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Without worrying about its significance or lack of it, some time back Balan from Vadakayil, Nelleri, Mavat, Arikkulam, Quilandy in Kozhikode started giving a little rice to crows while having lunch.  Over the years this has increased to about 5 to 8 kilos of rice and curry cooked and served by him everyday specially for the denizens of forest.  And the expense for the endeavour has been met by selling coconut from his land.

Earlier involved with service activities in Adivasi areas, Balan has now withdrawn from such social activities and is concentrating on yogic practices which he learnt at Siddasraman, Vadakara.  Blessed or cursed at birth with sufficient land, he found his relatives turn into enemies after his parents’ death.  Now his kith are the punctual beasts and birds who await the food cooked and served by him at 6.30am and 1pm everyday.

Crows, doves, sparrows, other birds, cats and dogs, squirrels, all are regular visitors to his abode.  In addition, Balan serves the horde of monkeys at the Thamarassery-Wayanad hill pass once a month with payasam.  Another category of recipients is the fish.  He serves payasam and rice for the fish at the Kozhikode Beach once a month.

There is an FCI godown adjacent to his area.  And Balan knew that a good part of the rice stored there turns inedible for human beings and is finally destroyed.  He wrote to the district authorities to sell such rice to him at a nominal rate so that he could go on with his care of animals.  However, he was informed that there is no provision of ‘ration’ for animals.  Now he no longer worries about such possibilities.

Together with rice he cooks curry from bananas or leafy vegetables in his yard.  And the same food that is served to the animals is the food taken by him twice a day.

Courtesy: Jose K.Vayalil (text), James Arpookara (photo), Sree, Malayala Manorama, November 27, 2005
Contributed by: Administrator 

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