No Fear of Flood or Famine

After passing M.A., I got my first job. Joined on 1 Jan, 1977 as Ad Hoc Lecturer, G.M. College, Sambalpur. Basic Salary – 525/-, D.A. – 45/-, Yealy Increment – 25/-

A few months later, I went to Khuntpali to look up grandfather who lived in our ancestral house and managed the agricultural operations. He was happy to see me and briefly stepped out to the house-entrance to holler to all and sundry: Look who is here. He has grown so tall. Has got a job, too, and earns more than his father.

Soon, many people from Upar Para came to ‘see’ me; Nana’s mother, Uma, Kani Dhamna, Jhatku, Bhagbana Mastrey, Ashadhu, and others.

Samaru Majhi, my mahasat (ceremonially sworn friend) Shankar’s father, also came. He was very fond of me. During my childhood days, whenever I visited their home in Majhi Para just across our house, Samaru would give me a palmful of peanuts in shell roasted in paddy straw. Shankar’s mother always gave me something to eat – roasted gram, a piece of gud, chakel, ukhuda, etc.

Samaru asked: Baba, how much do you get in a month? I told him. He was overwhelmed, and said, ‘How wonderful, you’d never have to worry about dhui mardi (flood or famine). At month end, sarkar will give you a bundle of crisp, new notes!’

Whenever I think about the distress of small, marginal farmers, especially holding unirrigated land, I remember Samaru Majhi.

***

 

Nuakhai 2025

Today is Nuakhai, a major festival in western Odisha. A festival to thank, through this pre-harvest puja, Ma Samlei, a tribal goddess incorporated into Hinduism as Mahalakshmi, for a bountiful paddy crop in kharif.

On this day, after worshipping Samlei-Mahalakhmi-Annapurna, the noon-meal is partaken as prasad, a satvik, vegetarian meal cooked without onion or garlic. Thereafter, it is time for Nuakhai Bhetghat – offering Nuakhai Juhar to elders and blessing the younger ones.

(Nuakhai Juhar-Sand Art by Sudarshan Pattanaik)

Before the era of assured irrigation, the farmers looked up to the sky with prayers for timely rain, and dread of drought, the periodic curse they suffered. By Bhadrava Shukla paksha Chaturthi, the day for Ganesh puja, farmers had a pretty good idea about the forthcoming harvest. If rain had failed, the crop would have wilted; if there was a pest attack, the ears of paddy still wrapped in protective cover of leaves, would fail to emerge. In very bad years, farmers would let loose cattle to feed on the paddy leaves as fodder.

A good paddy crop, to be harvested in winter, is what kept starvation at bay. That is why the farmers and all villagers prayed to all the gods – Indra for rain, Vayu to keep the storms in chains, Agni to restrain the fires to beneficial uses, and Lakshmi to fill the granaries with paddy, at least enough to last till the next crop cycle.

Several regions of our country have their own harvest festivals – Bihu, Pongal, Onam, Lohandi, and others. However, western Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and parts of Maharashtra have this unique pre-harvest festival -Nuakhai, Nawakhai, or Nabanna Bhakshana (partaking of the new grain). Puspuni is the post-harvest festival in western Odisha.

Nuakhai Juhar.

May Ma Samlei, Mahalakhmi, and all the deities bless you and your family.

Note: I shared a handwritten greeting earlier. Apologies for my awful handwriting which was never good and has deteriorated with age. I hope some of our digitally savvy young men and women would soon develop an App to facilitate typing in Sambalpuri script, or better still, with voice-to-text capability.

***

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL): The New Financial Toy

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL): 

The New Financial Toy

As the festive season approaches, the air is thick with anticipation. Current GST rates may be reduced before Deepavali fuelling consumer expenditure for automobiles, AC, fridge, TV, washing machine, etc. That may dispel the despondency ushered in by Trump’s tariff terrorism and significantly boost the economy.

Whether it’s the latest smartphone, laptop, a sleek new TV, refrigerator, a designer saree, or a long-overdue family vacation, the question isn’t just what to buy, but how to pay for it. Will you draw from your savings, swipe your credit card, opt for a zero-interest EMI, or try the increasingly popular Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) option?

BNPL is the shiny new toy in the financial playground. But is it a tool of empowerment or a slippery slope into debt? Let’s take a quick look at this new credit instrument through the lens of economics, culture, and common sense.

