Escapism: An unfulfilled dream

I wonder how everything we have around us still sticks to what it is despite the amount of impurity it holds. Nature says it will all end one day because of what is happening today. 90s are gone and gone are the times I used to have outdoors, messing around in the mud and not bothering about the hour for which I was allowed to watch tv. It is just society and its norms that rule the minds now. Just when I was about to give up on my dreams of becoming 'me', a destined knock came to the doors of my being. A friend put 'Into the Wild', an English  movie, in my pen-drive and forced me to watch it, though I had been avoiding the same for quite sometime 'cause I knew it would change me. Directed by Sean Penn, this movie is a biographical account of Christopher Johnson McCandless, popularly known as Alexander Supertramp. For a year that my friend bragged about this fellow, I felt he was a crazy man. I mean who on earth would want to burn all his money, abandon his car and trash out all his identifications just to go on an expedition in Alaska? 'Into the Wild' changed my take on Mr. Supertramp. There are great movies; there are great directors; and then, there are great stories. If I could ever pull in myself to escape and leave the superficial for the society to enjoy, I would die any day after that without regrets. Escapism is a tough thing. People used to curse hippies in the 90s and even today, many social sects don't accept them as sane beings. Escapism is not becoming a hippie. Christopher McCandless was not a hippie. Escapism for me is a gift from me to myself. Escapism is pure.
#IntotheWild #AlexanderSupertramp #Society #Escapism #Pure

TIPA: For the love of performing art

I was trekking towards Dharamkot which is set above Mcleodganj and corresponds to Bhagsu. I had no idea why I was going there and what is Dharamkot all about. But, mid-way towards this village I got a very interesting reason to tread further. It was TIPA- Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. I entered the main gate to explore TIPA and to my delightful astonishment, I saw some students practicing for a musical play that was to be performed on 27th March, 2015 on the huge stage that the institute possesses. 'Shalang' was the name of the play and it was set with a background of Gautam Buddha's teachings. The traditional drums which were being played by professionals brought me goose bumps with their rhythm and enchanting sounds. Viewing such unexpectedly talented bunch of people was an admirable sight even as they were practicing casually. The people of Tibet are extremely inclined towards saving their heritage as they have lost a lot more than just a home in Tibet. TIPA is one such initiative towards accomplishing this goal. I believe each artist of TIPA will surely enrich India's culture as they gift us bits of theirs.

The Thangka Painter

On the way to village Bhagsu in Mcleodganj, Dharamshala, there are several small shops with beautiful artwork hanging in and out of the same. In one such shop I saw an old man working his skills on the canvas. His name is Tsewang Lhama. With a small pen like brush he was painting something very intricate. It was one of his Thangka paintings. Thangka is a fine art of Tibet. Thangka painting is so detailed and delicate that only a highly skilled artist can bring out the best of it. This Thangka artist is a Tibetan refugee and has been painting since he was 15 years old. His age is around 65 now; he couldn't remember the exact figure. The paintings he has at his shop are enormously beautiful. Every brush stroke is a hard work, not only of the hand but of the mind as well. Working with utmost concentration and dedication, Tsewang Lhama is a fine example of artistic excellence. While I was having a quick chat with him, he said, "I cannot see properly anymore. I have to wear these glasses to work now. This job has taken away my vision partially but I still work everyday." His smile while he said these words was one filled with satisfaction. This satisfaction surpasses the disappointment of getting a bare minimum remuneration for each of his paintings, that too with a considerable time lag. Though he has no country of his own and had to rebuild his family in India while losing most of the elderly members in Tibet, he is still contented and the credit for the same goes to the artwork that he is involved in. This is what keeps him happy. This has kept him going on without expectations of gaining 'freedom in exile'. 'Freedom in art' is his life's achievement. A salute to the Thangka Painter from a huge art-lover.

Kanya Daan: A Charity

'Kanya Daan', in literal translation means giving away your daughter in charity. In India, this is a highly revered ritual performed during weddings when the parents give away their daughters to the groom who is considered to be a form of God Vishnu. Now, offering the most precious possession of the parents to God Vishnu is supposed to wash out their sins. So what about the 'thing' you are giving away?
A girl is not a 'thing'. Girls are not 'possessions'. Girls are not to be given away in the name of charity or even as a 'gift'. Girls are humans just like men. Offering daughters as a gift to another family is not ethical. I am a Hindu and would never hurt the sentiments of the people attached to my community and others. But this is not what Hinduism teaches. In the Vedas, there is no mention of 'Kanya Daan'. No text, as old as the Vedas, would ever advocate this position of a woman in the society. All of this started in the medieval times when having an unmarried daughter was considered a matter of shame for the parents and apparently, women were to be protected by a bit more physically powerful section of the society comprising of men. Today, women have entered every field and have excelled in the same be it boxing, wrestling, engineering, sports, business etc. So why have such unwanted rituals sustained their position in our society till today? Marriage is the start of a companionship between two people who are equal. Men and women are equal. There is no point of considering one as a liability so as to transfer the same to someone else. A girl will always remain the daughter of her parents. Nothing about their relationship changes after her marriage. 'Kanya Daan' is just another way of suppressing women as they enter another phase of their lives and it is time that we stop considering them as a burden.
I speak against this ritual of being treated as a responsibility or a thing. I refuse to become a piece of charity. What about you?

