OK - I am sorry to all you few readers for disappointing you with no new posts. I guess travelling alone for many weeks made me just drift away thoughtlessly and thoughtfully. But that's a different story for a different time. Not to despair people - the blog has found its saviour - Balajee Venkataraman. Balajee has witten his version of things we experienced together. Here goes the first part I hope of many to come.
Disclaimer:
Most of what is narrated here are experiences that are common to Rakesh and I. Have tried my best to bring in my own perspective on things.
"They were like the ant, which can see small objects but not large ones" says George Orwell in his classic work '1984' whilst describing the 'proles' (possibly from the word 'proletariat'). I felt that he might as well have been describing me as I have often thought my life to be quite uneventful and sheltered compared to some of my friends.
So, what better way to open up the mind and cast away prejudices than by travel?
The Train
Rakesh had resigned a month ago and I, a couple of weeks afterward. Gupta, however was yet to cast off his working–class chains. So, he almost missed the train. Rakesh and I considered 'punishing the ***tard' for being his usual un-punctual self by deserting him. We couldn't, because Gupta had the tickets.
When we boarded the train, we discovered, much to our annoyance, that Gupta's very expensive travel agent had reserved only two seats for the three of us. Rakesh sneaked away to the top berth and had it all to himself. Gupta and I had to share a berth for the night after a heated discussion on the possibilities of whose feet would be in whose mouth.
We woke up to the cries of "Chai" – I more, out of fear of being scalded by the hot containers which the vendors carried than anything else.
A train journey in India is one of the most enriching experiences anyone can have. The scenery is awe-inspiring and the train buzzes with life. The sight of a solitary tree in the middle of a field can move even a stone to poetry. Travel by train (preferably window – seat) is a great way to introspect and discover oneself.
Digression aside, we passed most of the morning reading books (I was reading '1984', Rakesh 'Catch -22', while Gupta had to be content with his economics textbook).
All of us downed chai after chai in the afternoon while Gupta and I listened to Bob Dylan – Of course, Rakesh had brought his own music as he strongly disapproved of the very broad category of 'stupid English music'.
One of the first major stops on the way was Nagpur. No, we did not buy oranges there!
Instead we sampled kachoris , while simultaneously avoiding a large number of inquisitive cows – yes, they wanted a share. I kept wondering what the poet Ogden Nash, who wrote "The cow is of a bovine ilk, One end is moo and the other milk" would say if he happened to see these cows.
We passed some time by thinking up politically incorrect remarks about every state we passed through. We spoke of the great 'Ghandi' at Sevagram and at Ballarshah, where we had the worst idlis ever, we made observations on why a south-indian dish had to be crucified so in the north. (Is Ballarshah above the Vindhyas, I wonder? Sorry to bring up the north-south divide but it's a pet topic).
What was comical was that Rakesh and Gupta tried to smoke a beedi every time the train stopped somewhere between stations, but they were always thwarted by the signal turning green at just the wrong moment. As they pondered a beedi-less day, I jostled with fellow passengers to re-charge my mobile phone. (Of course there was no queue near the re-charge point, for is not the railways a mobile version of India?) .
In the evening, we struck up a conversation with a man from Bangalore (Yes, you guessed it – he was working with an IT firm). He seemed convinced that we had been laid off due to the prevailing poor market conditions (the great depression of 2008 they ll call it in the future). So much for us telling him that we had resigned of our own accord and that we wanted to travel a great deal.
The rest of the journey was uneventful and we reached Delhi sometime in the mid-morning on our third day on the train."
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Yummy!!!! Food and Musings that go with it.....
It has been about 7 weeks on road for me now. So decided to put up a list of the best food/drink I have tasted so far. I wouldn't bother you guys with the gory and disgusting details of the stomach upsets I have been experiencing. So here goes the list in no particular order:
1) Karim's in Delhi - This mughalai place is run by the bloodline of Mughal Empire's official cooks. The food is absolutely tasty and rich. No visit to Delhi is complete without a visit to Karim's. But be careful not to over order.
2) Chats in Dehradun - The dahi vada balla masala I tasted in Dehradun's main street has got to be the best chats i have eaten in ages. Hot and Spicy - the best way to satisfy a proud Gowda tongue. The old man has stood right at that corner selling chats for more than 35 years now. It was so nice to see passersby greet him every now and then - the great small town charm.
3) Thapa Tea Stall in Massoorie - Balajee and I have become life long fans of Chai though that means compromising on our Dravidian principles a little. There is nothing like sipping on a hot cup of chai as you sit on the road side observing the street and watching the world go by. The chai at Thapa Tea Stall at Massoorie Bus Stand is one of the best I have tasted. Mood and atmosphere guaranteed with all the Sherpa porters that hang around there.
4) Channa Chat with Kulcha - Though Channa chat is popular in North India the best ones are found in Rishikesh and enjoyed best on the banks of River Ganga. Two Kulchas and Channa chat (prepared by taking Channa, potato, tomato, thinly sliced chilly, salt, pepper and two sauces into a leaf plate as wide as a palm and tossing it with cupped palms to mix them) for just Rs 10. Wholesome, tasty, cheap food - a traveller's delight.
5) India Coffee House, Shimla - One of the most mentionable places of Shimla is the Indian Coffee House. The atmosphere in the old building is fantastic with government officials, lawyers, tourists and travellers occupying the tables. I guess I just love old time charm. If ever in Shimla, don't miss the Indian Coffee House.
