Blog
Home » Blog »
-
- May 7, 2019
Balu mamas sheep
Early morning and we are back on the road. We are eight of us, four of us from the team in the office and four interns of whom two are from India , one from France and Lora from the US .
This time we are off to visit Balu mamas flock of special sheep which are being herded not far from Pune city. We have been invited to see the flock by The Balu Mama Trust a non- profit society which manages the flock. Balu mama the saint shepherd of Maharashtra has the best flock of Deccani sheep in the state.
We race across the city. No traffic lights to stop us in the morning and we are soon leaving the city behind and heading toward the dry regions of Ahmednagar.
At Sirur we stop at a sign which says “Onion Market” in Marathi. We turn off the road where there was another sign welcoming us to local tourism and we see no signs of anything which looks remotely as if it could have tourist value. We pass by brick kilns, fields of onion, a few cow sheds, a nicely maintained orchard of pomegranate. Familiar scenes in rural Maharashtra . After several more loops we finally arrive at our destination a village nestled on the banks of a now dry river.
The sheep are still resting as we reach, one on top of the other in a charcoal mass of wool. Little ones huddling with their mothers, large rams with horns that curl. We photograph and get photographed with the sheep milling around us.
This is one of the finest flocks I have ever seen. Well maintained and in good health . We sit with the shepherds and discuss sheep and shepherding.
Soon it is time for the pooja. Interestingly only men are allowed to participate. We sit back sipping tea made with sheep milk and watch the villagers flock to attend the pooja rituals. Many women from the village come with contributions of Bhakri and vegetables which will feed the men who have volunteered to manage the herd.
Despite the several questions which arise in one’s mind about the sheep , their role in the lives of shepherds in Maharashtra , the role of women in shepherding , the myths around Balu mama it is pleasant to spend a morning away from the city amidst animals.