What made Anand Mahindra feel inspired to explore Sikkim?

Industrialist Anand Mahindra drew national attention to a rare botanical wonder found in the high Himalayas of Sikkim, expressing astonishment at the extraordinary life cycle and beauty of the plant popularly known as the “Sikkim Sundari.”

 

In a post on social media, Mahindra said he was previously unaware of the plant, which thrives at extreme altitudes ranging between 4,000 and 4,800 metres. Described as a “glasshouse plant,” the Sikkim Sundari rises like a luminous tower against the stark mountain landscape, making it one of the most striking floral species in the region.

 

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Highlighting its unusual biology, Mahindra noted that the plant is monocarpic, meaning it flowers only once in its lifetime. For nearly seven to thirty years, it survives as a modest rosette of leaves, slowly storing energy in harsh climatic conditions. In its final phase, the plant dramatically shoots up to a height of around two metres, blooms into a pagoda-shaped structure, disperses its seeds, and then dies.

 

Calling the phenomenon “the stuff of poetry,” Mahindra reflected on the absence of such indigenous marvels in older Indian school biology textbooks, despite detailed references to flora from distant parts of the world. He questioned whether contemporary school curricula now include such region-specific natural heritage.

 

Mahindra concluded by saying that discoveries like the Sikkim Sundari offer yet another compelling reason to explore the higher reaches of Sikkim, underscoring the ecological richness of the Himalayan state and the need for greater awareness and documentation of its unique biodiversity.