The Orchid Hunter
Dr. Naresh Swami
Pushing his endurance to the limits, Dr.
Naresh Swami has done what no one has ever
achieved before. He has managed to study and
document in-situ around 1000 orchid species
and more than 5000 other plant species
from the region of eastern Himalaya, which
included several hundred species which were
never photographed or recorded before from
the region. Like his discoveries, Dr. Swami's
journey from being a priest to one of India's
top botanists is equally fascinating. PRATEEK
KASHYAP from Chiiz got a chance to talk
to Mr. Naresh where he so vividy explained
the grandeur of his Himalyan expeditions as
The Orchid Hunter. Below is the interview as
taken:
Can you please share the story of how you
started your journey?
I was born in a traditional, very conservative
Hindu Brahmin family in the year 1980.
As destined, I was assigned with the
responsibility of priesthood from my early
years. My eagerness helped me excel in
studies along with the hard and tedious
priesthood responsibilities. While doing my
post graduation (M.Sc.) in Zoology with
Entomology as my main subject, a desire
to perform more in the form of research
gathered momentum in my thoughts. My real
journey in life started with an opportunity to
do a PhD. The journey which started years
ago still continues, from the peninsular India
to the class rooms of many great institutions
across continents and now in the lap of the
mighty Himalaya.
What made you undertake such an enduring
task as venturing in the Himalayas?
In my childhood, I was blessed with a huge
collection of books, especially ancient
scriptures which I read multiple times. Those
scriptures narrated immense stories on
Himalaya and its legends. As to many, the
mountains always attracted me. However, the
real chance to be there came with my work on
butterflies for my first PhD.
Later on, like a divine intervention, I moved
from the world of winged wonders to the
floral beauties. With the blessings of my
GuruMaharajShri, I was able to locate
thousands of such plants and trees and study
them in detail from their natural habitats,
especially in the Himalaya. Thus, again I am
back in the lap of the mountains since 2011,
and enjoying my days there.
You have documented the rare Alpine
plants, has it ever crossed your mind to
document your travel experiences in the
Himalayas?
Yes, I do collect information regarding the
places I often visit in connection with my
floral expeditions. Other than documenting
its floral population, I study and document
various aspects of religious and cultural
diversities prevailing in different communities
in the Himalaya. I have also developed a
passion for the lakes and water bodies in the
hills, many of them are believed to be sacred.
May be, in the coming years I would be able
to write many experiences and other social
and cultural affairs of the people of Himalaya,
as also my life with them.
You are called the “Orchid Hunter of India”.
Why this special interest in orchids?
With my studies on plants and trees
mentioned in the Vedas and Puranas, which
ended up as my second PhD, I was going
through hundreds of literature in search
of them. Of those in mention, some were
orchids, which caught my special attention
and I was successful in locating all of them
from the wild. Those findings and its beauty
triggered the passion for orchids in me. Then I
was introduced to an iconic book, The Orchids
of the Sikkim-Himalaya by Sir George King
and Robert Pantling published in the year
1898. This book is a collection of 449 species
of orchids with illustrations (line drawings)
made from collected specimens. Even after
more than 115 years, many of the species
described in the book lack a photographic
evidence. It is to be believed that many of
those described species were never seen by
anyone in recent memory.
From there started a journey of immense
proportions, crisscrossing the region of
Sikkim-Himalaya, the state of Sikkim and