A definitive guide on India’s biodiversity

If you believe that the Africas and the South Americas of the world are the only places to find abundant biodiversity, think again. Last week, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) Hornbill House at Fort played host to the launch of Magical Biodiversity of India, a coffee-table book authored by renowned wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee and Dr. Asad R. Rahmani, who has had an illustrious career in wildlife study and conservation spanning over three decades and is the former director of BNHS. The book was released by noted music composer Shantanu Moitra, who was the chief guest for the evening.

A definitive guide
The seeds of this exhaustive guide were sown when Dr. Rahmani had gone with Mukherjee to Narcondam Island (in the Andaman Sea) for 16 days, to study and photograph the Narcondam Hornbill.
The 294-pager coffee-table book boasts of 458 images clicked by Mukherjee in remote areas like the Himalayas, among others. “India is so rich in biodiversity—we have rainforests, deserts, coral reefs, mangroves, dry deciduous forests, which are habitats for so many species,” says Mukherjee, “But the common man of India does not have much knowledge about these. Knowing our natural world and protecting it is imperative today more than ever, which is why we have used visual treatment as it’s most impactful.”

A gargantuan task
The earliest photograph used in the book dates to 2006, whereas the most recent one dates to 2015. Dr. Rahmani selected the photographs with the help of Mukherjee and used his own field knowledge to write the text and captions. “I also conducted research for almost two years to verify each fact. Additionally, I raised funds for the book and worked with Mr. Gopi Naidu in designing it,” adds Dr. Rahmani.

Priceless treasure
Mukherjee being a fan of adventure activities shot many pictures while mountaineering, paragliding—check the Himalayan Griffon Vulture on page 54—and even underwater to photograph marine life, which forms the last chapter in the book. The photograph of the elusive brown deer was clicked by the photographer in a place located so far from civilisation that it took him eight days to reach there. “Since 2004, I was trying to click a picture of the brown deer. In 2010, I finally got one,” says a triumphant Mukherjee. “Dhritiman is perhaps the finest wildlife photographer in India, a thorough professional and a committed conservationist. He wants to spread the message of conservation through his images,” says Dr. Rahmani.

Magical Biodiversity of India is published by Oxford and BNHS. The book is priced at Rs. 2,000 and can be ordered on bnhs.org