Parbati Barua, sometimes called ‘Hasti Kanya’, is India’s first feminine mahout who used to be awarded the celebrated Padma Shri on Republic Day, 2024. Right here’s how she fell in love with elephants and devoted her lifestyles to the delicate giants.
On India’s seventy fifth Republic Day, 132 other people had been awarded nationwide honours — 5 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 110 Padma Shri Awards. Amongst those, Parbati Barua, now in her past due sixties, won a Padma Shri for her groundbreaking contribution as India’s first feminine elephant mahout.
Born and raised in Assam, Parbati disliked taking part in with dolls. As a substitute, she admired flora and fauna and loved being open air. She used to be one in every of 9 kids born to the past due Prakritish Chandra Barua of the Royal Circle of relatives of Gauripur. Prakritish used to be the overall ruler a few of the Rajahs of Gauripur.
At a tender age, her affection for the delicate giants stemmed from her father, who used to be famend across the world for his experience and information of elephants.
Fondly referred to as ‘Hasti Kanya’, Parbati captured her first elephant on the age of 14 within the Kachugaon forests of the Kokrajhar district. After this preliminary come across, there used to be no preventing her. Defying all stereotypes, she was a mahout in 1972 and devoted herself to rescuing elephants.
Her day-to-day regimen comes to giving her elephants baths, driving them within the jungle, and coaching them. She additionally discussed making hadiya (a rice-based deal with) for her loved elephants, who’ve a keenness for liquor.
“They [The elephants] love me as a result of I perceive their sentiments. One name they usually all come operating to me,” stated Parbati in an India Nowadays interview.
Parbati has 3 pachyderm daughters: Lakshmimala, Aloka, and Kanchanmala. This trio, at the side of a group of devoted coworkers, leads an atypical and adventurous lifestyles. “In my activity, there are not any retakes,” she says. “Each time I’m going to the forests, I recall to mind it as my closing shuttle. However as a mahout, I will by no means retire.”
States like Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam search her help in dealing with rogue tuskers or taking care of the ones injured or unwell.
Over time, Parbati won prominence or even was the topic of a BBC documentary titled ‘Queen of the Elephants’.
Amongst her quite a lot of stories of journey is one from West Bengal’s Midnapore district, the place a herd of fifty elephants had misplaced their approach and used to be on a damaging trail. State government grew to become to Parbati, and along with her 3 elephants and a group of alternative mahouts, they might information the tuskers alongside the right kind migratory path after a fortnight of journey.
Proceeding in this adventurous trail, Parbati leads a lifestyles devoid of contemporary conveniences even these days. She makes use of ash as an alternative of toothpaste and sleeps within a tent on a threadbare bed, whilst surrounded by means of the gear of her industry — ropes, chains, khukris (a pointy knife), and stirrups.
When she used to be requested about her fascination with the tuskers, she stated to the Firstpost, “Love can’t be defined. Possibly it’s as a result of elephants are very solid, dependable, affectionate and disciplined.”
Edited by means of Pranita Bhat