It is a matter of the past when one, on hearing the boom of a gun fire at 9 P.M., would rush to his house and remain indoors till 5 A.M. the next morning. A foreigner would be able to visit only after innumerable official formalities were completed and yet find no hotel to live, could move only within the valley under the strict eyes of the police (official and non-official). Also gone are the days when in Kathmandu there were automobiles only belonging to the Ranas and the two embassies-British and Indian. One Dr. Debabrata Das Gupta was permitted to own a car under strict conditions, by the then Prime Minister-Rana Mohun Shamsher Jang Bahadur, the vehicle was to be a smaller one than any Rana possessed. It is said that the Prime Minister was taken ill during the late hours of the night. Dr. D. Das Gupta was summoned to the Palace. The doctor covered the distance on his bicycle in that cold and frosty night. Thus, he reached the Palace late. When he was commanded to explain the cause of the delay, the doctor most humbly submitted before his August Master that he had to depend on his bicycle. However, when the Prime Minister was relieved of the acute gastire trouble, an Order was issued for a car to the doctor. So, Dr. Das Gupta became the proud possessor of a billy Fiat, the type we do not see even during the rallies of the Vintage cars.
Those were the days when people, on hearing the sound of a car, would quickly dismount from their bicycles if they happened to be riding one, and bend low in obeisance even if the car had the driver as the lone occupant. By the roadside I would stand and witness the sight times out of number in a single day. The most favoured officers of the Nepal Government would have a motorcycle, but a bicycle was the 'chemin de fer populi'.
Over years things have changed and changed too fast. Most of the changes have been for the prosperity of the country and the people, but a few like too much of 'moderinsation' and the disappearence of 'shurwal and daurra' have spoilt the captivating atmosphere of the country.
Having set my foot for the first time on the Nepalese soil on 26th. March, 1948 at Birgunge, I have been accompanied since 1954 by my wife, Smt. Lotika Banerji, year after year when I would go to the interior of the country for my botanical research, Away from Kathmandu, we have been moving to far off places for days, weeks and months accompanied by a com-pliment of four or five porters. As I sit recapitulating the happy days spent in Nepal, I ruminate with pleasure the un-bound hospitality of the kind village folks, the Dithas, Subbahs, Bara Hakims and many others. To them all wherever they may be, and to His Majesty's Government of Nepal for granting us permission to travel in the interior of the country year after year since 1952, we both express our deep and sincere gratitude.
After I put an end to my botanical persuits. I have been browsing my travel diaries that I had maintained for each and every journey made into Nepal. Some of the episodes and remembrances are now put in print for the readers, who may possibly enjoy the narrative sitting, as the love of adventure is part of human nature, and almost all of us have it in a greater or lesser degree, though all of us have not the nerve, endurance and daring requisite for the adventure in its more exciting and hazardous forms, but read or listen eagerly of the feats performed or attempted by others.
To Professors N.K. Pande and P.K. Mitra, University of Kalyani, I am under deep obligation for having gone through the manuscript and for the many suggestions they have made on it. It will be a gross negligence of my duties if I do not express my deep gratitude to Smt. Lotika Banerji. who braving all hardships, enduring leech-bites and bearing innumerable personal discomforts, has been accompanying me all along. She was amongst the very few Indian women, probably the second, to travel deep into the interior of Nepal. Having trekked for many kilometres (miles) during the day and on reaching our night's halt, she would press the plants that were collected during the day, along with me for hours. Over years she has been giving me encouragement which has been much more than an impetus.
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