BNPL vs Credit Cards vs Bank Loans

BNPL allows small-ticket purchases split into weekly or monthly instalments, often interest-free if repaid on time. Unlike a bank loan, it is quick, digital, and needs minimal paperwork. Unlike credit cards, it is not revolving credit with steep 30–40% annual interest rates. And unlike the “zero-interest EMI” schemes of earlier decades, it is not tied to specific merchants.

Incidentally, ‘Buy Now & Pay in Instalments’ is not a recent marketing innovation. It was pioneered by Isaac Merritt Singer, the inventor of the home sewing machine, and Edward Clark, his lawyer and partner in 1857 for selling sewing machines in instalments with great success. That was an important milestone in the advent of credit economy.

In India, players like Amazon Pay Later, Flipkart Pay Later, Paytm Postpaid, LazyPay, and others offer BNPL options. Globally, Klarna (Sweden), Afterpay (Australia), and Affirm (USA) dominate.

Is BNPL new?

A new name for a payment modality that has been in use since long. All postpaid facilities and bills – electricity, newspaper, milk, phone, wi-fi, monthly wages for household help – are essentially BNPL. Credit card is also BNPL, though such a card is issued after due diligence about the customer’s credit-worthiness by the issuing bank.

Charvak vs Kautilya

Save or splurge; provide for unforeseen risks and old age or borrow to enjoy life now?

Long before the cool millennial moto of YOLO, Charvak had propounded the same philosophy:

“यावज्जीवेत् सुखं जीवेत् ऋणं कृत्वा घृतं पिबेत्।”
“Live happily as long as you live; borrow, indulge, and enjoy LIFE.”

Other thinkers, philosophers, and writers counselled prudence and thrift. Kautilya supported the use of credit for productive enterprises but not for personal consumption (ऋणं शत्रुः – Debt is like an enemy). Rabindra Nath Tagore flagged the perils of money-lending in his story about Kabuliwallah’s long years in jail. Shakespeare advised - ‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’ (Hamlet); and warned about Shylock, the loan-shark who would accept nothing but his ‘pound of flesh’ (The Merchant of Venice).

Indians mostly ignored Charvak, the hedonist and became steadfast followers of ‘Save First, Spend Later’ making India’s Domestic Savings Rate among the highest in the world. But the rapid adoption of digital economy, particularly by the youth, may usher in a cultural shift in the years to come.

BNPL by the Numbers: India & Beyond

In India, millennials and Gen Z are driving the surge in BNPL market which is projected to grow from USD 4.03 billion in 2025 to USD 26.6 billion by 2032 (CAGR ~30.9 %).

Worldwide, the BNPL market is expected to reach USD 560.1 billion in 2025, growing at an annual rate of ~13.7 %, and projected to hit USD 911.8 billion by 2030.

Savings Rate vs. BNPL Adoption & Credit Culture

There may be an inverse relationship between Savings Rate and BNPL adoption, though not always.

Countries with low savings rates (e.g., USA, UK, Australia) tend to have high BNPL adoption and credit card penetration. These economies rely more on consumer spending, supported by easy access to credit and strong social welfare systems.

Despite a high savings rate, BNPL is growing rapidly in India—especially among millennials and Gen Z, who are more comfortable with digital credit and less tied to traditional saving norms. BNPL fills a gap for those without credit cards or formal loan access, offering short-term liquidity without the stigma of debt.

BNPL adoption signals a generational shift from precautionary saving to convenience-driven consumption, especially in urban India.

Risks & Observations

BNPL users often show lower financial literacy, impulse buying, and higher debt accumulation. In high-saving cultures like India and China, BNPL may coexist with savings—but could erode long-term prudence if unchecked.

India’s high savings rate is a cultural asset, but BNPL is reshaping the landscape. The challenge is to balance access with awareness—ensuring that financial innovation doesn’t dilute fiscal discipline.

The Road Ahead

BNPL is here to stay. For responsible borrowers, it offers flexibility and convenience. For reckless ones, it risks snowballing into hidden debt. Regulators, including the RBI, are moving cautiously—insisting on transparency, capping charges, and bringing BNPL into the formal credit reporting system.

Ultimately, the choice remains personal. Are you highly conservative and avoid borrowing altogether? Or do you follow Charvaka and borrow boldly for pleasure? Most of us walk a middle path—balancing needs, means, and dreams.

