Fig. 62: PIGEONS AND PIGEON COOP, Mughal, c. 1650. Pigeon racing and flying was a traditional favourite pastime in Mughal India and especially in Delhi The later Mughal emperors were especially fond of it. Akbar II and Bahadur Shah II in their durbar processions regularly took with them a big wicker basket of pigeons mounted on an elephant (fig. 1) and pigeons can be seen flying above the palace in a miniature of c. 1815 (fig. 27) while raised lattices for them to perch on are visible in Mazhar Ali Khan's panorama of the palace (fig. 99) along with a pigeon house beside the Diwan-i Khas. Opague watercolour, 18.8 x 11.3 cm. Private collection, courtesy Brendan Lynch and Oliver Forge, London.