When parrot shows enthralled Baroda state's royal Gaekwads....

VADODARA: Parrot shows captivated large audiences in the city during the Gaekwadi rule. These shows were the centre of attraction at private events of the royal family too.
However, very little is known about the families whose main occupation was rearing parrots and training them for these shows.
Garib Ullan Khan, who migrated from Yemen to the erstwhile state of Baroda in early 1850s, introduced the parrot show to the state.According to surviving members of the family, they quit the profession a decade ago after laws protecting animals were enforced.
"Changing economic conditions forced us to quit the profession. People lost interest and without audience it was difficult earn income. Parrot shows and training them is our family heritage which we did it for 40 years. We discontinued it in 2005 after animal right activists seized our birds," said Amin Pathan (50) who has even performed in the presence of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Khan had performed a parrot show in Darbar Hall of the Laxmivilas Palace in 1857. Khanderao Gaekwad, the then ruler of the Baroda, was impressed by the show and took Khan in the state service.
Khan later taught the skill of parrot training to his son Sardarmiya who passed it on to his son Mohamedmiya. Since Mohamedmiya's sons turned to different professions, the legacy of parrot show was handed over to his nephew Amin Pathan who trained under him.
Amin turned to driving after his birds were taken away. The parrots he owned could perform as many as 30 tricks. They were trained for over a year's time. The birds displayed daily life incidents in miniature through different role plays. From flag hoisting to playing a piano the birds did incredible tricks to amuse the viewers.
"We had them perform the job of fire brigade with four of them dousing fire at a miniature home. In another show they demonstrated a road accident scene where one of them was a car driver, other a pedestrian and another as an ambulance driver," recollected Azim Pathan, Amin's 26-year-old son who assisted him before becoming an engineer.