6) Gulab Jamoons, Shimla - In the middle bazaar of Shimla there is a quiet unassuming snack place with mounts of samosas, pakoras and a big frying pan full of Jamoons at the entrance. The Jamoons were so delicious that it inspired a quote by me - "If Indian Sweets were the commandments, Gulab Jamoon has to be Adultery."
7) Momos, McLeod Gang - Just outside the temple complex gate in McLeod Gang there are two Tibetan Ladies selling Momos on the road side. Just Rs 10 for 5 tasty steamed momos that go so well with the spicy sauce that they serve. The best part is to see the two ladies co-operating and dividing the customers equally among them which is a rarity in today's competitive greedy world.
8) Deer Park Kitchen, Bir - Deer Park is a green and ecological campus with focus on reducing the footprint on environment. So there is a zero waste kitchen that serves absolutely tasty and healthy meals. Now that is a rare combination. Deserts prepared from fruits grown in the garden are the best. Completing the circle is the great practice where guests have to clean their own dishes after their meals. It goes without saying that you won't get any food if you come outside of the meal time allotted. It is so refreshing to see people trying to do their bit for the environment when it is so easy to be cynical in this 'unchangeable world'.
1) Karim's in Delhi - This mughalai place is run by the bloodline of Mughal Empire's official cooks. The food is absolutely tasty and rich. No visit to Delhi is complete without a visit to Karim's. But be careful not to over order.
2) Chats in Dehradun - The dahi vada balla masala I tasted in Dehradun's main street has got to be the best chats i have eaten in ages. Hot and Spicy - the best way to satisfy a proud Gowda tongue. The old man has stood right at that corner selling chats for more than 35 years now. It was so nice to see passersby greet him every now and then - the great small town charm.
3) Thapa Tea Stall in Massoorie - Balajee and I have become life long fans of Chai though that means compromising on our Dravidian principles a little. There is nothing like sipping on a hot cup of chai as you sit on the road side observing the street and watching the world go by. The chai at Thapa Tea Stall at Massoorie Bus Stand is one of the best I have tasted. Mood and atmosphere guaranteed with all the Sherpa porters that hang around there.
4) Channa Chat with Kulcha - Though Channa chat is popular in North India the best ones are found in Rishikesh and enjoyed best on the banks of River Ganga. Two Kulchas and Channa chat (prepared by taking Channa, potato, tomato, thinly sliced chilly, salt, pepper and two sauces into a leaf plate as wide as a palm and tossing it with cupped palms to mix them) for just Rs 10. Wholesome, tasty, cheap food - a traveller's delight.
5) India Coffee House, Shimla - One of the most mentionable places of Shimla is the Indian Coffee House. The atmosphere in the old building is fantastic with government officials, lawyers, tourists and travellers occupying the tables. I guess I just love old time charm. If ever in Shimla, don't miss the Indian Coffee House.
6) Gulab Jamoons, Shimla - In the middle bazaar of Shimla there is a quiet unassuming snack place with mounts of samosas, pakoras and a big frying pan full of Jamoons at the entrance. The Jamoons were so delicious that it inspired a quote by me - "If Indian Sweets were the commandments, Gulab Jamoon has to be Adultery."
7) Momos, McLeod Gang - Just outside the temple complex gate in McLeod Gang there are two Tibetan Ladies selling Momos on the road side. Just Rs 10 for 5 tasty steamed momos that go so well with the spicy sauce that they serve. The best part is to see the two ladies co-operating and dividing the customers equally among them which is a rarity in today's competitive greedy world.
8) Deer Park Kitchen, Bir - Deer Park is a green and ecological campus with focus on reducing the footprint on environment. So there is a zero waste kitchen that serves absolutely tasty and healthy meals. Now that is a rare combination. Deserts prepared from fruits grown in the garden are the best. Completing the circle is the great practice where guests have to clean their own dishes after their meals. It goes without saying that you won't get any food if you come outside of the meal time allotted. It is so refreshing to see people trying to do their bit for the environment when it is so easy to be cynical in this 'unchangeable world'.
Tattapani - destroying identities
From Shimla Balajee and I headed to a serene quiet village called Tattapani which is about two hours from Shimla. The roads leading to the place were perilous to say the least. Narrow roads carved out of tall hills, which are of course covered with hills in all directions (not four, all). There is no room, or should I say inch, for mistakes on this road for it would mean ending up in the depths of the valley.
Tattapani was one of the most beautiful places I have been to. The River Sutlej flowing just about 50 feet from out hotel balcony, tall green hills all around, a tall majestic bridge over the river connecting two hills and an old defunct iron bridge behind it. This place is famous for the natural sulphur hot springs that are found on the river banks, hence the name Tattapani.
In the evening we settled for Chai at a tea shop and struck up a conversation with a group of villagers. There we learnt that a dam has been constructed upstream on river Sutlej and when they decided to open the dam, the lower half of the village will be submerged. So in about a year's time, there won't be any natural sulphur hot springs for the present river banks would be submerged.
For the 'economic progress of the country', read power for urban India, a village is paying a price - that of its identity. The name Taatapani would be meaningless, almost ridiculous, without natural hot springs there. How easily they are destroying the most important characteristic of a village. And this is the model that is being followed throughout India. Systematicaly destroying the character, soul, history and depths of a place for blind 'economic progress' that benefits a few.
