Himmatsinhji October 09, 1928 To February 22, 2008 Obituary

2008·0.62 MB·

by  Lavkumar Khachar

Journal ofthe Bombay Natural HistorySociety, 105 (1),Jan-Apr 2008 86
OBITUARY
HIMMATSINHJ1
October 09, 1928 to February 22, 2008
With the passing away of Himmatsinhji on 22nd IvividlyrememberthevisitwemadetotheChachhloDhand
February,2008,aremarkabletraditioncametoanend.Bawa where I photographed a magnificent male Great Indian
Saheb,ashewasaffectionatelycalledbythemanyrecognized Bustard withthe massifoftheextinctvolcanoDhinodharin
birdwatchers of Kachchh (the newly spelt name ofCutch), the background. He delighted in taking us to Vijay Villas
joined the Society as a Life Member on January 29, 1952 Palace set amidst fine mango orchards on the Mandvi
shortly after he completed his education. He already had a seacoast and I could visualize his childhood there getting
greatknowledgeofthebirdlifeofhisareabeingtheyoungest familiarwiththegreatvarietyofbirdsthatvisitedthegardens.
offoursons ofHis Highness Maharajdhiraj Mirza Maharao In the background were Casuarina plantations and
Vijayrajji Sawai Bahadur, the Maharao of Cutch, who magnificent sand dunes overlooking the Mandvi beach.
commissioned the Kachchh Ornithological Surveys by He spoke ofthe Houbara Bustards that wintered there and
Dr.SalimAliduring 1943-44andfinancedthe birdsofcutch the several species of Falcon that hunted for Larks and
incorporatinghisandupdatingearlierpublicationsofthebirds Buntingsamongthegrasscovereddunes.Itwasherethathe
ofthe region by several 19 century British ornithologists. recordedtheRacquet-tailedDrongoandtheScarletMinivet.
These latter had all come in close contact with the Princely The former he collected and sent to the BNHS, the latter
family and Himmatsinhji’s Great Grandfather Maharao observationacceptedbytheSocietyreflectingthetotalfaith
Pragmalji had commissioned a natural history museum in that Salim Ali reposed in his expertise. Years later, when
Bhuj. His Grandfather Maharao Khengar was among the IsuggestedthathemighthaveseenthemigratoryLongtailed
founding members ofthe Bombay Natural History Society! Minivet from the Western Himalaya, his response was so
It was he who informed the ornithological world of the typical ofhim: “You have totally floored me!” There was a
existenceoftheimmensenestingcolonyofLargeFlamingos great mutual respect between us throughout the long
in the Great Rann of Kachchh and provided support for a associationwhichhispassingawayterminated. Ihadalways
visitto the site by the Society’s McCann in 1939. felt he should have far, far more notes and articles on the
During the year preceding his passing away, birds of his area than the few notes that he did write, but
Himmatsinhji was updating birds ofcutch andhe and I had whenIdidonceremonstrate,hegentlysmiledandresponded
aseriesoftelephonicdiscussionsonspecificspecies,thelast "This like a pot calling the kettle Black!”
being a rather lengthy one on the Black-necked Stork. His ThebirdwatchersofGujarathadarrangedagrandmeet
phonecamewhileIwasactuallywatchingapairofthestorks at Hingol gadh on February 24, to remember all the
on the Jamnagarside ofthe GulfofKachchh! We agreed to pastornithologistslikeMaharajkumarDharmakumarsinhji,
meetinKachchhduringthefirsthalfofthenextyear(2008): Dr. Salim Ali, and Shivrajkumar Khachar and to felicitate
to my eternal regret, it was not to be. me on entering my 78 year. While not expecting him to
The era in which Himmatsinhji grew up with its attend in person, we had anticipated a message from him,
English governesses, and British and Indian private tutors instead, hispassing awayonFebruary 22, convertedtheget
effectivelyendedtotheswirlingbagpipetunesofregimental together into a meeting of condolence for a much loved
bands as the English marched through the India Gate of memberofourfraternity.
Bombay (now Mumbai) toembarkon the waitingbarges to Himmatsinhji married Princess Padmini Kumari of
take them to the troop ships lying in the harbour followed Wankaner, a family of naturalists in their own rights. She
byPanditJawaharlalNehru’smidnight“TrystwithDestiny” precededhimbyalittleoverayear.Himmatsinhjiissurvived
speechtotheIndianParliament.HehadjustlefttheRajkumar byadaughterandtwograndsonsandonegranddaughter.The
College, RajkotinJuneof 1947, andgoneuptotheBombay several knowledgeable birdwatchers of Kachchh feel
University to study agriculture at the Wadia College, Pune. orphaned and the Society has lost a loyal member who
Hetooktothe newerawithconsiderable verveentering the cherished memories of Dr. Salim Ali and other staffofthe
hurly burly of politics and defeating the then formidable Society who had worked in Kachchh during the “Mist Net”
Congress Party to represent Kachchh as the Member of operations in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Parliamentfrom 1962to 1967. 1 hadtheprivilegeoftouring
LAVKUMAR KHACHAR
Kachchhwithhimatthewheelonacoupleofoccasionsand