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Bhopal Street Remedy: Why Locals Hang Red Water Bottles | Truth Revealed
Exclusive Do dogs flee after seeing red water?: People hang bottles filled with alta and vermilion; truth behind Bhopal’s street remedy
Vandana Singh| Bhopal 2 days ago
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Red-coloured water bottles can be seen hanging outside the gates of houses in several lanes across Bhopal, with residents continuing a practice they have seen since childhood. Amaya Yadav, a resident of Nehru Nagar, is among those who hang such a bottle outside her home.
Explaining why she follows the practice, she says, “Since childhood, we have seen red water bottles hanging outside homes, so we hang them too.”
She is not the only resident doing so, as similar bottles filled with red-coloured water can be seen outside several houses across the Madhya Pradesh capital.
Some people describe it as a traditional way to keep stray dogs away, while others see it as a practice passed down by elders. Some even believe it helps ward off negative energy.
This is how people are hanging bottles filled with red water outside their homes.
What is the reality behind the red water bottles? Read this report
Nishi Patel has also hung a bottle of red water outside her home. She says there is no established scientific reason behind the practice.
There is a belief among people that dogs cannot see the colour red clearly. The bottle keeps moving in the air outside the gate, and some believe dogs become frightened when they see it and move away.
Nishi said elders also used to associate the practice with keeping the evil eye and negative energy away from the house. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this belief. According to her, it is an old tradition that people continue to follow.
Perhaps dogs are scared by the reflection of the red water
Dipanshi Patel said she does not know of any particular reason behind hanging bottles filled with red water. Many times, people see such a bottle hanging outside one house and then put one up outside their own home. Gradually, the practice becomes common across the neighbourhood.
There is a belief that the bottles prevent stray dogs from defecating outside houses. People feel they are benefiting from it. “I think there may be some reflection from the red water and light that perhaps scares the dogs,” she said.
‘We mix mahawar and sindoor in the bottle, and dogs stay away’
Amaya Yadav said no special chemical is added to the red water bottles hung outside homes. The bottle is prepared by mixing mahawar, sindoor or red colour with water and then hanging it outside the house gate.
She said this keeps stray dogs away from the area around the house and prevents them from creating a mess. According to Amaya, many people have been following this method for a long time.
Expert view…
There is no scientific basis for it
Veterinary doctor Dr Brajesh Gupta said there is no scientific basis for the claim that hanging a bottle of red water outside a house keeps dogs away.
He explained that dogs cannot distinguish all colours in the same way humans do. Therefore, there is no scientific reasoning to suggest that they avoid a house simply because they see a red bottle outside it.
Dogs can see blue and yellow colours relatively easily. They can also perceive a combination of these colours as a lighter shade of brown, but they are unable to distinguish other colours in the same way.
Bhaskar reporter checks the reality
Across Bhopal, such bottles filled with red water can be seen outside houses in areas including Ayodhya Bypass, Awadhpuri, Nehru Nagar, Rachna Nagar, Gautam Nagar, Indrapuri, Bawadiakalan, Kolar, Katara and Lalghati.
The Bhaskar reporter placed bottles of red water in front of dogs in some areas to check their reaction. The dogs did not show any significant response. They neither ran away from the house entrance nor showed any aggressive reaction after the bottles were placed there.