Tattapani was one of the most beautiful places I have been to. The River Sutlej flowing just about 50 feet from out hotel balcony, tall green hills all around, a tall majestic bridge over the river connecting two hills and an old defunct iron bridge behind it. This place is famous for the natural sulphur hot springs that are found on the river banks, hence the name Tattapani.
In the evening we settled for Chai at a tea shop and struck up a conversation with a group of villagers. There we learnt that a dam has been constructed upstream on river Sutlej and when they decided to open the dam, the lower half of the village will be submerged. So in about a year's time, there won't be any natural sulphur hot springs for the present river banks would be submerged.
For the 'economic progress of the country', read power for urban India, a village is paying a price - that of its identity. The name Taatapani would be meaningless, almost ridiculous, without natural hot springs there. How easily they are destroying the most important characteristic of a village. And this is the model that is being followed throughout India. Systematicaly destroying the character, soul, history and depths of a place for blind 'economic progress' that benefits a few.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Shimla - History and Random....
I had always known Shimla only as a beautiful hill station. But I came to realise that it was also a historically significant place. Being the summer capital of The Raj Indian Empire, the entire administration of the Indian subcontinent was carried out from here.
One morning we visited the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, which was formerly the Viceroy Lodge. About 13 British Viceroys governed the Indian subcontinent from this building during the summers. After independence it was the summer residence of the President until Dr S.Radhakrishnan donated the building to be an educational centre.
The guided tour of the building was very interesting and informative. I was in total awe of the conference hall when it was pointed out that this was the hall where The Indian National Leaders and The British Officers met and the decision to divide the land was taken in that very place. The table on which the documents were signed was also right there. It was quiet a strong place where such monumental historic decisions were made.
One of the most mentionable places of Shimla is the Indian Coffee House. Balajee and I enjoyed as many meals as possible in that charming old place. The atmosphere in the old building is fantastic with government officials, lawyers, tourists and travellers occupying the tables. I guess I just love old time charm. If ever in Shimla, don't miss the Indian Coffee House.
The main street is called The Mall road. But soon I realised that the city centre in every British built Hill Station is called the Mall road. I saw it in Massoorie, Dalhousie and Manali too. I read somewhere about a hill station in Pakistan with a Mall road. But I should say these roads have character and soul that the shallow Malls we have in our big cities don't.
One morning we visited the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, which was formerly the Viceroy Lodge. About 13 British Viceroys governed the Indian subcontinent from this building during the summers. After independence it was the summer residence of the President until Dr S.Radhakrishnan donated the building to be an educational centre.
The guided tour of the building was very interesting and informative. I was in total awe of the conference hall when it was pointed out that this was the hall where The Indian National Leaders and The British Officers met and the decision to divide the land was taken in that very place. The table on which the documents were signed was also right there. It was quiet a strong place where such monumental historic decisions were made.
One of the most mentionable places of Shimla is the Indian Coffee House. Balajee and I enjoyed as many meals as possible in that charming old place. The atmosphere in the old building is fantastic with government officials, lawyers, tourists and travellers occupying the tables. I guess I just love old time charm. If ever in Shimla, don't miss the Indian Coffee House.
The main street is called The Mall road. But soon I realised that the city centre in every British built Hill Station is called the Mall road. I saw it in Massoorie, Dalhousie and Manali too. I read somewhere about a hill station in Pakistan with a Mall road. But I should say these roads have character and soul that the shallow Malls we have in our big cities don't.
Shimla - Walk in the nature.....
From Rishikesh, Balajee and I headed to Shimla after a brief, nothing to write about stop at Chandigarh. Shimla lived up to its reputation of a beautiful hill station.
One morning we set off on a walk trying to find a meadow based on the information in our guidebook. After about two kilometers down the main road, we turned left to a mud road and were soon in the woods. Tall pine trees covering us on all sides. At one point the canopy was so thick that I felt like it was late evening though it was a hot afternoon. We walked through a path next to a beautiful stream. We were surprised by a pleasant waterfall which was about 100 feet tall. The water peacefully fell on the rock and then slowly flowed down without splashing or any hurry. We continued walking down the valley enjoying great views, expecting the road to somehow lead us back to the main road. We went on and on and we seemed to be climbing down into the valley and there was no sign of the path joining back to the main road.
We knew we were in shit but we kept digging deeper. Luckily, we found a group of cow herding women who said the only way to go back to Shimla was turning around and taking the same path we took to come here. It sounded simlpe - take back the same path. But soon we realised (me for the nth time - my friends would know about the famous compass incident) that retracing your path in a forest is difficult work. I thought we had come down one straight path but when we headed back we began to see the path breaking into two at various points. At one point, when the path split into two again, we decided to take the one going down as we could hear the stream that we had passed on our way down. But after about 15 minutes, the path just ended at the stream, except somewhere much down the stream where we hadn't come before. So we retraced back and took the other branch. It was great relief when we finally saw the waterfall that we had passed in the morning. Now we could just go back to the city but we were dog-tired after all those hours of walking and the whole way back was uphill. We were practically dead by the time we reached the main road and we had two more kilometers of uphill walk left.
Back home in Bangalore I have given lifts to any and every stranger that asked for it with a pointed thumb. So I thought this was a good time to cash in on my karma credits and tried to get a lift. For the first ten minutes not a single vehicle passed. And later not a single vehicle stopped. Then came the police who chased us away from there (But we were very happy because it showed how beaten we looked :D). So we just pulled our beaten, tired and exhausted bodies back to the city. And I decided that there was nothing called Karma.
