Every dog has its day Men celebrate birth of street dogs’ puppies in Bundelkhand
Smile was on faces on coming to know that these three happened to be bitches who had delivered 20 puppies together and the invite was to celebrate the occasion
Those who got this invite couldn’t help thinking hard having gone through the text as to who these Champa, Chankul and Bhuri were who were blessed with ‘children’ at a dhaba at Khimlasa in Sagar district, about 180 kilometers north east of Bhopal.
Smile was on faces on coming to know that these three happened to be bitches who had delivered 20 puppies together and the invite was to celebrate the occasion.
The celebration held at the dhaba owned by Lal Singh Rathore at Khimlasa on Tuesday was, however, not a low-key affair. In a rare display of love and affection for the street dogs who stay at the dhaba Rathore did everything what is expected of one to celebrate a birth at his house right from printing of invitation cards to making arrangements for the celebration.
The guests who included dhaba owner’s friends, well-wishers and other locals applied vermilion on the bitches’ forehead and offered to them biscuits. Some offered even current notes as a gift.
A band with DJ and dance performance by women who are expert in Bundelkhand’s tradition Rai dance, entertained the guests, about 200 in number, right from the afternoon and all this culminated in a mass feast at night. The expenses incurred on the celebration by the dhaba owner were approximately Rs 25000.
The special bonding between the dhaba owner and these street dogs is not unfounded.
“These bitches have been living at my dhaba since their birth. They guard my dhaba especially at night. Nobody can dare commit a theft when I am even outstation. When these delivered puppies I thought why not I should celebrate the birth of puppies as we celebrate the birth of our newborn child home”, said Lal Singh talking to Hindustan Times.
“When he consulted me to known as to how to organise the celebration I laughed at him first but later I realised that he was serious and he was doing all this out of sheer love for these street dogs, which hardly anybody does in society. We agreed and helped him in organising the celebration”, said Virendra Kushwaha, a friend of Lal Singh.