Ram ki Holi

Whenever we speak of Holi, the love sparks of Krishna and Radha and of course the celebrations at Vrindavan immediately come to our mind. Holi celebration in Kullu is a bit different from other parts of India and that led me to asking my grandparents about the reason behind this difference. 'Ram ki Holi' is what I got as an answer to this. Lord Ram is the most important part of the spiritual lives of the people in Kullu. No festival is complete without his presence and even Holi is celebrated in Ayodhaya-style. The festival of colours is celebrated a day before it is rejoiced by the rest of the country. The day starts with neighbourhoods gathering to play Holi together. The traditional songs sung by the people showcase their emotional bond with their centuries old culture. Singing, dancing and enjoying local delicacies like stuffed Bhaturas and Siddus continues throughout the day. Evening sets in and people clean up well to attend  'Fag' at the palace of the King of Kullu. At most places in India, 'Holika dehen' is done on the night before Holi while in Kullu, this activity takes place after the day-long celebrations. At the palace, there are two piles of wood. One is dedicated to Lord Ram while the other belongs to God Narsingh who is considered the most powerful of all and is highly revered as 'Bda Devta' in the region. After a little puja at the temple of Lord Ram, his idol is carried by the priests in a 'palki' towards the pile of wood. The King of Kullu lights the same and Lord Ram, then, revolves around the fire. At the top of the burning heap there is a red cloth tied to one of the sticks with a few coins in it. The 'Mahants', a special clan in the town, have a battle among themselves to take that cloth out of fire along with the coins. After this is done, Lord Ram goes back to the temple and with that God Narsingh arrives at the palace ground. The same activity is performed around the other pile and this is how 'Fag' comes to an end. People take one burning stick from each of the two heaps to light the same in their kitchen. It is said that this would bring good luck to the household. The tradition and heritage of small towns like Kullu come alive at events like this. The magnificence with which this festival is celebrated in India is quite projective but exploring its intricacies in the remote areas instils great pride for our culture as well as for the people who have preserved it with their beliefs and devotion.

The World from above

I reached Bir and boarded a bus to the institute which conducts paragliding activities there. I kept all my luggage there and from thereon it was just me and my camera in a taxi that would drop us at Billing, the take-off site for paragliders. The road was a bit bumpy and could not accommodate a bus with its narrow width. The spontaneity with which I left to experience my first glide was the only reason that I was more excited than scared to take up this adventure. If I would have thought about it for a long time then I would probably had gone back home from Mandi itself. Well, the glider who was to drive me in the sky with the parachute, Mr. Vasudev, had told me that I was supposed to run downhill so as to get the required lift for the flight. With my weight, this became even easier and the parachute lifted me up from where I stood. The World from above is an extraordinary experience. The mesmerising view of Bir valley, Bir forests and ofcourse the white Dhauladhar Range was more than satisfying to my eyes. There were moments when the wind would just zoom in and spark out the fear of being way above land in me but I couldn't have missed this one. Away from the world, away from whatever instills greed, away from all worries; there I was, gliding in the ocean of air and freedom. Landing was as smooth as the take off and as soon as I reached down, I wanted to do it again. I can't thank Vasudev bhaiya enough for keeping me safe and showing me the best of Himachal from the most exotic location in the world.

Generosity on the way

So at Kullu bus stand I met Mr. Katoch who was sitting inside the booking office. He has given 26 years to driving buses and has 15 more until his retirement. He told me he was driving the first bus to Palampur and would drop me at Bir road and would even help me in boarding another bus to Bir. His generosity had me conversing with him on the way. He was quite excited for being clicked by my camera. And ofcourse, the poor rooster who is being held in the second photograph. On the highway towards Mandi near Pandoh, there were around three roosters who had somehow landed up on the road. Two of them were taken away by some locals while Mr. Katoch couldn't resist having the third for himself. A rooster that big would cost around 500 rupees in the market. Katoch uncle had seen me clicking pictures of the bird and sat beside me at Mandi bus stand. He then said, "Main nhi khata hun non-veg, ye to bechara aise bhi kisi billi ka shikar ban jata. Isse achha hai kisika fayda ho jaye. De dunga kisiko." Well I don't know whether he kept the rooster, sold it out or gifted it to someone. But Mr. Katoch is just a kind man who even asked a few other bus drivers about my bus to Bir. People like him make travelling experiences pleasing as well as entertaining.