One morning we set off on a walk trying to find a meadow based on the information in our guidebook. After about two kilometers down the main road, we turned left to a mud road and were soon in the woods. Tall pine trees covering us on all sides. At one point the canopy was so thick that I felt like it was late evening though it was a hot afternoon. We walked through a path next to a beautiful stream. We were surprised by a pleasant waterfall which was about 100 feet tall. The water peacefully fell on the rock and then slowly flowed down without splashing or any hurry. We continued walking down the valley enjoying great views, expecting the road to somehow lead us back to the main road. We went on and on and we seemed to be climbing down into the valley and there was no sign of the path joining back to the main road.
We knew we were in shit but we kept digging deeper. Luckily, we found a group of cow herding women who said the only way to go back to Shimla was turning around and taking the same path we took to come here. It sounded simlpe - take back the same path. But soon we realised (me for the nth time - my friends would know about the famous compass incident) that retracing your path in a forest is difficult work. I thought we had come down one straight path but when we headed back we began to see the path breaking into two at various points. At one point, when the path split into two again, we decided to take the one going down as we could hear the stream that we had passed on our way down. But after about 15 minutes, the path just ended at the stream, except somewhere much down the stream where we hadn't come before. So we retraced back and took the other branch. It was great relief when we finally saw the waterfall that we had passed in the morning. Now we could just go back to the city but we were dog-tired after all those hours of walking and the whole way back was uphill. We were practically dead by the time we reached the main road and we had two more kilometers of uphill walk left.
Back home in Bangalore I have given lifts to any and every stranger that asked for it with a pointed thumb. So I thought this was a good time to cash in on my karma credits and tried to get a lift. For the first ten minutes not a single vehicle passed. And later not a single vehicle stopped. Then came the police who chased us away from there (But we were very happy because it showed how beaten we looked :D). So we just pulled our beaten, tired and exhausted bodies back to the city. And I decided that there was nothing called Karma.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Rantings of a Wannabe Socialist
Balajee and I stayed at the Omkarananda Ganga Sadan Ashram while we were in Rishikesh. The Ashram is situated on the banks of the River Ganga offering great views of the Ram Jhula bridge, the Ganga in all its fury,the temples on the other bank, green hills in the background etc. I spent hours and hours on the banks reading Shashi Tharoor's "The Elephant, The Tiger and The Cellphone". The self proclaimed rightist's views on urban development in India left me fuming.
Shashi Tharoor bluntly says Calcutta is finally on the path to development because "people are now dining in affluent restaurants". He is very happy with the model of development urban India is following. He should know that annual family holidays and visits for conferences do not suffice as enough experience to comment on the path the Indian Cities are taking. As an urban Indian from Bangalore, I can see the cultural denigration happening in the city. By culture I of course don't mean the traditional Hindu/Indian culture. Every city has a character, a soul and a depth which we seem to be continuously ignoring in out blind pursuit of economic 'progress'. To give a simple example - shopping malls and commercial complexes are becoming the only public or community spaces in Bangalore. The city is drowning itself in the gaudy of consumerism while happily ignoring (and even burdening with higher costs of living and real estate) the economically lower sections of the city. But Shashi Tharoor wouldn't mind as long as people are "dining in affluent restaurants."
He waxes eloquent about the great infrastructure at Bangalore's infosys Campus and says Infoscions have the best work environment. Does working 12 hours or more in a day qualify as the best work environment? An environment where a big part of the urban young seems to be living just for the weekends. An environment where the IT generation thinks taking kids to McDonald's on weekends is spending quality time with them. (Of course it is not just Infosys but most Indian and Multinational IT/ITES / BPO/KPO and the like companies.)
It has been rightly said the greater the materialistic choices in a society, lesser the rights. So as long as there are "18 restaurants" to choose your lunch from and "a world-class gym" (that you don't have time to use) in your office, don't bother about asking for labour rights like fixed working hours and fair Overtime allowances. Few argue that we can't complain about these things as we are a third world country and we need to be happy with the jobs (which give disposable income too!!) we have. But why should we let ourselves be slaves of the time in history and follow a "beggars can't be choosers" attitude? Why should we give up our lives in working, shopping and watching TV? But more and more people do not seem to understand this as , more and more people have made their jobs and incomes their lives.
Shashi Tharoor bluntly says Calcutta is finally on the path to development because "people are now dining in affluent restaurants". He is very happy with the model of development urban India is following. He should know that annual family holidays and visits for conferences do not suffice as enough experience to comment on the path the Indian Cities are taking. As an urban Indian from Bangalore, I can see the cultural denigration happening in the city. By culture I of course don't mean the traditional Hindu/Indian culture. Every city has a character, a soul and a depth which we seem to be continuously ignoring in out blind pursuit of economic 'progress'. To give a simple example - shopping malls and commercial complexes are becoming the only public or community spaces in Bangalore. The city is drowning itself in the gaudy of consumerism while happily ignoring (and even burdening with higher costs of living and real estate) the economically lower sections of the city. But Shashi Tharoor wouldn't mind as long as people are "dining in affluent restaurants."
He waxes eloquent about the great infrastructure at Bangalore's infosys Campus and says Infoscions have the best work environment. Does working 12 hours or more in a day qualify as the best work environment? An environment where a big part of the urban young seems to be living just for the weekends. An environment where the IT generation thinks taking kids to McDonald's on weekends is spending quality time with them. (Of course it is not just Infosys but most Indian and Multinational IT/ITES / BPO/KPO and the like companies.)
