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A place of pride for peacocks

Photo: Vipinchandran

WINGED VISITOR: A peacock at Chakiath House in Varappuzha. —

VARAPPUZHA: Peacocks in the courtyard are a common sight at Chakiath House in Varappuzha.

They spread their plumes at will and move about freely and fearlessly here. Like domestic birds, they even assemble at the backyard of the house around 7 in the morning for feeding. They fly off to unknown destinations after breakfast and return to the house around 3 p.m. to spend the night on top of the coconut trees here.

A rare sight for a visitor. But a usual one for those at Chakiath House who have been seeing it for the past 25 years.

Pappachen Chakiath has been rearing these birds for the last two decades or more. He began with just six birds after obtaining permission from the State Forest Department.

“The department gave permission for growing the birds in cages. Later, the birds multiplied and established themselves in the area,” says Mr. Pappachen.

Now there are 8 peacocks and 8 peahens on the sprawling four-acre compound of the house.

Two decades of rearing peacocks have made him an authority on the bird. It was by hands-on experience that he learned to bring them up.

“The females fly away to some faraway bushes for laying eggs. They often return to my house in the company of six to eight chicks,” he says.

These flights of the females sometimes land them in trouble. Some peahens get trapped and killed on their journey. People in Varappuzha and nearby areas know that there is a population of peacocks here and leave them unharmed, Mr. Pappachan says.

Every Sunday, there would be a queue of children waiting patiently at Chakiath House — for peacock feathers.

Mr. Pappachen collects the feathers dropped by the birds for these young admirers to keep in their books in the beautiful hope of seeing a family of feathers.

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