Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Primulas and Frank Smythe

In the summer of 1987, I think it was late May, I walked with Brigadier Sidhu and Major B V Naresh of the Indian Army from Thangu in North Sikkim to the village of Muguthang in the Lhonak Valley. On the way, you have to cross the Lhonak La pass which was snow bound due to unseasonal spring snowfall. These primulas were blooming on a meadow just before the climb to the pass. Looking at them, I was reminded of R.L. Holdsworth's comments in Frank Smythe's book The Valley of Flowers which I reproduce here.

" All of a sudden I realised that I was simply surrounded by primulas. At once the day seemed to brighten perceptibly. Forgotten were all pains and cold and lost porters. And what a primula it was! All over shelves and terraces it grew often with roots in running water. At the most it stood six inches high, but it's flowers were enormous in stature and ample in number.... In all my mountain wanderings I had not seen a more beautiful flower than this primula....."

My sentiments as well on seeing these primulas bloom below the pass on that misty May morning with snow threatening!

8 comments:

  1. How do you do it?

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  2. gorgeous! want to got here right now...

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  3. Just cheered me up in the heat and humidity of pre-monsoon in Kolkata!

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  4. Sunnychadha1@hotmail.comJune 9, 2010 at 11:22 AM

    The sheer magic of Nature, seen thru the eyes of an expert.Hwr, you have to also experience the bounty of Kanha in Sept.
    Sunny Chadha

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  5. lovely! were you sprawled on the ground for the shot?

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  6. Have never understood why trekkers put up with so much discomfort (wet shoes, wet clothes, bad food, endless company of the same people!) but can see some reasons for it!
    Anuradha

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  7. Sujoy,with your quest for heights literally and picturewise you have but one destination...nothing less than the highest crest in life. I wish you well and hope to join you on one of your sojourns.Thank you, for showing us mere mortals, the celestial world.

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  8. really wonderfully beautiful. hope to be in such a place one day before its too late and i too old. great.

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