It has been rightly said the greater the materialistic choices in a society, lesser the rights. So as long as there are "18 restaurants" to choose your lunch from and "a world-class gym" (that you don't have time to use) in your office, don't bother about asking for labour rights like fixed working hours and fair Overtime allowances. Few argue that we can't complain about these things as we are a third world country and we need to be happy with the jobs (which give disposable income too!!) we have. But why should we let ourselves be slaves of the time in history and follow a "beggars can't be choosers" attitude? Why should we give up our lives in working, shopping and watching TV? But more and more people do not seem to understand this as , more and more people have made their jobs and incomes their lives.
Chai, Chillum, Chapathi......
One morning in Rishikesh Balajee and I planned to visit the abandoned Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram which is better known as The Beatles Ashram. We found ourselves asking directions from a sadhu. When I enquired if there were any guides around, he said he was a guide himself and this led to one of the best experiences of Rishikesh.
Suraj Giri Baba, our guide though he didn't know much about the Beatles Ashram, is a 25 years old Naga sadhu. He is from the city of Lucknow and was made a sadhu at the tender age of 8 years old. All of 25 years, wearing an orange T shirt, short hair, shaved chin - he was not the typical sadhu of my imagination. Suraj Giri Baba is of the kind where one should not judge, try to reason, to understand or decipher. It is just to be experienced. Here are the excerpts from an interesting monologue:
"It is bad times to be a sadhu now. I fold my hands and greet people with Jai Hari Om and people already begin to shoo me away like I am a beggar. How do they know if I have come to ask something or to actually give something to them.
"I want to be self-dependant. I don't want to go other sadhus' ashrams and survive on others' devotees money. I want to live on my own. So I got into the tourist line. I take foreigners on tours to Shimla, Haridwar, Pushkar etc. Because I am sadhu I dont charge them but just take whatever they give me as donation. There are people who give me 10,000 , 20,000 and even 50,000 for just one week's trip.
"I generally don't entertain Indians. People have given me such bitter experiences that Indians have lost my respect, though I am Indian myself. Indians don't treat sadhus well but look at me like a beggar. If I am with a lady tourist, they pass indecent comments. I have got into fights so many times because people pass filthy comments and some even try to molest them. I go on my own path and am happy with the tourist line. I agreed to guide you guys because I felt some good energy, some brotherhood. Otherwise I never entertain Indian tourists.
"Let me know if you want Charas or Cocaine. Rs. 900 for 10 grams of Charas but very good stuff. This price is because you are Indian, but for foreigners it will cost more. When I got loads of money from tourists, I blew it up on Cocaine and other stuff. But now I have learnt my lessons, a man needs a roof above his head. So next time i make big money, I will buy a piece of land and later build a hut. It will be enough for me and some wandering sadhus who come for shelter. At least people cant shoo me away, like they do now, when I am sleeping.
"I will not attain Moksha from this life. I do drugs, have sex etc and hence it is not possible for me to attain Moksha. But whatever I do, I don't hurt/harm others. I just want to do enough good deeds so that I will at least be reborn a Human Being. To attain Moksha one will have to go and live in deep forests or high mountains and not come in contact with other men and devote all time in meditating." And then seeing my expression, "You are from big cities, you don't believe in Moksha and Dharma. But most Indians, especially in the rural side, believe in the concept of Moksha."
We ended it with a Chai and Cigarette. The impressive Baba signed off with, "Hum Sadhuon ko chahiye toh bus Chai, Cillum, Chapathi.... aur ho sake toh Ch*th. Zindagi Kat Jaati Hai" (All we Sadhus need is Tea, Drugs, Food and if possible Sex. Life will go on."
I could just go on and on about the sadhu's impression of other sadhus, his philosophies in life, his favourite tourists, etc. It was an amasing experience for me. But it left Balajee, our Beatles fan, very disgruntled. The Baba did not know any trivia or interesting facts about the Beatles stay in Rishikesh. He had to satisfy himself with graffiti of Beatles' fans on the Ashram walls.
Suraj Giri Baba, our guide though he didn't know much about the Beatles Ashram, is a 25 years old Naga sadhu. He is from the city of Lucknow and was made a sadhu at the tender age of 8 years old. All of 25 years, wearing an orange T shirt, short hair, shaved chin - he was not the typical sadhu of my imagination. Suraj Giri Baba is of the kind where one should not judge, try to reason, to understand or decipher. It is just to be experienced. Here are the excerpts from an interesting monologue:
"It is bad times to be a sadhu now. I fold my hands and greet people with Jai Hari Om and people already begin to shoo me away like I am a beggar. How do they know if I have come to ask something or to actually give something to them.
"I want to be self-dependant. I don't want to go other sadhus' ashrams and survive on others' devotees money. I want to live on my own. So I got into the tourist line. I take foreigners on tours to Shimla, Haridwar, Pushkar etc. Because I am sadhu I dont charge them but just take whatever they give me as donation. There are people who give me 10,000 , 20,000 and even 50,000 for just one week's trip.
"I generally don't entertain Indians. People have given me such bitter experiences that Indians have lost my respect, though I am Indian myself. Indians don't treat sadhus well but look at me like a beggar. If I am with a lady tourist, they pass indecent comments. I have got into fights so many times because people pass filthy comments and some even try to molest them. I go on my own path and am happy with the tourist line. I agreed to guide you guys because I felt some good energy, some brotherhood. Otherwise I never entertain Indian tourists.
