BHUBANESWAR: Even at the age of 88, Uday Narayan Dev's eyes light up when he sights a rare bird. He has found yet another quest, a great story waiting to unfold.
He begins another deep dive into the ancient Indian scriptures - the Vedas, Puranas and Sanskrit texts - to find and establish the existence of such species thousands of years ago, and document them in present context.
"Every bird has a past that can be traced to millennia, and each has a fascinating story, a mention or representation in our ancient culture. My quest to explore their stories is never-ending," says the Sanakhemundi royal and eminent ornithologist who recently released his most exhaustive work on birds 'Vihanga Samhita'.
Having spent over four decades of his life studying birds in the South Asian sub-continent, Dev claims that the book is one-of-its kind. It is a result of 45 years of extensive research as a part of his project that he calls 'Orientalisation of Oriental Ornithology'.
Presented in six volumes, the book is not just a dictionary of more than 2,085 birds as per their order, family, sub-family and genera, but also provides a Sanskrit taxonomy of birds in the sub-continent, names of the birds in all Indian languages and explains 127 colour plates on birds. 'Vihanga Samhita' was released by Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal on January 21.
"Do you know that Indian martial science has followed the battle formation tact of flamingo birds for formation of infantry in the battle field? This is evident from Aruna Krauncha Vyuha in the Mahabharat. There are also scriptures like Vaja Samhita, dealing with all kinds of falcons and eagles," Dev says.
Ornithology as a science is practised in the universally accepted European style. But, little is known or explored about the vast knowedge-base that our Sanskrit and Vedic literatures provide. Epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana or even Charaka Samhita are virtually treasure houses on bird species with minute details, he says.
Dev's passion for birding and eventual progression as a unique chronicler of avian heritage is yet another interesting tale. Electoral defeat turned a hobby into a full-time occupation.
Though he had started studying birds with reference to our ancient culture since 1975, he became completely engrossed in it in 1984 after he lost elections. But, before that he was elected MLA three consecutive times in 1974,1977 and 1980 from Mohana Assembly constituency.
"I first started work on this book in 1975 after being asked to do so by Raja Dharmakumar Singhji of Bhavnagar, an avid falconer. Since ornithologists like EC Stewart Baker and Dr Salim Ali had already written about birds of the Indian subcontinent, Maharajaji suggested me to explore the Vedas, Samhitas, Puranas and all kinds of ancient literature on birds," says Dev, who is regarded as the first ornithologist of Odisha.
"My study started then and now after 45 years, I have published Vihanga Samhita which is the result of an intensive effort to dig out ancient intricacies of ornithological facts many of which are not yet known to people today," he adds.
He inherited an interest in birds from his father late Nandakishor Anangabhima Dev Keshari Gajapati Maharaj, who was also a falconer, of Sanakhemundi. He does not have a professional degree in ornithology. "Nature has been been my teacher and the forest my classroom," says the conservationist.
He built a bird museum to train youths in ornithology as a part of his 'Project Vihanga' in Chilika. He has also been honoured with the Biju Patnaik Award for Wildlife Conservation for his contribution to avian research and conservation as well as popularisation and Doctor of Science degree by the OUAT.