“We’ll be landing in Pune in a few moments. The outside temperature is 37 degrees centigrade”.
Surely, the pilot was making a mistake. 37 degrees in mid-March! A surprised murmur ran through the passengers. And I, who only two days ago would have given anything for a little more warmth, was amongst those who had sighed the loudest. As the Airbus began its descent, I relived the extreme cold temperatures of Harsil where Sushil and I had camped only last week.
Our plan was to travel without any plans. Many saints and rishis trek up to Gangotri and we wanted to be with them for a while. Uttarkashi was our last “civilized” halt where we could still make STD calls and eat oily food. And then we were on our way to Gangotri which is as far as the motorable road would go. After that? No questions were asked - everything was left open. Anything could happen. We were living only in the moment. Here and Now! (Thanks, Osho). [continue reading…]
Tusker Taking A Mud Bath in Corbett
Many a times, people wonder and debate on the most feared animal in the forests of India. We have been asked this question on multiple occasions and the answer is difficult because when in the mild in addition to the big predators there are zillions of life threatening living bodies that one should fear. A lot of people believe that a confrontation with a big cat like a tiger or a leopard can be a nerve-chilling experience. That’s definitely true to a certain extent but the king of the Indian forests – the tiger – is not a wanton killer. It attacks in its defense only when it is provoked and in a lot of cases we have seen that a tiger can be the most harmless predator and gives a damn about your presence. When given his space, he can offer you some of the most wonderful moments of your life giving you the opportunity to get upclose with him and witness his glory. [continue reading…]
In the Himalayan foothills, darkness comes early. It is still only 3:00 in the afternoon and the sun is shining brightly but the mountains are already casting strong oblique shadows. We have a long walk ahead and must make quick tracks if we are to get back to our camp before nightfall. We are headed towards Sonapani Estate which is in the middle of a dense jungle and where a ‘maharaj’ has been in residence for the last few weeks.
Gopal, a resident of the nearby Kaphuda village has agreed to escort the two of us to the kutiya (cottage) of the maharaj. The dirt-road from Gopal’s house takes us through terraced fields ploughed with many already-sprouting shoots of sarson (mustard) and a variety of other grains and flowers. In just about 10 minutes, the initially broad road has petered out into a 2-feet wide pathway as we come to the fringes of the jungle. Cowherds appear ready to herd their wards back to the relative safety of their sheds. We walk on a trunk of felled pine which is a bridge over the small brook that bubbles under our feet. The brook bisects a deep gorge where two half-eaten carcasses of cattle have been temporarily abandoned - the big cats must have fed well. Animal smells permeate everywhere. This is leopard country. [continue reading…]
I am asked this question very often: what do we carry with us when we go to Ladakh? This is what normally forms a part of my packing list, not only for Ladakh but wherever I go to in the mountains (come exceptions would be there in urban areas like Mcleodganj, Simla etc where you get most supplies). So here goes: [continue reading…]
To be born in the lap of nature is a blessing of God for me. People frequently ask me about my childhood experiences in the wild and are very curious to know why I chose wildlife as a field of study? Going down the memory lanes, I recall that my earliest association with wilderness started at my birthplace Chhindwara – a small town in Madhya Pradesh, India. I used to roam in and around the dense and wild forests of the buffer zone of what is popularly known as the Pench Tiger Reserve.
Who can forget Mowgli, the pint-sized child and his adventures with Sher Khan and Bagheera of Rudyard Kipling’s best-seller Jungle Book. Teaming with exotic wildlife, this is the land that inspired Kipling to visualise his most famous work. [continue reading…]
How often would you find a perfect photo opportunity walking in front of you? It happened to me in Nubra Valley on my way back to Leh.
Click on any of the images for a larger view
I was driving through the valley on a long straight road being freshly constructed with the tar on it totally black. And I saw two lamas, or Buddhist monks, walking on this road. I had left the last sign of any human settlement many miles back, and there wasn’t any for many more. So where were these lamas coming from and going to? They must have been walking forever. [continue reading…]
India would have managed to get even territory from Pakistan during the 1971 war with its neighbour had Colonel Chewang Rinchen not taken a break to celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year according to an Army officer I met at the Siachen Glacier.