"Let me know if you want Charas or Cocaine. Rs. 900 for 10 grams of Charas but very good stuff. This price is because you are Indian, but for foreigners it will cost more. When I got loads of money from tourists, I blew it up on Cocaine and other stuff. But now I have learnt my lessons, a man needs a roof above his head. So next time i make big money, I will buy a piece of land and later build a hut. It will be enough for me and some wandering sadhus who come for shelter. At least people cant shoo me away, like they do now, when I am sleeping.
"I will not attain Moksha from this life. I do drugs, have sex etc and hence it is not possible for me to attain Moksha. But whatever I do, I don't hurt/harm others. I just want to do enough good deeds so that I will at least be reborn a Human Being. To attain Moksha one will have to go and live in deep forests or high mountains and not come in contact with other men and devote all time in meditating." And then seeing my expression, "You are from big cities, you don't believe in Moksha and Dharma. But most Indians, especially in the rural side, believe in the concept of Moksha."
We ended it with a Chai and Cigarette. The impressive Baba signed off with, "Hum Sadhuon ko chahiye toh bus Chai, Cillum, Chapathi.... aur ho sake toh Ch*th. Zindagi Kat Jaati Hai" (All we Sadhus need is Tea, Drugs, Food and if possible Sex. Life will go on."
I could just go on and on about the sadhu's impression of other sadhus, his philosophies in life, his favourite tourists, etc. It was an amasing experience for me. But it left Balajee, our Beatles fan, very disgruntled. The Baba did not know any trivia or interesting facts about the Beatles stay in Rishikesh. He had to satisfy himself with graffiti of Beatles' fans on the Ashram walls.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Ganga Aarti at Rishikesh
Our plan was to leave from Massorie to Shimla. But Balajee, a big Beatles fan, had s stupid dream where he saw himself walking on the streets of Rishikesh with a Beatles T-shirt on. So we just had to live the dream and we ended up in Rishikesh. I am so glad that he had the dream, we were so close to missing the great Rishikesh.
One evening we went to Swarg Ashram, where Ganga Aarti is conducted every evening. Beautiful green hills in the backdrop, rapidly flowing River Ganga, the Ram Jhula bridge across the river, a temple on the banks of the river, a big snow-white statue of Lord Shiva on a built wooden island, devotees and travellers sitting on the steps of the bank facing the Shiva statue, Bhajans and hymns being sung with quivering voices accompanied by the excited clapping of hands, religious fervour is in the air and the devotion is palpable - "Religion is the opiate of the masses".
Even to me, an atheist, the Ganga Aarti ceremony was a strong impressive experience. I was sitting there and couldn't help becoming a part of the singing and clapping. You don't have to be a believer to be a part of this experience. It moved me to see such doubtless faith, devotion, helplessness and expectancy in the eyes of the people. If the idea of God will give some hope and peace of mind to the believers, then maybe it is not such a bad idea after all.
One evening we went to Swarg Ashram, where Ganga Aarti is conducted every evening. Beautiful green hills in the backdrop, rapidly flowing River Ganga, the Ram Jhula bridge across the river, a temple on the banks of the river, a big snow-white statue of Lord Shiva on a built wooden island, devotees and travellers sitting on the steps of the bank facing the Shiva statue, Bhajans and hymns being sung with quivering voices accompanied by the excited clapping of hands, religious fervour is in the air and the devotion is palpable - "Religion is the opiate of the masses".
Even to me, an atheist, the Ganga Aarti ceremony was a strong impressive experience. I was sitting there and couldn't help becoming a part of the singing and clapping. You don't have to be a believer to be a part of this experience. It moved me to see such doubtless faith, devotion, helplessness and expectancy in the eyes of the people. If the idea of God will give some hope and peace of mind to the believers, then maybe it is not such a bad idea after all.
"Money Talks and Bullshit Walks"
One of the best things about travel is all the interesting people you meet. I have been lucky to have my share of them and I think a good number of posts will be about the people experiences. Let me start with my first experience.
Balajee and I were about to board a bus to Dehradun from Delhi. We decided to have a cup of chai (again) and it is there that I had one of my best experience of the trip. An Anglo(dad)-Nepali(mom)-India (living) started speaking to us. He asked us about out travel plans, where we were form etc. and informed us about his home town, work, etc.
"I live alone, that gives me the freedom to lead life on my terms. Money is not important in life but I see how my relatives cling to me just because of the money I have. None of them will care about me if it weren't for my money. Experiences are important in life", he said. He spoke so much about Life, Money, Relationships, his travels, his younger days and they all made so much sense because he was speaking from his heart and from his experiences.
He endorsed our plan to quit our jobs and travel. In a society where most people advise to play it safe and secure the future, where travelling is considered 'waste' of time and money, any approval of our travelling is welcome. "Like they say", he signed off, "Money Talks and Bullshit Walks".
The randomness of the incident struck me. This is incidents we read about in Lonely Planet books, not things that happen to us. It touches me that an absolute stranger can be kind and open enough to share his deep thoughts. I guess we need to open up antennas of our mind and be receptive to people. And then random things like this will randomly keep happening.
A guy at the chai shop, the Anglo-Nepali-Indian's friend (don't know his name), was rolling up a nice and special Ciggie, some unknown Mary Jane brand. He was kind enough to let me take a couple of puffs.