As the festive season approaches, perhaps the better question is not whether you use BNPL, a credit card, or a loan—but whether you truly need that new phone or vacation. Sometimes the smartest financial move is simply to say, not now.

Amazon Pay Later

When buying stuff from Amazon, you have the freedom to choose your mode of payment – credit or debit card, UPI, net-banking, cash-on-delivery, EMI, or Amazon Pay Later (APL). APL offers BNPL facility with instant approval of up to INR 60000 credit limit which you may use to buy now and pay after 30 days.  

I always pay in advance for my grocery purchases – dal, chawal, atta, and similar stuff - but wished to try APL, a new facility, keyed in the required details. As promised, APL decided in less than a minute.

Sorry

We regret to inform you that your Amazon Pay Later loan application cannot be processed further, based on our underwriting policies & regulatory guidelines.

Continue Shopping

Why, I wondered? I’ve never defaulted on any credit card payment, have no outstanding loans, and my credit rating is high - 824/900. Why, then, did APL not find me eligible? Then, I got it in a flash. APL must have regretted basis my age. (Hey, Amazon! That’s agism!). BNPL is for young folks who have decades of work-life ahead of them. Extending BNPL to a senior citizen and pensioner is fraught with high risk. What if when the moment for PL (Pay Later) arrives, the borrower has become Late Borrower?

BNPL coz YOLO

Bruh, who TF is even saving for old age anymore? SFSL? Junk that duddy-fuddy-granny rule. Dead serious—do you really lose sleep over retirement, amassing jaydaad for saat peedhi, or other NPC-level problems from the distant future? Why not vibe in the H&N, be Cool and enjoy while the CoY is full?

Why SaS for a fam you might never even have? Aren’t we HS, DINK, or straight-up FTF squad? YOLO, fam. So why not cop that gadget, lock in that Maldives vacay, or just max out on BNPL and keep it lowkey? Adulting can wait, right?

There may not be many millennials among my readers, yet this blog is about them and their lifestyle. Hence the two preceding paras which may befuddle others - uncles, aunties, and oldies - who may check end-notes to decipher millennial-speak.[i]

Comments

C P Singh

A very well researched blog. Let me offer two quick notes---

1. Rabindra Nath Tagore was personally aware of the hazards of debt. His grandfather Sir Dwarakanath Tagore, aka the  “Prince of Calcutta" had made fortunes in diverse businesses but in his  last days had incurred huge losses and had to resort to borrowing. Eventually, to repay the debt he had to sell off several assets.

2.  About 20 years ago, a friend in Ahmadabad had met a kirana shop owner practicing this same marketing strategy – BNPL. My friend and his wife had gone to Thal Tej, then a newly developing area, to check-up on a house they wished to buy. While returning home, his wife stopped at a random shop and bought groceries. However, since they didn’t have enough cash to settle the bill, they wanted to return some items upon which the shop owner said:

आप सामान ले जाइए और बाद में पैसा दे दीजिएगा। मेरे दोस्त के यह कहने पर कि वे उस एरिया में रहते नहीं और पता नहीं कब फिर वहां आयें तो दूकानदार ने कहा कोई बात नहीं घर के लिए खाने का सामान है तो आप ले जाइए और जब भी कभी इधर आना हुआ तो पैसे दे दीजिएगा। मेरे दोस्त ने यहां तक कहा कि हो सकता है वे इधर आयें ही न । तब भी दूकानदार ने सामान वापस नहीं लिया और कहा कि कोई बात नहीं। तो मजबूरन मेरे दोस्त को सारा सामान घर ले आना पड़ा।

Of course, he went back a few days later and settled the bill but since then he has been buying all his groceries from that shop.

---

[i] Millennial Slangs & Acronyms

•        Bruh / Fam → casual, inclusive opener

•        TF → The Future and the slangy abbreviation for "the f***" (double pun).

•        SFSL → Save First Spend Later

•        NPC-level problems → pop-culture slang for boring, background worries.

•        Vibe → hang out, enjoy.

•        H&N → Here & Now

•        CoY → Cup of Youth

•        SaS → Slog and Save

•        HS → Happily Single

•        DINK → Double Income No Kids

•        FTF → Forget the Future; F*** the Future

•        YOLO → You Only Live Once

•        Cop → buy something you want.

•        Vacay → vacation, casual tone.

•        Lock in → confirm a deal.

