3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Oct 31, 2026 01:27 PM ISTWonchi MurryWritten by: Ronnie KuriakoseButterflies were everywhere in Wokha, a hillside town in central Nagaland, where a young Wonchi Murry grew up. And why not, when her mother and neighbours tended to their sprawling gardens with a devotion that bordered on religion? However, this abundance also rendered them invisible.It was only when Murry moved to Delhi for her studies at Lady Hardinge Medical College in 2007 that she realised what she was missing. “There were no butterflies. Certainly not in my immediate vicinity. We made several visits to city gardens specifically to find them, but their numbers were appallingly low. At best, we saw two or three,” says Murry, 38, who lived in Delhi for over a decade. White-edged Blue BaronWhen Murry finally returned to Nagaland after her course, she went looking for the winged beauties. Her younger sisters — Mhayani and Renabeni — joined her. Together, they flitted between flowers, across streams and through verdant valleys. “We shared a collective admiration for butterflies. It was an expression of sisterhood,” says Murry, who currently works at the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences & Research in Kohima.What began as a pastime became a passion and eventually, a pursuit. At first, they were only taking photos, and as their collection grew, the sisters began gathering more details. The result was A Beginner’s Guide to the Butterflies of the Himalayan Realm, published by Kohima-based PenThrill. This was in 2021. In June this year, Nagaland’s Department of School Education made the book essential in all its affiliated institutes.As Nagaland opens up to the world, inviting tourists, efforts such as these complement those taken at the village level of curated nature trails and village walks. Himalayan Long-banded SilverlineThe geographical framing of the book is also deliberate. “Butterflies don’t recognise political boundaries,” she says. Some of Murry’s favourite winged beauties include the Blue Admiral, the Sapphire butterflies, the White-edged Blue Baron, and Lacewings. She also has a special admiration for the Blue Pansies that has made her mother’s garden their home. “They are so territorial. They won’t let another butterfly enter our garden, regardless of their size,” says Murry.Story continues below this adHer work, which documents nearly 110 butterfly species, is arguably the third-most voluminous record of butterflies in Nagaland after Sir Harry Christopher Tytler’s surveys as part of the British Indian Army during 1915 and researcher-photographer Tshetsholo Naro’s recent efforts. Himalayan Tabby“Butterflies,” Murry says, “offer a way to understand the health of the environment. From caterpillar stage onwards, they are very fragile, and so any disruptions to their natural setting immediately affect them.”But there’s a more personal reason to seek them out. “Butterfly watching offers an opportunity to slow down, pay attention, and find pleasure in the seemingly ordinary,” she adds.© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd Tags:Sunday EyeAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Oct 31: Latest News01Physical intimacy cannot be branded as rape merely because relationship soured: Supreme Court02Scolded over chocolate, 12-year-old girl drowns toddler, covers water tank with slab035 historic prisons around the world where you can now check in04Goa cop calls teen to police station over cyber complaint, ‘sexually assaults’ her05UP SIR: Bulk Form 7s not filed as per rules, not acted upon by EROs, EC tells SCAdvertisementAdvertisement