Balajee and I were about to board a bus to Dehradun from Delhi. We decided to have a cup of chai (again) and it is there that I had one of my best experience of the trip. An Anglo(dad)-Nepali(mom)-India (living) started speaking to us. He asked us about out travel plans, where we were form etc. and informed us about his home town, work, etc.
"I live alone, that gives me the freedom to lead life on my terms. Money is not important in life but I see how my relatives cling to me just because of the money I have. None of them will care about me if it weren't for my money. Experiences are important in life", he said. He spoke so much about Life, Money, Relationships, his travels, his younger days and they all made so much sense because he was speaking from his heart and from his experiences.
He endorsed our plan to quit our jobs and travel. In a society where most people advise to play it safe and secure the future, where travelling is considered 'waste' of time and money, any approval of our travelling is welcome. "Like they say", he signed off, "Money Talks and Bullshit Walks".
The randomness of the incident struck me. This is incidents we read about in Lonely Planet books, not things that happen to us. It touches me that an absolute stranger can be kind and open enough to share his deep thoughts. I guess we need to open up antennas of our mind and be receptive to people. And then random things like this will randomly keep happening.
A guy at the chai shop, the Anglo-Nepali-Indian's friend (don't know his name), was rolling up a nice and special Ciggie, some unknown Mary Jane brand. He was kind enough to let me take a couple of puffs.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
North India South India
One evening as I was enjoying an evening roadside Chai in Delhi, a young man in mid-twenties started speaking to me. On learning that I was from Bangalore, he said he lived in Bangalore for five months and then left the city because he was fed up with the 'attitude' of the people and dur to language problem. He waxed eloquent about one India and how he was appaled to see the North India - South India divide in a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore. He narrate instances when he was treated badly by localites becuse he spoke in Hindi to them.
I am sorry that a guy coming to my city had to face this and that he carries such an impression about my fellow "localites" from Bangalore. But please let me say the below in defence of my city and my people -
The main cause for such frictions is the language. Not that we hate Hindi or other languages but simply that we dont understand the language. Our North Indian friends are baffled when they hear that we South Indians cannot speak Hindi - the "National Language"!! But what they fail to realise is that they cannot stuff down a language down the throat of the minority just because an arguable majority speaks it. It is grossly unfair to expect that the minority should learn the language of the majority - by that logic many religious nation states could impose the national religion on the minority.
What they fail to realise is that millions of people cannot learn a new foreign language just because someone in Delhi declared it to be the National Language. To better explain my point - Imagine China occupies us tomorrow (Devil Forbid) and a new nation is born with Mandarin as the National Language. Can all Indians then start speaking Chinese. It doesn't happen that way right.
So without understanding this simple logic, if my North Indian friends pose the ridiculous "Aapko Hindi Nahin Aati!!!??!" (You cant speak Hindi !!!??), to hapless South Indians, you are bound to have unpleasan experiences. Every person would like to express him/herself. And we all know that we express ourselves best in the language closest to our hearts which is mostly the mother tongue.
It is sad that in India, language is often used as a tool to exhibit chauvinism.
(I too am a culprit of the same. I am very proud of Kannada Literature winning seven Jnanapita Awards (nation's highest literary prize), even though I haven't read a single one of them!)
I am sorry that a guy coming to my city had to face this and that he carries such an impression about my fellow "localites" from Bangalore. But please let me say the below in defence of my city and my people -
The main cause for such frictions is the language. Not that we hate Hindi or other languages but simply that we dont understand the language. Our North Indian friends are baffled when they hear that we South Indians cannot speak Hindi - the "National Language"!! But what they fail to realise is that they cannot stuff down a language down the throat of the minority just because an arguable majority speaks it. It is grossly unfair to expect that the minority should learn the language of the majority - by that logic many religious nation states could impose the national religion on the minority.
What they fail to realise is that millions of people cannot learn a new foreign language just because someone in Delhi declared it to be the National Language. To better explain my point - Imagine China occupies us tomorrow (Devil Forbid) and a new nation is born with Mandarin as the National Language. Can all Indians then start speaking Chinese. It doesn't happen that way right.
So without understanding this simple logic, if my North Indian friends pose the ridiculous "Aapko Hindi Nahin Aati!!!??!" (You cant speak Hindi !!!??), to hapless South Indians, you are bound to have unpleasan experiences. Every person would like to express him/herself. And we all know that we express ourselves best in the language closest to our hearts which is mostly the mother tongue.
It is sad that in India, language is often used as a tool to exhibit chauvinism.
(I too am a culprit of the same. I am very proud of Kannada Literature winning seven Jnanapita Awards (nation's highest literary prize), even though I haven't read a single one of them!)
A Saturday Evening in Delhi
One evening we took the very efficient Delhi Metro and landed ourselves in the Chandni Chowk area. Our plan was to feast on all the street junk food and that was to be our dinner. So we started with Ballas, moved on to Chole Dal Chat, Bhajjis, Jelebis, Lime Soda and ended it with golgoppe or pani puri as they are known in Bangalore. From here we took a long auto ride to Safdarjang Enclave because one of our friend said that a particular Greek drink called Ouzo at the upmarket 'It's Greek to Me' is a must try and moreover it was a Saturday night.
Gupta and I were served our much awaited cocktail of Ouzo and Vodka. The first sip warned that it is not going to be an easy drink. It was pure raw Vodka and Ouzo, a stronger spirit than Vodka. The strong drink ensured we took a real long time to finish it as we enjoyed our communal smoke along. When we ran out of our patience after an hour or so we just did a bottoms up and gulped down the remaining half or so of the glass. One smooth flow down to the stomach and a sharp knock up in the brain. You see - we are used to drinking at faster rates and it will harm our reputation to sit with a single drink for an hour - even if it is RAW Vodka and Ouzo.