•        BNPL → Buy Now Pay Later

•        Lowkey → do it quietly, not making a big deal.

•        Adulting → slang for handling grown-up responsibilities.

Markandeya’s Vision of Bala Mukunda

Govinda Damodara Stotram

Of the numerous adorable Shri Krishna stotras, the one beginning with करारविन्देन (kararabindena) is among my favourite songs. The soulful rendition of this prayer by Pandit Jasraj instils in me a sense of profound bliss.

Link: https://youtu.be/tpB0lyPwUs4?si=WnBraeEYnkmgmw5T

Madhavi Madhukar Jha has also sang it very well.

Link: https://youtu.be/pZ-7s9P2KC8?si=vOETSHWn5HsNIkq7

What is special about this stotra? Just consider the opening stanza. A veritable visual feast. The devotee reciting the prayer mentally visualises Bala Mukunda – Lord Vishnu/Krishna as an infant – with enchanting, mesmerising 3-D graphic details.

Here is the text:

करारविन्देन पदारविन्दं
मुखारविन्दे विनिवेशयन्तम् ।
वटस्य पत्रस्य पुटे शयानं
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥

English:
“I visualise in my mind the infant Mukunda, lying within the concave of a banyan leaf, who with His lotus-hands holds His lotus-feet placing them into His lotus-mouth.”

Markandeya’s Vision

Why is Bala Mukunda lying on a banyan leaf? Who placed him there? The story is narrated in Shrimad Bhagavata Purana (ŚB 12.9.22-34).

Sage Markandeya is one of the immortals. At the end of a kalpa, pralaya (deluge) flood devoured all creation. Markandeya roamed the fathomless, dark ocean for millions of years after which he beheld on a tiny island a banyan tree with an infant lying on a sparkling leaf of a north-eastern branch of the tree. (Is that why the north-east direction is considered most auspicious?)

What was the infant doing? He had grabbed his foot with his hands, thrust it into his mouth, and was happily sucking it.

(Wikimedia: Cosmic Narayana as the Infant Krishna (Vijayanagra period) - Banyan leaf on which he floats missing; 15^th century bronze, Karnataka.)

Awed by this amazing sight, the sage bowed in reverence. The infant smiled, and gently breathed in drawing into his being the sage who beheld there the entire universe including his own hermitage. The infant exhaled to return the sage to the created world. As the sage approached to embrace the infant God, He vanished. God had granted the sage, owing to his piety and penance, a brief glimpse of Maya – the inscrutable mystery of creation and destruction.

Why does the infant God suck his toe? Because an infant maps his mouth, and readies it for sucking mother’s breast. Even Vishnu, when he chooses to be born a human, is subject to the mundane, mortal path of growth.

Mukunda

An epithet for Vishnu/Krishna, the word has  several connotations. Muku is mukti or liberation, da is to bestow; thus, Mukunda is the Lord who bestows liberation.

Who composed this stotra?

The authorship of Govinda Damodara Stotra (GDS) is attributed to Bilvamaṅgalacarya - poet-saint of South India who is better known for his masterpiece Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. The dating for Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta is broadly placed between the 9th and 15th centuries CE.

GDS is a long stotra with 71 verses; with गोविन्द दामोदर माधवेति (Gobinda Damodara Madhaveti) as the dhuva pada, the recurring primal pada. However, the kararabindena verse is not part of GDS. Why, then, do several singers begin the prayer with this opening stanza? Maybe, because it is a powerful and memorable invocation by the devotee. The stanza is possibly composed by a later author and appended to Bilvamangala’s GDS. The cinematic details are surely drawn upon Veda Vyasa’s narrative in Shrimad Bhagavata of Markandeya’s vision of the infant God. Incidentally, in that episode Vyasa mentions neither Krishna, Rama, or even Vishnu; but only Bhagavan.

Govinda, Dāmodara, and Mādhava: Meaning & Significance

These three names are among the most beloved epithets of Śrī Krishna / Vishnu, each carrying layers of meaning rooted in Vedic, Puranic, and Bhakti traditions.

---

1. Govinda (गोविन्द)

Etymology:

• Go = cow, earth, senses, Vedas, speech.
• Vinda = finder, protector, knower, master.

