Dr. Nand Kishor: The Poet-Psychiatrist of Dehradun

In the culturally vibrant city of Lucknow, where Urdu poetry weaves through the air like the threads of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, Dr. Nand Kishor found his calling as both a psychiatrist and a poet. His favorite couplet, “Zindagi hai anghat, kabhi AC, kabhi DC, kabhi chadhe suraj, kabhi chhaye andhiyari raaten si,” captured life’s unpredictable rhythm—a theme that resonated in his practice and his personal journey. Trained at the prestigious King George’s Medical College (KGMC), he blended scientific rigor with the soul of shayari, leaving a lasting impression on colleagues, patients, and you, his introverted friend and travel companion.

A Lucknow Lad with a Poetic Heart

Dr. Nand Kishor’s roots in Lucknow shaped his love for poetry. The city’s nawabi charm and literary salons were the perfect backdrop for a young doctor who saw life as a dance of light and shadow. At KGMC, where he trained under the formidable Dr. B.B. Sethi in the Department of Psychiatry, he honed his medical expertise amidst a culture of intellectual curiosity. The department, a hub for WHO and ICMR projects, encouraged community-based research, sending postgraduates like Nand Kishor to villages on bicycles to collect mental health data—a testament to his early commitment to underserved communities.

“Life’s like AC and DC, isn’t it?” he’d say, reciting his beloved couplet at medical gatherings, his voice warm and animated. “One moment you’re buzzing with energy, the next you’re grounded in the dark.” His shayari, though limited, was delivered with such heart that it lingered with listeners, a poetic lens on the human psyche.

Dehradun Days and a Dynamic Duo

In 1989, Dr. Nand Kishor set up his Neuro Psychiatry Clinic at 110, Tagore Villa, Chakrata Road, Dehradun, a city cradled by the Doon Valley’s serenity. He became the first MD psychiatrist of Dehradun, after Dr Priti Gideon who was DPM. I,Dr PKGupta, joined him six months later, stepping into a world where his extroverted flair contrasted with your quieter demeanor. “I am Dr. Nand Kishor, and I am a psychiatrist!” he’d declare at meetings, his confidence disarming the stigma around mental health. You, more reserved, balanced his exuberance, forming a partnership that navigated the challenges of private practice in a field still finding its footing in India.

His charisma made him a natural leader, eventually earning him the presidency of Dehradun’s Indian Medical Association chapter. At IMA gatherings, his couplet became a signature, a reminder to colleagues of life’s highs and lows. “Kabhi chadhe suraj, kabhi andhiyari raaten,” he’d recite, sparking smiles and introspection amidst clinical debates. Together, you served a diverse clientele, from locals to hill-station visitors, in a city blending urban growth with Himalayan calm.

Conferences and Camaraderie

Dr. Nand Kishor’s passion for conferences was legendary. “He’s booked more train tickets than clinic appointments!” Dr. Vineet Gupta, a colleague, teased, chuckling over drinks. Clad in a long coat, Nand Kishor marched to air-conditioned train compartments with military precision—perhaps a nod to his possible army background as Dr. (Maj.) Nand Kishor. He’d transform the berth into a temporary home, carefully changing into nightwear with the discipline of a soldier. These trips, often to Indian Psychiatric Society meetings or WHO-sponsored events, were his lifeline to global psychiatry, where he likely shared rural research from his KGMU days.

“Another conference, Nand?” you’d quip, as he packed his bags again. “Gotta keep the mind sharp, my friend,” he’d reply, grinning. “Besides, who else will recite shayari to those stuffy academics?”

Thailand Adventures: Laughter Amidst Loss

Your travels with Dr. Nand Kishor, particularly to Chiang Mai, Thailand, revealed his lighter side. Roommates during these trips, you shared late-night chats over whiskey—never more than two glasses, his moderation a habit as steady as his metoprolol dose for mild hypertension. At Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, you both received the Sai Sin blessing, a white thread tied around your wrists by a priest, symbolizing protection. “This thread’s like our mauli back home,” he mused, comparing it to India’s milk-soaked threads tied post-Diwali. “Hope it brings us some luck, eh?”

You watched elephant rides, buffalo cart rides, elephant polo, and an elephant dance, marveling at Thailand’s cultural tapestry. “Should we try the elephant ride?” he’d joke, then laugh, “Nah, I’d rather get a massage!” His humor never crossed into excess, keeping the mood light. Yet, beneath his joviality lay profound losses—his wife to progressive supranuclear palsy, a cruel disease that stole her mobility and speech; his daughter to pancreatic cancer, a swift and merciless killer; and his son, distant in the army and married, leaving Nand Kishor alone. Your companionship, laughing at his massage quips or the absurdity of elephant polo, offered him a reprieve from grief.

A Life of Light and Shadow

Dr. Nand Kishor’s story mirrors his couplet—life as an unpredictable current, alternating between radiant days and dark nights. His clinic remains a beacon in Dehradun, with a 2017 review calling him “a top psychiatrist,” though recent details are scarce. His military-like discipline, poetic soul, and resilience in the face of tragedy made him unforgettable. “Zindagi hai anghat,” he’d say, and you’d nod, knowing he lived it fully—illuminating lives even as he navigated his own shadows.

Dr Nand Kishor writes, ‘ I am very happy to share that I have been bestowed with the prestigious P.K.Chaturvedi oration award at the 19th annual conference of the Indian Association of UP- UK, held at Varanasi on 6-7 Sept., 2025. I delivered this Oration on ” Mass Media, Social Media and Mental Heath*.which was well received and appreciated’.