Delhi by Seasons - guide revisits Khushwant Singh's 1990 work

Twenty five years after Khushwant Singh penned his iconic "Nature Watch," a new illustrated book containing text by the late author revisits the beauty of the capital city through its seasonal flora and fauna.
The book "Delhi by Seasons," illustrated by Suddhasattwa Basu, the same artist who had created the imagery for Singh's 1990 work, was launched here late last evening by Pradeep Krishen, considered an authority on the trees of Delhi.
"The book was six years in the making. It seemed like an unending process because there was so much to do but in the end it seemed justified. The text is from 'Nature Watch' that was published several years ago and used by many people to wander Delhi and recognise its trees and flora and fauna," Karthika VK, Publisher Harper Collins said.

The work, she said was a result of a collaboration between Maya Dayal, the daughter of Khushwant Singh who passed away last year at old age of 99 and Suddhasattwa Basu.
Basu who has also illustrated a book of nature poems and prayers for children by Ruskin Bond, says he has interpreted Singh's text in better sketches and paintings this time.
"Illustrating the text has been a lot of hard work. I had first gone into it 25 years ago. I was not a very good artist then. Not that I am a very good artist now but am now a better artist. I saw the text and thought the text would get better treatment," Basu said.

The book, which reads like the diary of a nature lover is patterned after the traditional Baramasi of Indian poets. It speaks of trees, flowers, fruits, birds, snakes, insects and animals to be seen during the twelve months of the year in and around Delhi.

Meanwhile Krishen recalled meeting Khushwant Singh a couple of times and said the late author and he differed in their styles of writing on nature.
"....I know that he and I belong to a different tradition. While he has a free-flowing gamboling style mine is like that of a hack going into the details.
"His way of writing would be wow what a wonderful tree mine is more finicky, to the point even it meant taking it to the herbarium in Dehradoon," Kishen said.

Recounting a meeting at the Lodhi Gardens here, Kishen said Singh was amazed at his ability to identify a particular tree.
"I met him once in the Lodhi Gardens leaning against one of the tombs. He asked me what is the fig tree and I said that it was not fig but ozba and he just kept shaking his head and asked me how do you tell?" the environmentalist said.