The pigeon as a messenger
The earliest large-scale communication network using pigeons as messengerswas established in Syria and Persia around the 5th century BC. Much later, in the 12th century AD, the city of Baghdad and all the main towns and cities in Syria and Egypt were linked by messages carried by pigeons. This was the sole source of communication. In Roman times the pigeon was used to carry results of sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, and this is why white doves are released at the start of the Olympic Games today. In England, prior to the days of telegraphs, pigeons were often taken to football matches and released to carry home the result of the game. Their use as a messenger in wartimeresulted in many pigeons being awarded honours by both the British and French Governments. Incredibly, the last ‘pigeon post’ service was abandoned in India in 2004 with the birds being retired to live out the rest of their days in peace.
http://www.indiaprofile.com/religion-culture/gujarat-culture.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Pigeon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homing_pigeon
http://www.indiaprofile.com/religion-culture/gujarat-culture.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Pigeon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homing_pigeon