Pigeons have came a long way since man domesticated them. They were used for message carrying in WW I & WW II. Then, there is the racing aspect of the hobby, mainly started in Europe. But in other eastern countries, they are kept mainly for highflying. People keep pigeons with pride and joy.

    I'm 5th generation pigeon keeper in my family. In INDIA, pigeons are handed down from generation to generation.The younger members of the family are carefully taught how to keep pigeons by the elders of the family. So, they can keep the family tradition alive. Mostly, the pigeons are kept by the higher members of society. The ones with royal blood in their veins. Nowadays, people from all walks of life keep them. They are kept in INDIA as a sign of prestige & prosperity.                                         I have them because not only do I love pigeons, but I'm also fulfilling my forefathers' legacy & wish. I used to watch them fly for hours on end. To tell you the truth, it is taken quite seriously. People have lost their lives because of disputes regarding pigeons. Generally, if a fancier catches a pigeon of another fancier from across town or across the street, the pigeon belongs to him. Now, the argument starts when the other fancier demands his bird back KNOWING that he's not gonna get it back.

Fanciers in INDIA take the saying "Finders are keepers" or in their case, "Catchers are keepers" to the heart. If a fancier is new to the area, he visits other fanciers nearby & makes new friends and, if in the future he wants his bird returned, he makes a pact called 'SALLO' with the fancier that he's visiting. So, if a fancier catches a pigeon belonging to someone that he has 'SALLO' with, he returns his pigeon back to the original owner. The pigeon that gets caught by another fancier other than its owner is usually sold in a swap meet, or its wings are clipped for the major part of its life. Since it is poor training on the owner's part. The pigeon is trained from the start to land only on its owner's loft not anywhere else. In the future perhaps, if there is a disagreement between 2 fanciers with 'SALLO', then they declare 'DAAVO' on each other meaning that no pigeons are returned to their owners once they're caught.                                                                                                                                                              

                            Trapping other fancier's birds is not easy. Here a bird gets caught so easily. If it gets lost, and on the way it finds a place to eat & sleep like a new loft, it'll stay there. Not in INDIA the bird will not land that easily. Some birds will land on a loft,  but won't get caught . Those are the ones a fancier keeps.