Feeding migratory birds

Migratory birds have arrived at Delhi's Yamuna ghats, including seagulls, with the onset of winter season. The ghat is named 'Nigambodh Ghat' and serves as a Hindu cremation ground. The Nigambodh Ghat on the banks of Yamuna River in Delhi is home to Siberian seagulls who migrate from harsh winters of Siberia and rest on the banks of Yamuna during November-March. For a few months of the year, a large number of Siberian seagulls migrate to various parts of India. One of them is Yamuna Ghat in Delhi. The birds start coming in here in November and move out till mid-March. Over the years the Yamuna Ghat has become a point of attraction for photographers and nonphotographers alike. People come in large numbers to take photos and to feed birds. This has created a seasonal business opportunity for the people living by the Ghat. There are mainly two ways they earn, by giving boat tours to visitors and by selling the bird food to people who come to feed them. Surprisingly, the food the gulls love to eat here is “Namkeen”, a fried Indian snack. A boat with a few large packets of namkeen goes in the river and then with one shout of “ Aao ! Aao !” means come, come. The gulls come rushing from all directions and a cacophony reverberates. And this cycle repeats with every new packet of namkeen. This goes on all morning until the birds are well fed and the rest.