Meanings:

1.   Protector of cows – Krishna as Gopāla, caring for cows in Vṛndāvana.

2.   Lord of the earth – He who upholds and nourishes the earth (Bhū-devi is also called Go).

3.   Knower of the Vedas – He who reveals the knowledge of the Vedas (since go also means Veda).

4.   Master of the senses – He who controls all the senses (indriyas).

5.   In the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma, Govinda is explained as “the One who gives joy to the cows, earth, and Vedas.”

The name evokes Krishna as the cowherd boy of Vṛndāvana—joyful, playful, yet the sustainer of the world.

---

2. Dāmodara (दामोदर)

Etymology:

• Dāma = rope (or bond).
• Udara = belly.

Meanings:

1.   One whose belly was bound with a rope – Krishna tied by Mother Yaśodā during the butter-stealing pastime (Dāmodara-līlā in Bhāgavata Purāṇa, 10.9).

2.   He who is bound by the devotees’ love – the rope symbolizes bhakti, stronger than His omnipotence.

3.   Cosmic belly – some commentators say udara refers to the universe (contained within His belly at pralaya).

4.   In philosophical texts, Dāmodara also implies “one who is self-restrained and bound by dharma.”

This name melts hearts because it shows the all-powerful Lord willingly subdued by the affection of His devotee mother.

---

3. Mādhava (माधव)

Etymology:
Several derivations exist:

• From Madhu (spring, honey, also a clan name) + ava (descendant, lord).
• From Lakṣmī (Mā or Mādhavī) + dhava (husband, consort).
• From Madhu (sweetness, bliss).

Meanings:

1.   Husband of Mā (Lakṣmī) – the Lord as Vishnu, consort of Goddess Lakṣmī.

2.   Descendant of the Madhu dynasty – Krishna was born in the Yadu dynasty, connected to the Madhu lineage.

3.   Lord of springtime – Madhu also means spring; hence Mādhava is He who brings freshness and beauty like spring.

4.   The sweet one – embodiment of bliss and delight, like honey (madhu).

5.   Knower of knowledge (vidyā) – in Vedic glosses, Mādhava is “master of knowledge” since madhu-vidyā refers to Upanishadic wisdom.

Mādhava brings to mind the sweetness of Krishna’s form, His eternal bond with Lakṣmī, and His charm as the youthful spring-like God of Vṛndāvana.

---

Devotional Visualisation

When devotees chant “Govinda Dāmodara Mādhaveti”, they are not just reciting names, but visualising:

• Krishna the playful cowherd (Govinda),
• Krishna the bound child in loving surrender (Dāmodara),
• Krishna the sweet Lord of Lakṣmī and spring (Mādhava).

Together, these names span His roles as protector, beloved child, and divine consort — painting a complete picture of His divinity in intimate, accessible ways.

Krishna: A Source Book – Edited by Edwin F. Bryant

After reading my blog, Dr. K.K. Chakravarty recommended this book - a collection of 22 essays by eminent scholars. I found it in archive.org and began reading. Here is an excerpt:

“The earliest archaeological evidence of Krishna as a divine being is the Besnagar, or Heliodorus column in Besnagar, northwest Madhya Pradesh, dated to around 100 B.C.E. The inscription is particularly noteworthy because it reveals that a foreigner had been converted to the Krishna religion by this period— Heliodorus was a Greek. The column, dedicated to Garuda, the eagle carrier of Vishnu and of Krishna, bears an inscription in which Heliodorus calls himself a bhagavata (devotee of Vasudeva Krishna).”

Besnagar is the ancient name of Vidisha, a district town in M.P.

Link for the book: https://archive.org/details/bryant-e.-krishna-a-sourcebook/mode/1up?view=theater

Resources & References

·      Sanskritdocuments.org

·      Vedabase.io

·      Stotra Ratnavali – Gita Press, Gorakhpur

·      Sanskrit-English Dictionary – V.S. Apte

·      ChatGPT, Copilot, You Tube

·        Link for my previous blog How to attain Krishna: https://www.pkdash.in/2024/08/krishna.html

 ***

 

Beware of SCAMSTERs!

Dear Reader,

First things first.

·      Do NOT download Orlunith Pulse 8.8 App

·      Do NOT pay Orlunith USD 250 (or even INR 1)

·      Do NOT fall a prey to financial scamsters. Any scheme which promises astronomical returns is most likely fraudulent.

·      The report regarding Sadhguru’s arrest is FAKE news.

