Blessings from the Heavens


The experience of being hit with bird droppings on their way to and from anywhere in the campus is so common for IIScians that they often don't even flinch on that happening. Often, the more immaculately dressed up people the campus would take out their handkerchief and coolly wipe away the stain and are promptly on their way; while more Laapataa-like people wouldn't bother to do even that much, and would be seen wearing the same shirt days later with a dried up stain.

Folklores abound about these blessings from the heavens. It's said that you are in for some good academic times if it happens with you. If you are hit right on your head, you have got a jackpot!

Everything apart, somehow being hit by crow shit is implicitly considered an inherent part of the IISc experience. Not because it smells. But because it reminds us in another way, that we are a fortunate lot to be living in such a lush green campus.

Comments

tnc said…
Cooooll.... One of my really favourite cartoons... :) :)
11:12 AM, July 21, 2007
Anonymous said…
May be it also indicates that the population of crows has gone up !!!
Is the lush green campus home to other birds as well ? :)
7:19 AM, July 23, 2007
Sujit Kumar Chakrabarti said…
I have heard that the greenery here is mostly created artificially, and consists mostly of non-native exotic flora. So, it's indeed the case that you won't find many exotic species of birds here. Mostly scavengers.

Ain't aware of any census done on the crow population here. :) Not even by counting the number of crow shit hits. But, this experience has always been a part of an IIScian's life ever since I am here.
4:52 AM, July 24, 2007
Anonymous said…
Well, I agree that it IS indeed an inherent part of being in IISc. One of 'those' things we've learnt to live with and devised ways to avoid! Moving around with umbrellas (or jacket caps or sometimes, a book shielding our heads), speeding past that area as fast as possible, or being extremely silent for the fear of the crows being woken up!!!! We have tried pretty much everything but alas, crows have the final word!

Having been a victim of it too recently, I can tell you, it sure will remind me of IISc long after I've left! An incident to remember!!!! (and cherish too after we leave the campus).........
2:58 AM, July 30, 2007
Anonymous said…
Brilliant job! This is pretty much the life at every "Indian Institute". At our place, IIT Kanpur, the road joining our hostel and the place where we get our daily supply of smoke, the MT section as it is called, is exactly the same scene in the evenings. :)
12:48 AM, September 01, 2007
Anonymous said…
There used to be owls (not so common outside) and I have once seen a Loris monkey. There used to be a few snakes too. I dont know if these populations have now depleted but finding a stretch of green area any where in India even with crow population shitting on your head is a big thing.
1:24 AM, September 01, 2007
marn said…
my 3 day old baby, snuggled up to my chest as i walked along the seagull, got shat on by a passing crow..i hated that this happened to her precious new skin and vaguely believed that it probably meant something or other according to crow lore. That was almost 21 years ago and now i keep thinking about the incident and wondering what it might mean. I have browsed through many crow sites and found nothing relevant and then just googled; " a crow shat on my baby's head" , and this site came up, so i thought i would write this down here.
5:16 PM, November 17, 2007
marn said…
i walked along with my 3 day old baby snuggled up on my chest and a passing crow pooped on my lovely new-born's forehead. I thought it probably had some meaning according to crow-lorests but mostly i was concerned with the contamination of her beautiful skin. that was 21 years ago and lately i have been thinking and wondering what sort of omen it might have been. i have browsed many crow sites without learning anything and eventually just googled; "a crow shat on my baby's head and this sit appeared. I decided it might be an omen.
5:20 PM, November 17, 2007
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