Natasha Rego meets India’s ‘Butterfly Man’ Isaac Kehimkar
Himalayan expeditions are meant to test the limits of patience and human endurance. But Isaac Kehimkar is not in it to conquer new peaks. For this naturalist, the prize at the end of every rocky road is a bunch of dazzling winged jewels. “In 2005, when I finally spotted seven Dragontail butterflies with their spectacularly translucent wings atop a hill in Arunachal Pradesh, I trembled so much with excitement that I couldn’t hold my camera still,” reminisces the Navi Mumbai-based naturalist, who has been documenting India’s butterflies for the past 30 years.
Kehimkar, who will retire as deputy director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) later this year, says it takes some patience and a whole lot of crazy to chase butterflies for a living. His recent book, Butterflies of India (` 1,800; BNHS), is a testament to his passion for these colourful creatures. A field guide, the book contains photographs and information on over 1,000 species and sub-species of butterflies from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and a few from Afghanistan. He has trekked up the mighty Himalaya and through the damp forests of the Western Ghats in pursuit of the 1,500 species of butterflies that inhabit the subcontinent. “I have encountered at least 900, so there’s quite a long way to go,” he says with an easy smile.
In times when dreams are often synonymous with acquiring material possessions, Kehimkar is a refreshing inspiration—his pursuits always lead him to Eden. But chasing butterflies comes with many challenges, not least of which are shaking offblood-sucking leeches and microscopic ticks, whose nasty bite takes months to heal.
Denne historien er fra January 2017-utgaven av Harmony - Celebrate Age.
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Denne historien er fra January 2017-utgaven av Harmony - Celebrate Age.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Wrapped In Love
My Dadi Meenakshi Banerji was a short and tubby woman with great gumption who raised 10 citizens of the world.
Sharing Her ‘Mettle'
To me, this bell metal vaarpu, which weighs about 80 kg and is at least 120 years old, is an enduring reminder of my paternal grandmother Aleyamma Abraham.
Medical Overload
Your doctor may walk the talk while writing out your prescriptions but here’s the thing: make sure he hasn’t prescribed one too many.
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One act of kindness can save someone’s life.’
Armed For Business
The sheer glory and glamour of the Olive Greens motivated me, a third-generation soldier, to join the Army. Thus I enlisted, brimming with enthusiasm, in 1984.
Capture the fracture
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Friends With Benefits!
Incontinence need not interfere with life.
Yellow, Yellow, Gritty Fellows!
It was a nippy Sunday morning but nothing that would keep the rugged Delhiite away from the annual Senior Citizens’ Run supported by Harmony at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon. Not even the mood-dampening smog that had descended on the capital a week earlier could do that! So said 74 year-old Sarla Rani and her band of regulars at the run who arrived at Nehru Stadium on the morning of 19 November even before the sun did. Soon they were joined by busloads of silvers from all over Delhi, Noida and Gurugram.
Magic By The Sea
From Lord Jagannath to oceanside beauty and green initiatives, Braja Sorensen uncovers the many layers of Puri.
Indian Rhapsody
In a span of two decades, Roshen Dalal has attained renown for her painstakingly researched books on history and religions in India. The Puffin History of India and The Puffin History of the World, each in two volumes, have not just received critical acclaim but are bestsellers as well. Her other books include The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths; Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide; The Vedas: An Introduction to Hinduism’s Sacred Texts and The Compact Timeline History of the World.
