The family members cleaned her dirt ridden white coat to a glistening white and painted her with blue stripes, applied a red tilak on her forehead. Covering her back with a red net chundari, the women performed several rituals, offered her special food and prayed for her good health and a healthy baby.
The ceremony proceeded with merrymaking amid bouts of laughter and curiosity as the rituals were familiar for all except for the mother for whom the baby shower had been organised.
It was, in a first, a baby shower of Halari donkey, an indigenous breed found in a few districts of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. With a total population of 439, Halari donkeys are on the verge of extinction.
"In order to create awareness to conserve this particular breed of donkeys, a group of Maldharis (pastoral community) organised a baby shower of a pregnant Halari donkey. We assisted them to hold this event so that we can educate people to conserve them from dying," said Ramesh Bhatti from Sahjeevan, a Bhuj-based NGO which works for the pastoral community.
He said that about 100 pastoralists had gathered in Upleta, Rajkot district with 33 pregnant donkeys. Among them, the 'best donkey', named Dhori, was identified. "We decorated Dhori and performed the rituals exactly the way we do with women in our family. We did it to create awareness to keep this breed alive," said Punabhai Bharwad, whose family owns eight donkeys including Dhori. He said that eight-year-old Dhori is pregnant for the first time.
Halari donkeys are very much a part of the Maldharis community who live a nomadic life and use them as pack animals. Few years ago, these donkeys were recognised as "distinct" by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Haryana. They are white in colour and are taller and stronger than normal donkeys.
Bhatti told DH that the population of these donkeys was 1,200 back in 2014, which was reduced to 662 in 2020. He said that male donkeys are sold at a price ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000, which are mainly used in remote hilly areas for goods transportation. Bhatti said that Halari donkey's milk is also said to be one of the most expensive in the world which can go up to Rs 1000 for its medicinal values.
Watch the latest DH videos:
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks