Skip to main content

Wikipedia fails to mention Sikkim Orchid named after Kalpana Chawla



I found it strange that Wikipedia does not mention that an orchid variety had been named after Astronaut Kalpana Chawla who died in Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy. The year was 2003 couple of months after her death the then Prime Minster of India Atal Bihari Vajpee was on his first visit to the Himalayan State of Sikkim. Two new orchid varieties created by K.C. Pradhan, Former Chief Secretary of Sikkim and his son Sailesh Pradhan, both famed Orchid specialist from Sikkim was kept at  Orchid Flower Show, Gangtok. An orchid variety Dendrobium Atal Bihari Vajpayee was named after Atal Bihari Vajpee to mark his first visit to Sikkim while when asked to name the second variety, he simply replied “Kalpana Chawla”. Brassocattleya Astronaut Kalpana Chawla was than named after Kalpana Chawla. 


The Royal Horticultural Society lists the Brassocattleya Astronaut Kalpana Chawla in its March - May 2003 Registrations as a cross of Cattleya Hawaiian Wedding Song X Brassocattleya Professor Yashpal and registered by Keshab Pradhan. Dendrobium Atal Bihari Vajpayee is also found along the lists that provide information that it is a cross of Dendrobium. nobile x Dendrobium. Polka.

Comments

  1. Wikipedia articles are editable. I'm sure that you can edit or add this info into the relevant page. If you havent already, that is. :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT

This was a national song of Sikkim sung in the Nepali language during the monarchy system. During the merger with India, the song got banned and later re-released. Two words on the 8th para, which earlier said 'Rajah rah Rani,' were replaced with "Janmah bhumi."     This song was dedicated to the King and Queen of Sikkim. The song lyrics were penned by Sanu Lama, and the music was composed by Dushyant Lama.  The song was first sung on the birth anniversary of Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal on April 4, 1970, at Gangtok by Aruna Lama, Dawa Lama, and Manikamal Chettri.    JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT,  JAHAN KANCHENDZONGA SEER   YEHI HO HAMRO DHANA KO DESH,  TAPAWAN HO PYARO SIKKIM     INTERLUDE     PHULCHAN YEHA AANGANAI MAA,  CHAAP , GURAS, SUNAKHARI   SWARGASARI SUNDAR DESH KO  HAMRO PYARO PYARO JANMAHBHUMI     JANHA BAGCHA……     BATASHLE BOKCHAA YAHA,  TATHAGAT KO AAMAR WAANI ...

Sikkim closes for a day in support of their CM

A 12-hour bandh call by the supporters of the ruling SDF party was observed today. The bandh was called to protest the burning of Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling's effigy by the Shiv Sena activists on the 11th of September in Siliguri, West Bengal charging CM Chamling with having 'dual nationality. Except for Army and GREF all other Vehicles, as well as shops, were closed. Such a state bandh was last held ten years back. (photographs from Singtam)

Snake like fish caught in Singtam River

The  Indian mottled eel,  locally known as Raj Bam,   was recovered from the Singtam River at Golitar this early morning.  The snake-like fish weighed around 7 kg and was four feet long. The local people said that they had never seen this species for so long. Such mysterious-looking marine fish are also sighted from time to time on the river banks, local people added.