Komal Panwar
Blogger & Singer
This World Tourism Day, Jaipur Stray Dogs Became Our Tourist Guides
- JWB Post
- September 28, 2016
Hi, I’m Poppy, the Dogger-in-chief of JWB. Whenever I pee, I always find myself staring at the street dogs. Why don’t they have a human with them? Why were they different from me?
They are beautiful; that’s for sure. Sometimes, they try to attack me, and I hug mom, other times I try to attack them, and mom yells at me.
To find out, I sent Komal mausi and my new friends from Help In Suffering on an important investigation. What she found completely blew me away. If Komal mausi’s Leo saw her goofing around with other dogs, he’d be so mad. Good thing he doesn’t know how to use the internet.
She told me how the dogs were the true tourist guides around the city. They had seen more than any of us ever could. Let me introduce you to few of my new friends:
Meet Moti – Street Guide At The Golcha Cinema
I live near the Golcha cinema. I am homeless. It was early morning when some humans from Jaipur Women Blog came with some biscuits. They wanted me to give them a tour around the city. I wagged my tail, and in exchange of every biscuit, I gave them a new piece of information.
Woof. The walled city is the most beautiful place where you will ever be. Don’t think that the artists do the detailing alone; sometimes I sit there, and I instruct them.
At night, when there are only dogs, we try to scare humans in cars away. Woofehhehewoof.
Mornings are weird. I see people immersed in their mobile phones. Some cars and scooters unknowingly almost run me over, but you’re pretty much safe if you’re a human.
I grew up hearing movies. Since I’m not allowed inside the theater when people come out of the cinema, they discuss movies they watch, and that’s all the entertainment for me.
And that’s why I know if I don’t have a human yet, “Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.”
Ramu – The scaredy-poo in old-city lanes
I’ll be honest. I’m a scaredy-poo. I stay confined to my narrow lane. I drink tea because I live near a tea-stall. I have not one, but many humans who love me. When the new humans from Jaipur Women Blog came, I couldn’t stop staring at the packet of biscuits in their hands.
I was scared to take it because the dogs around me would’ve tried to snatch it away. I only pretend to be angry when my humans are there to protect me. I showed the Jaipur Women Blog humans around only when they agreed to protect me when danger arrived.
In the old lane where I live, a lot of men come, drink chai, and discuss what they had for dinner. Some of them pat me on my back and give me a biscuit or two. Sometimes when the shop owners are away, I sneak inside to get some cool air from the fan. I took these new humans inside a shop to show them how.
Then we quickly left as we were scared that the owners might come soon. I also tried to market my tea-stall friend. He makes brilliant tea, please pay him, and he will get me cream biscuits the next time.
Shyamu – The Don of the main bazaar
Yes, I’m the dog who scares Ramu away. It’s only so that he learns to be braver! The tea-stall man has spoiled him. I sit freely in the streets as and when I like. Ramu needs to be stronger.
Let me show you around. A lot of tourists visit, and they feed me cream biscuits, Ramu needs to learn this shortcut to eating premium snacks. The lanes in the old city are narrow, but the hearts of the people are big and full of love.
I keep waiting for the shops to open, as I feel very lonely without humans and food around. The shops are colorful, some even have air conditioning *wink*, and you can smell Rajasthani food everywhere.
Other dogs don’t try to mess with me, because I’m the Don of the street, but sometimes I wish I’d find a human who’d constantly give me food.
Moti The II – The Singing Romeo
I’ve been singing for a long time. I sing whenever I’m happy. I’m not the only homeless one, in fact, I have three humans who live with me. They make a living by selling biscuits and tea. We eat together.
I often sing to the tourists, and they love it. They pat me, kiss me on my forehead and move along. I had one day gotten the opportunity to explore the Police Station called ‘‘Yaadgaar’’. I wonder why a lot of young boys come there pleading for bikes. Do they give away bikes at the Police station?
The Police are very strict and don’t give away the bikes that easily. That day I just sat and sang sad songs for the poor bike-wanting humans. For me, my legs do the trick.
My name is Moti, but my friends say I’m a diamond.
Albert – The Pigeon Scaring sir
The humans that run the Pao-bhaji stall near Albert Hall gave me that name, Gee; I wonder why. I wish I were smarter. They say I look English. I know, I’ve got the looks.
Every tourist comes to the Albert Museum to feed the pigeons, and I show them how they’re supposed to scare them away by running through them. Don’t be too surprised; I began this tradition, and so, they named the Albert Museum after me.
Since I’m a sophisticated dog, I only eat in plates, and I always make it a point to lick my plate clear.
But today, I want to eat something better, no biscuits, please! I’ve heard that in the walled city area, some dogs get to eat cream-biscuits.
Let me show you the Ram Niwas Bagh. Sometimes, estranged couples come to rekindle their love, and if I see things going berserk, I scare them away. Since I stay near the zoo, at night, I sometimes hear lions roaring. I learned how to roar over time.
Now go, I need a massage.
Well, they seem to be needing families. If you like them and want to bring them into your life and hear more of their stories, go and adopt your own pet from the Help In Suffering, please. When you get them, don’t forget to invite me over to play. I promise I won’t steal their food… I can at least try…
High-Paw!
Dogger-in-Chief Poppy
PS: These pictures clicked by my team will be turned into postcards and the funds generated shall be donated for dog adoption.
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Heart-warming. I am not basically a reader, but I read the whole article. Somehow I got connected. Commendable job.