and students, and all the tensions from our work or homes, all of it disappears and that’s what the main intention behind pigeon keeping is," Kahlifa Mohsin, another pigeon-keeper, said.
Tuesday, 21 April 2026