Today morning, I opened my laptop to play Pandit Jasraj’s Krishna bhajans on You Tube. As the soulful bhajans began, a Break-in news caught my attention. The news was attributed to Indian Express, and came with a photo of Sadhguru in handcuffs being led by policemen. How could I not read the sensational news? Why was Sadhguru arrested?

The caption read: ‘The whole of India is in mourning: What has happened to the famous Indian guru.’

It continued further: ‘Shocked by the government's order to detain him, fans are expressing their outrage as charges are brought against Sadhguru for leaking confidential information that could harm the country's economy. As a result, he has been placed under house arrest, and authorities have strictly prohibited him from accessing the media.’

The ‘news report’ is a SCAM. Sadhguru’s name has been used to lure unsuspecting persons to register on Orlunith Pulse 8.8 App, pay an amount of USD 250 (INR 21000 apprx), participate in trading and GET RICH QUICKLY.

Orlunith Pulse 8.8

I opened the Orlunith portal to verify. A ticker advancing faster than the World Population Clock claims that ‘SYSTEM HAS ALREADY PAID MORE THAN INR 980 CRORES to Indian investors.

I asked ChatGPT and Copilot to tell me more about Orlunith.

About Orlunith Pulse 8.8

• It claims to be an AI-powered crypto auto-trading platform, using GPT-based algorithms to automate trades and generate passive income.
• The platform is relatively new (domain registered in June 2025) and has low transparency—WHOIS data is hidden, and it’s hosted via Cloudflare in the US.
• According to Scamadviser, it has a very low trust score (1/100), suggesting a high likelihood of scam or risk.

Further research revealed the following:

• Orlunith leads to Savexa which is a website linked to Trade Tide Ltd with a MISA (Comoros) licence—offshore, lightly regulated, not SEBI/RBI-authorised.
• It is registered in the Island of Mwali (Mohéli), Comoros Union.
• Ownership is not publicly disclosed.

Investors Beware

Do not fall a prey to financial scamsters. Stay away from Get Rich Quickly schemes. There is no alchemy that turns dross to gold.

A Confession

If you took heed of the red flag I raised through my brief advisory of 396 words, you just earned INR 21000 in less than 2 mins; for isn’t money saved, money earned?

Now, it’s time for a confessional. My regular readers, especially Dr. Rajan Katoch, would remember that I had some time ago invested in cryptocurrency, from out of my modest pension, and had published a blog, too.

I’ve no ambition to Get-Rich-Quickly, so why did I venture into crypto? Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, eh? Though not very bright, I’m not stupid either. On the eve of Dr. Katoch’s Talk on crypto, I had invested a modest sum of INR 2100 in seven crypto currencies, just to get a feel of what it was all about, risking my investment as a learning fee. After six months, I had lost about 55% of my investment. Dr. Katoch had counselled that pensioners should stay away from crypto.

Thereafter, I had stopped checking my portfolio. Today, after publishing the Advisory, I checked it. My investment of 2099.92 (2100 minus Taxes, I think) is now worth 6393.40. A Profit of 204.46%. I’m the proud owner of 0.00049282 Bitcoin, my investment of 1300 is now worth 5310. A whopping 308.6% profit!

Do not be tempted, Dear Reader. Crypto market is so volatile that my portfolio may turn to zero in a few moments. Best to stay away from crypto, unless you, too, want to enjoy the forbidden pleasures of entering a Red-Zone.

***

Kanha: A Lifelong Love

A few days ago, I called Ranjitsinh Ji and asked,

‘Mandla is usually a first charge for a Collector. Why were you posted there after your tenure as Collector, Dhar?’

‘I had requested for a posting to Mandla, the only time I had sought a posting of my choice. There’s a little story behind it.

During 1943-44, my maternal uncle Nagendra Singh, ICS was Collector, Mandla, and we went there for a year-end family holiday. I was then 5. My uncle and father had promised to take me along for a trip to Kanha but didn’t wake me up when they left on 1^st January, 1944 at 4.00 AM. I was so furious at being left behind that I ran up to the terrace, banged my head on the parapet, and swore that one day I’d return here as Collector, and proceed for my jungle safari by leaving behind uncle and dad, so tells my Mami.’

My Kanha

Dr. Ranjitsinh thus begins his  article My Kanha [i]:

“It is not possible for me to be objective about Kanha;” and ends with unabashed sentimentality for his lifelong love,

“I shall always return to Kanha. My daughters will throw my ashes on the Kanha meadows and immerse some in the Shravan Tal, if the park authorities permit.”

