2011 INDRAJATRA SIKKIM

INDRAJATRA 2012

KC PRADHAN

A JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF NEWAR COMMUNITY

                                            

Shri KC Pradhan, who has also served Sikkim as its Chief Secretary, and a respected plants man, is the first Indian and only the third Asian to receive the prestigious Veitch Memorial Medal of the Royal Horticulture Society, United Kingdom.

The Royal Horticultural Society conferred this prestigious award to Shri Pradhan for the year 2011. The awards ceremony was held on July 04 2011, at the Hampton Court Palace- Premiere Flower Show- the largest flower show in the world. Shri K.C.Pradhan however did not travel to England due to ill health, and the award, which was presented by Princess Alexandra, was received on his behalf by of the the Royal Horticultural Society. BBC had covered the awards ceremony live, on its BBC 2 channel.

The Veitch Memorial Medal (VMM) was instituted in the year 1870 in the memory of James Veitch of Chelsea in the United Kingdom. The Royal Horticultural Society, formed in 1804 is UK’s foremost gardening charity. The VMM is a prestigious prize given annually by the Royal Horticulture Society to persons of any nationality who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement of science and practice of horticulture.

In a more detailed introduction to Shri K.C. Pradhan, the Royal Horticulture Society states: “Keshab Pradhan saw eco-tourism as an engine of economic growth in Sikkim, India, and made the country special as a tourist destination. Amongst his many roles he also played an important part in developing the flower growing industry of the region and was Chief of Forest Services in Sikkim, retiring as Chief Secretary to the Government. Keshab had devoted the last 18 years of his life to gardening, disseminating his knowledge of nature conservation and floriculture, and has written three books.”

In 2003 the American Rhododendron Society (ARS) conferred upon Shri KC Pradhan the “Gold Medal Award” and in 2005 with the “Pioneer Achievement Award”. Along with this he was also presented a citation which read:” As Sikkim’s Chief Forester, your early recognition that the unique forest and mountain resources in Sikkim of rhododendrons and alpine plants are finite, made you a pioneer in environmental awareness. ...In this endeavour you become a pioneer in what today is known as eco-tourism. …You have gained the respect and thanks of a worldwide fellowship of Rhododendron lovers.”

Shri KC Pradhan’s finest hours were, as per the book “The Life and Times of a Plantsman in the SIKKIM HIMALAYAS” authored by Shri  Pradhan, was when an eminent Japanese botanist Professor Hiroshi Hara, had given the name Impatiens pradhanii to a new plant found by Shri Pradhan, and when The Chief Minister Pawan Chamling presented to Mrs Sonia Gandhi, a new orchid hybrid developed by Shri KC Pradhan and named it Brassolaeliocattleya Miraya, after her granddaughter, Miraya Vadra Gandhi

Shri Keshab Chandra Pradhan, lovingly addressed as KC Pradhan, was born in 1935 at Pacheykhani, to Rai Sahib Bhim Bahadur Pradhan, who headed the Forest Department of Sikkim for more than three decades. At a tender age of 10, when children his age are fond of comic books, Keshab knew the Latin names of all the orchids in his father’s garden.

Shri K.C. Pradhan’s  ancestors entered Sikkim after they escaped the Massacre that took place in 1846 at the kot (fort) adjacent to his family establishment at Makhan Tol, Kathmandu. His grandfather Chandrabir Kasaju, was born at Inacho Tol, Bhaktapur, in Nepal. Chandrabir, followed his legendary Taksari Laxmidas Pradhan to Sikkim, who was a successful merchant dealing in silk and brocades, but was compelled to flee Nepal after all the Nobles he had dealings with, were killed.

Shri KC Pradhan’s wife Shanti  comes from an army family. Her father, Lt.Col. Tulsi R. Pradhan, took part in the war in Burma in 1943, and later commanded the 4^th Gurkha regiment as well as the 17^th Assam Rifles. She started her career as a teacher, her first love, before tying the knot with KC Pradhan and later joined the government of Sikkim. She has a master’s degree from the State University of Connecticut, USA, and has served the government of Sikkim in various capacities.

Shri KC Pradhan’s first assignment in his 34 year long cherished career was as an Assistant Conservator of Forests with the government of Sikkim. He graduated from the prestigious Indian Forests College in Dehra Dun in 1959, and also had a stint at the Yale School of Forests, in New Haven, USA.  During his long tenure of 34 years in government services Pradhan headed various departments, like Tourism, Home, Education, and Finance. He served two years as the Chief Secretary and reached the pinnacle of  bureaucracy as Advisor to the government before retiring on July 1993.

In April 07, 2008 the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling honoured him with the State Award for his outstanding and life-time contribution in the field of floriculture and horticulture in Sikkim. The Chief Minister remarked that this recognition is something which has to be earned and cannot be purchased.

. The newar community is very proud that it has given them an eminent and towering personality like Shri Keshab Chandra Pradhan who is an Institution himself, with years of vast experience. A strong pillar Shri Pradhan helps, guides, blesses and encourages the community always. He lives a life of solace and serenity amongst his plants and trees, overlooking the Rumtek monastery in the distance. The closer looks to his beautiful flowers and trees in all its magnificent splendour, in his vast gardens and fruit orchards, centres his thoughts around his decision to “honour the past, imagine the future and keep marching on…” for the rest of his life.