Meanwhile Balajee finished two drinks of a cocktail that tasted roughly like Milo mixed with Chocolate Milk. Wonder what he was thinking when he ordered the second one.
Gupta and I were served our much awaited cocktail of Ouzo and Vodka. The first sip warned that it is not going to be an easy drink. It was pure raw Vodka and Ouzo, a stronger spirit than Vodka. The strong drink ensured we took a real long time to finish it as we enjoyed our communal smoke along. When we ran out of our patience after an hour or so we just did a bottoms up and gulped down the remaining half or so of the glass. One smooth flow down to the stomach and a sharp knock up in the brain. You see - we are used to drinking at faster rates and it will harm our reputation to sit with a single drink for an hour - even if it is RAW Vodka and Ouzo.
Meanwhile Balajee finished two drinks of a cocktail that tasted roughly like Milo mixed with Chocolate Milk. Wonder what he was thinking when he ordered the second one.
An afternoon in a busy street
We settled ourselves in a budget hotel in the Paharganj area. We got a good deal, never mind that the taps let out yellowish-orange water.
After a filling heavy sumptuous lunch (It costed Rs. 82 for three of us, how often do we go to such small restaurants back home) we decided to stroll aimlessly on the narrow busy streets of Paharganj. Cycle-rickshaws struggling for space with luxury cars, shopkeepers trying to woo passerby in, Foreign tourists amused/irked with sales persons, shops that line the street selling clothes, cell phones, medicines, shoes, electronics, restaurant tailor made for tourists, roadside eateries etc.......
so many images to take in while also ensuring that you don't bump into a moving vehicle or another pedestrian. We reached the busy junction near New Delhi Railway Station, sat there and read our newspapers unmindful of the busy metropolis junction around us. We could have been in our living rooms.
I wonder if I ever did this in my 12 hour work days with a busier weekend life in Bangalore. I couldn't remember the last time I sat on the footpath of Jayanagar or Basavangudi and watched the street brimming with life. I guess this is one of te best things about travelling - It gives you time to sit on the streets and watch the world go by.
After a filling heavy sumptuous lunch (It costed Rs. 82 for three of us, how often do we go to such small restaurants back home) we decided to stroll aimlessly on the narrow busy streets of Paharganj. Cycle-rickshaws struggling for space with luxury cars, shopkeepers trying to woo passerby in, Foreign tourists amused/irked with sales persons, shops that line the street selling clothes, cell phones, medicines, shoes, electronics, restaurant tailor made for tourists, roadside eateries etc.......
so many images to take in while also ensuring that you don't bump into a moving vehicle or another pedestrian. We reached the busy junction near New Delhi Railway Station, sat there and read our newspapers unmindful of the busy metropolis junction around us. We could have been in our living rooms.
I wonder if I ever did this in my 12 hour work days with a busier weekend life in Bangalore. I couldn't remember the last time I sat on the footpath of Jayanagar or Basavangudi and watched the street brimming with life. I guess this is one of te best things about travelling - It gives you time to sit on the streets and watch the world go by.
Begining with Train Journey
It was less than three hours before I board my train to Delhi and I was still packing and in between listening to my brother's advice. The day had finally arrived, when I would begin my long-awaited backpacking across North India. I didn't know the places I would like to visit, how long I would travel, where I will go after Delhi or even where I will sleep in Delhi.
Balajee, Gupta and I found our places in the second class coach of 'Sampark Kranthi' Express. Dirty compartments, Stinking toilets, Bothersome (if unlucky) co-passengers, Vendors and Beggars who won't leave you alone etc etc - Horrible Right? But No.... in spite of all this an Indian train journey is one of the best travelling experience. Those small and long bridges, lakes an rivers, green and brown hills, farmers ploughing and weeding their lands, the bustle of the big stations and the calm in the small stations, the yummy snacks in the stations, interesting and jovial c0-passengers... and when you are bored of all this - drowning yourself in a book or drowning your thoughts wit music.
Twilight is my favorite part of a day. And twilight becomes all the more enchanting when you are in a train that is speeding through the Indian country side with views of small villages and vast agricultural lands. So I sat there by the window, mesmerised by the twilight, wondering about all the experiences this backpack will bring about. The experiences that will make this backpack trip one of my best Life experiences.
Balajee, Gupta and I found our places in the second class coach of 'Sampark Kranthi' Express. Dirty compartments, Stinking toilets, Bothersome (if unlucky) co-passengers, Vendors and Beggars who won't leave you alone etc etc - Horrible Right? But No.... in spite of all this an Indian train journey is one of the best travelling experience. Those small and long bridges, lakes an rivers, green and brown hills, farmers ploughing and weeding their lands, the bustle of the big stations and the calm in the small stations, the yummy snacks in the stations, interesting and jovial c0-passengers... and when you are bored of all this - drowning yourself in a book or drowning your thoughts wit music.
Twilight is my favorite part of a day. And twilight becomes all the more enchanting when you are in a train that is speeding through the Indian country side with views of small villages and vast agricultural lands. So I sat there by the window, mesmerised by the twilight, wondering about all the experiences this backpack will bring about. The experiences that will make this backpack trip one of my best Life experiences.
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