Barasingha

Barasingha is the State Animal of Madhya Pradesh. Rucervus duvaucelii, commonly known as the barasingha or swamp deer, is a majestic deer species native to the Indian subcontinent. Its name literally means “twelve-tined,” referring to the impressive antlers of mature males. The animal is in IUCN Red-List (classified as Vulnerable.)

R. d. branderi (Hardground Barasingha) is found in Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh.

‘The central Indian barasingha Cervus duvauceli branderi is named after the remarkable author-naturalist Dunbar Brander who had been a DFO in Mandla.’ (M.K. Ranjitsinh)

R. d. duvaucelii is found in swampy grasslands of Uttar Pradesh, southern Nepal, Kaziranga.

The Eastern Barasingha of Assam is named R. d. ranjitsinhi!

The current population of barasingha in the core area of Kanha Tiger Reserve is about 1050. In 1968, Ranjitsinh had counted 66, after which he initiated measures  that saved this rare species from extinction. He was instrumental in voluntary shifting of Sonph, the first ever village to be relocated outside the core park area in India.

"In 1964, in Kanha, I met a young officer named M.K. Ranjitsinh, who had joined government service in 1961 and come to Kanha on a visit. Known to his acquaintances as Ranjit, he was, to my delight, much interested in wildlife. I told him that the barasingha or swamp deer which gathered in small herds seasonally on the meadow in front of our bungalow were declining because of poaching by local people and outsiders. Perhaps fewer than 100 were left of this distinct subspecies-one found only in Central India. Ranjit became the administrator of the district in which Kanha is located, in 1967 and promptly sprung into action. In cooperation with an American friend, Fred Stoever, he had a predator-secure enclosure built at the edge of the meadow. Most of the barasinghas were then housed within it. These captives bred well, and soon, some were released back into the wild both within the park and in the adjoining forests."

(Foreword by George B. Schaller, Mountain Mammals of the World by Dr. M. K. Ranjitsinh)

Bhoorsingh The Barasingha

The official mascot "Bhoorsingh The Barasingha" was unveiled by Kanha Tiger Reserve in March 2017 to raise awareness of this unique deer, underscoring MP’s special connection to the species.

'Bhoor' in Hindi translates to 'tawny/golden' and 'Singh', 'antlers'.

KTR runs ‘Bhoor Singh School’ for kids of forest officials posted in the park.

Mountain Mammals of the World

The author’s magnum opus published in 2024 (in his 86^th year!) is a richly illustrated global compendium of mountain-living mammals (62 species, 78–119 taxa).

Here is the author’s fascinating narrative of his close encounter with a female Saddleback Mountain Gorilla at Virunga National Park, Rwanda:

"She came straight towards me. Laden as I was with cameras and a tripod, I braced myself for the impact from the hurtling ape by turning sideways. She stopped abruptly just short of me, looked up straight into my eyes, touched my protruding left flank ever so gently, turned around and left. As she turned, I instinctively touched her shoulder. She showed no response to the physical contact but knuckle-walked back to her troop. Our guide walked up to me and officiously announced, 'Sir, you are not allowed to touch the gorillas'-a rule to prevent the transmission of human pathogens to the animals. Still in a trance, I replied that I was sorry but could not help myself. Then, in an unnecessary epilogue, I added that all my life, females had occasionally made passes at me, but I had been too shy to respond. 'This perhaps was my last chance,' I said. He and the group laughed, and the guide walked away. It remains one of my most memorable moments of close contact with wild animals."

Books by Dr. M.K. Ranjitsinh

1. The Indian Blackbuck (1989)

2. Indian Wildlife (1995)

3. Beyond the Tiger: Portraits of Asian Wildlife (1997)

4. Goats on the Border: A Rapid Assessment of the Pir Panjal Markhor in Jammu and Kashmir (2005)

5. Rudyard Kipling: The Complete Verse (2008)

6. A Life with Wildlife: From Princely India to the Present (2017)

An autobiography and memoir interwoven with the story of wildlife policy and conservation in India — covering his personal journey and pivotal events, including the Bhopal Gas Disaster (he was then the Divisional Commissioner, Bhopal), and creation of national parks.

7. Mountain Mammals of the World (2024)

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[i] https://www.sanctuarynaturefoundation.org/article/my-kanha?utm_source=chatgpt.com