Bibliography: 1.sikkimnow 4 July 2011

                       2.matina Feb 2009  book review by kesar lal shrestha

                      3.life and times of a plantsman in the Sikkim Himalayas by kc pradhan. 

PREVAILING NEWAR HOME REMEDIES 1. The Newars worship a diety called nhaypansyah dyah or kandevata, meaning the deity for suffering from ear ache. The Newars believe that the deity will provide relief from the ear ache and sickness by absorbing the sickness and pains. In such case, the affected person offers a kisli, composed of a bowl of uncooked rice along with a betel-nut and a coin, to the deity. Some times, a pair of earrings made of silver or of copper is also added in the offering. Such earring offerings are made through two methods. In one method, at first a pair of new earrings are offered to the goddess and then taken back and worn by the patient as prashad, to perceive the deity's benediction and recover as soon as possible. In another method, the earring is at first worn by the patient and then taken out and offered to the deity later on as disposal to pacify the diety. 2. Similarly, to get relief from any dental problem, the Newars pierce a coin with an iron nail around the wasyah dyah, "tooth ache deity" with prayers for immediate relief . The number of nails that will be pierced, is according to the number of suffering teeth. 3. When a pregnant women suffers from pain in the abdomen or has problems in delivery, then there is a belief of rubbing warm oil on the stomach of an idol of Lord Ganesh, or as it is addressed as “pwasyadyah” in newar language.(stomach ache diety). 4. Problems with a kind of boils or janaikai, or ‘Herpes (in medical terms) is believed to be caused by the anger of a mystic "snake" spirit, jananaga. Such boils have an expanding nature, making a circle around certain part of body, such as, neck, arm, wrist, waist or chest, etc. It is believed that the suffering person will die if this cluster of boils makes a complete circle around the part of the body, where it appears. Newars paint pictures of two lions on the extreme points of such expanded boils to halt their expansion and cure them. The painting is done by an experienced heriditery painter, pun along with a ritual offering of kisli. It is believed that after this ritual the boils will dry within four days and slowly the disease will disappear. 5. There is a type of fungus button or scabies called khaye in Nepal Bhasa, and 'Warts' (in English medical term) which sometimes appears on the skin at any part of the body. It is not a disease, but, it makes skin unfair, dirty and gives an ugly appearance. To treat and eliminate it, the sufferer has to rub a coin upon the infected area, and then place the coin on a busy street. If anyone picks up the coin it is believed that the disease will be eliminated. 6. A person suffering from 'Styo', (aukai), rubs a gold finger ring over it, then knocks at the door of a neighbour by using the ring finger. When the neighbour asks "who is it there?" the sufferer replies "that's your beloved, aukai". By doing so, the sick person is supposed to recover by transferring the disease to the questioning person. 7. Among the Newars, there is a tradition of piercing ear lobes and top of the ear (helix) of the newly born child. Those actions are a kind of deformation of natural body which has a great significance in Newar society. Newars believe in rebirth and reincarnation. According to the belief a newly born child has neither abandoned nor forgotten his previous life and hence the child will still be actively enjoying his previous life. The child smiles, laughs, cries, express nervousness or weeps as a depressive person without any visible reason. These sentiments are expressed by the child whether awaken or asleep. Most of the children become sick, and in some cases the doctors or the healers cannot find out the real cause. Under such circumstances, it is believed that the child is still active in his previous life. To bring him/her to his/her present life, the newly born child's ear lobes are pierced as soon as possible. This physical shock makes him/her forget his/her previous life and make him/her conscious about the new world he is born in. Such piercing is also marked as a confirmation of his/her birth in a new family of the concerned caste or social class. 8. Whenever a child falls sick after dusk, usually the Newar household lights a small fire in front of the main door and burns chilly powder in the fire. This is done to scare the witch and remove the spell the witch has over the sick child. 9. When a child cries out of fear at night, then the child is believed to be sick because a spirit of fear has possessed the child. (saato wangu) To withdraw this spell/spirit from the child’s body, the mother sprinkles water from a Karua (a metal water container with a sprout at one end) on the floor from the main door of the house to the place where the child is sleeping. The floor where the water is sprinkled is toed by a sickle or a large knife and simultaneously utters these words “let normalcy return” (saato lhyanwah) repeatedly. If the child stops crying then it is believed that the child is cured. 10. If something valuable is lost then a deity called Cho Po Ganay Dyah, is worshipped. The deity is promised to be offered sweetmeats when the lost item is found. When one makes such a commitment then generally the lost item is found. People residing in places away from where this diety is placed, bring a small pebble from the river side and worshipped as the Cho Po Ganay Dyah with two laddoos as offerings. 11. Persons with bad habits offer prayers to the Nasa Dyah. There is a specific way in doing this. First, a kisli is prepared with handfuls of uncooked rice grains in a leaf-cup with one small whole betel nut and a coin (kisli). This is placed on the person’s head as the person offers prayers. Subsequently this kisli is offered to the Nasa Dyah along with samay-baji inside a triangular hole which is there on the front wall of every newar house, where this deity is supposed to reside. It is important to mention here that Nasa Dyah according to Newar beliefs does not have any form.