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A collection of tributes were received in honour of Aditya from across the world, showcasing the innumerable number of lives he touched; from family and friends to acquaintances and respected voices in the conservation sector.
A collection of tributes were received in honour of Aditya from across the world, showcasing the innumerable number of lives he touched; from family and friends to acquaintances and respected voices in the conservation sector.
He was one the most profound influences on my wildlife photography.A gentle giant.RTR will never be the same for me.
Sadly, I never met Aditya but I have enjoyed his photography. Now having learned about his life of service and contributions to ecology and society, I have a greater understanding of how great a champion the World has lost. Long May his legacy endure.
Some people never die because of their good deeds, and Aditya Ji was one of them, he will always be remembered especially for his love for the wildlife and Nature
Hero of mine. Cheers bro!!
Dear Poonam ji & little nyra my heartfelt condolences to you both. Knowing you all from my second trip to ranthambhore mid two thousand and subsequent being a part of ranthambhore bagh and know you all and the immense knowledge of Dickey allways fascinated us over a few drinks in the lawn and the arrival of little nyra. I had the habit of buying memorabilia at the little earth store run by you all and subsequently buying out Aditya signature book was a highlight which I cherish even today. The attention from Ramsing and team have always made our trip as memorable as the evenings were. Dicky with his immense knowledge and his ancients are still fresh. A man of knowledge and wit will not be forgotten so easily he will always shine bright. I pray that his kind soul rests in peace and his knowledge be a guiding light for the others.
With tears and respects, I say Alvida my friend till we meet.
Poonam ji stay strong my best wishes to little nyra.
Be well be safe.
God bless
Capt atul chandra & rahul chandra. Hyderabad.
Ek hi to mulaqaat ho paayi thi abhi, aisa bhi kya jaldi thi…. I am still not able to absorb this shock. Such a lively and wonderful human being, a fearless soul and so very down to earth. I had started following him on twitter a couple of years back and he was kind enough to have allowed me to know him a little more. He was gracious enough for having invited me and my wife over a cup of coffee at your place during our visit to Ranthambore. He was and will always remain an inspiration. Simran and I pray that may God rest his soul in eternal peace and may God give you the strength to endure this immeasurable loss in your lives. I am sure he is watching over all of us from up above somewhere with his camera and the infectious smile. Go well my friend!
An Ode to Dicky
“Pokemon” reverberates in my head as DickySingh would say stressing on the “mon”. I knew exactly what he wanted to do…..and there was one thing he would always ask me which I could never help him with…What should I get for Nyra?
I first met Dicky in December 2007. Thaks wanted to show me the elusive Tiger – a big cat I had never seen in the wild for our 10th anniversary. Miel recommended Dicky & Poonam’s place. The only thing Dicky & Poonam were warned of was Thaks’ Hyena shrieked laugh. Little had they heard of Poky.
On a cold winter morning, Dicky with his eagle eyes spotted me in a corner of the Bagh sunning myself with my hand cupped smoking something. He tootled over and from there began a friendship which developed over the years. I soon found I could walk into his room at any time, laugh, joke and chat with him about almost anything under the sun. He would rattle off facts as he supported his arguments. I celebrated my 50th at the Bagh as I knew Dicky & Poonam would take excellent care of my friends.
Of the 10 trips I have done to Africa, 9 have been with Dicky. For 7 I had the good fortune of being in the same tent as the Nightjar. Having lived in a hostel both of us soon figured out our daily morning routines, how to economize the consumption of water, breakfast, and lunchbox trades and more. We would invariably be the last to sleep, the last to wake up (yes that’s right) but the first ones ready for our morning safari. The evening always ended with a nightcap in the tent followed by DickySingh saying “Pokemon”…. I soon realized this was the only way to get a good night’s sleep. I empathize with my poor friend Sin who had the good fortune of sharing a tent with Dicky & Poky in the Mara.
I was on a morning safari with Dicky in Ranthambhore some years ago. I was desperate to rush back to the Bagh with smoke bellowing from within. Dicky was busy chatting to the forest guards and smoking a Bidi. I later asked him if he enjoyed smoking Bidis. His response “it’s not what you like smoking Pokemon, it’s about what they offer you, and hanging and being one of them”. He could relate to people, and he knew how to make them feel good. I have seen this on numerous occasions. Not many of us have such traits and it was one of the many things he taught me besides photography.
Having been on safaris many a time with Dicky I noticed that my photographs were terrible. I decided to invest sometime into my photography and upgrade my equipment. He was very supportive of investing time and not supportive of upgrading my equipment until I had improved. I appreciated his advice and after investing time, I thought I could now get photos as good as Dicky’s. Off we went to the Mara and found a Wild Dog. Here I had captured what I thought was an amazing photo of the Dog until I saw Dicky’s photo. I soon resigned myself to the fact there is a difference between a professional and an amateur. Through that respect for him my learning continued.
I must add that he enjoyed watching my screensaver as a lot of those photos were with him. His elephant sized memory recalled details of the where and what of each of those photos, including smaller things. I am thankful I got to spend 2 weeks of quality time with Dicky in Botswana last month. I will miss a friend, a mentor, a travelling companion, and Dicky saying: “Pokemon”.
Rest in peace Dicky. You were a great man.
Your friend Poky
Dear Aditya,
I only knew you for a short time, having been introduced to you and your work by Mrs. Chandana Singh. Thank you for inspiring me daily and sharing your passion for conservation of all aspects of nature, not just tigers. I’ll miss our friendly banter over all sorts of topics, ranging from the mundane to overtly complex societal issues one feels too small to change on their own. You challenged that “too small” notion daily and inspired generations of wildlife / nature lovers around the world to do the same.
To your family, I want to extend my most heartfelt condolences during this incredibly difficult time.
Rest easy, friend.
Dear Poonam,
It is with great sorrow that I learned of Dicky’s passing and want to give you and your family my condolences. I remember with pleasure my time spent with you when there with Kim. You were both so helpful and kind to all of us, creating life long happy memories for everyone that was lucky enough to stay with you both. I hope that knowing this will bring you comfort.
Condolences
Dear Poonam
I was so sorry to hear of Dicky’s sudden death.It must have been a terrible shock for you and Nyra. This is a very difficult time for you and everyone around you.I know you will face many unforeseen challenges and I hope you manage to get through all of them. The void is deep just now but I pray that time will help ease the pain of your great loss. I remember Dicky for his welcome ,his hospitality when we stayed with you last February,his committent to India, wildlife and the environment. He was an admirable person who had much to offer the world but was taken too soon. You and Nyra are in my thoughts and prayers. With deepest sympathy.