A hero for all of Ladakh, Col Rinchen has been a recipient of the Mahaveer Chakra, one of the highest honours for bravery in India. Not once, but twice including being the youngest ever recipient of the same at the age of 17. According to Army records:
“During the 1971 war, he led his ‘Dhal’ (shield) Force against the Pakistanis in Baltistan. His unorthodox technique based on guerilla warfare resulted in the recapture of Turtok and the creation of what is the Line of Control (LoC).” [continue reading…]
The mesmerising view of the majestic Himalayas, the mysterious forests flooded with pine, deodhar and saal trees, a diverse variety of flora and fauna, a unique conglomeration of picturesque landscapes and a culture and history full of tales of bravery – this is what Kumaon has been offering to tourists from across the globe for centuries. Nestling in the foothills of the Himalayas, Kumaon is located in Uttrakhand – the northern hill province of India with its headquarters in Nainital.
The wilderness of Kumaon has continued to fascinate visitors since time immemorial but wild Kumaon actually came into the limelight because of Kumaon’s favourite son – the man who was known to the locals as the Gora Sadhu for his philanthropic work in the region and who thrilled the world with his famous hunting stories where he described his chilling experiences in the forests of Kumaon. The world knows him as Jim Corbett – the famous hunter who turned into a conservationalist and played an instrumental in bringing Kumaon on the world tourism map. His writings that are captured in a series of best selling books like the Maneaters of Kumaon, My India and Jungle Lore give a perfect depiction of the inimitable wilderness, culture and traditions of this region. [continue reading…]
When you are in a war or a potentially conflict zone, your best friend had better be God. That is why one sees a lot of temples at such places where you can die or lose limbs even if no bullets are being fired. Natural or accidental mishaps can strike anyone.
The faith in the shrine of OP Baba is almost fanatical for soldiers posted at the base camp at the Siachen Glacier. Built near the snout of the glacier in 1996, elaborate ceremonies are performed as soon as a soldier finishes his posting of 90 days on the glacier, something allotted by rotation. Living under sub-zero conditions on a mass of ice can be fatal or cause loss of limbs or eye-sight or even sanity amongst the most hardy. Even when all precautions are taken and right training imparted. Coming back from the glacier intact is a cause for celebration.
Who is OP Baba? According to the legend mentioned at the shrine: [continue reading…]
The snout of the Siachen Glacier
It may seem unfair to have a war zone like the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh. Both Pakistan and India spend hundreds of millions dollars every year and lose any number of lives facing off for what may seem like an inconsequential mass of ice. But then who said conflicts are about fairness and being reasonable?
When a place is as well known as Siachen, especially for reasons of war, you approach it with mixed expectations. How does a zone always in a state of battle preparedness look like? What is the body language and state of mind of soldiers in these situations? What do they make of civilians out on a ‘picnic,’ even if they are guests of a senior colleague?
Under normal circumstances, one is not allowed within about fifty kilometers of this area unless you have Army clearance. The region had seen little or no exchange of fire over the past couple of years – I may not have been able to make a visit had it been otherwise. [continue reading…]
It is not very often that one gets an opportunity to meet someone of the stature of His Holiness, the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the 800 year old Drukpa lineage. I did for an exclusive one-on-one chat on the eve of his pad yatra from Manali to Leh starting on May 23, 2009. Click here to know more about it.
The Drukpa Lineage follows the Mahayana Buddhist tradition in philosophy, i.e. the philosophy of “getting enlightened for the benefit of others” and the methods are based on the Tantrayana teachings passed down from the great Indian saint Naropa, who was born in 1016 in a West Bengal royal family. The Drukpa Lineage is one of the main Buddhist schools throughout the Himalayas including Bhutan, Tibet, China, Nepal and India, with four to five million students. The most revered monastery in Ladakh, the Hemis Monastery, comes under the Drukpa school. Click here to read more about the lineage. Continue to read the interview
Who would have thought you can go shopping at 18,380 feet? Apparently you can – at the souvenir shop located at the Khardungla Pass in Ladakh run by the Indian Army. And what it claims is the highest souvenir shop in the world.
What can you buy here? Merchandise with branding of the pass. There were ceramic pen stands going for Rs. 60 each, a set of six coffee mugs for Rs. 180 and decorative plates for Rs. 140 and Rs. 190 in two sizes. There were T-shirts too but I could not check the price. [continue reading…]
A structure to mark the achievement of building the road across Khardungla and to remember those who lost their lives in doing so
Building of the road across the Khardungla Pass in Ladakh at 18,380 feet in 1972-73 was no mean feat. Nothing is easy in the harsh conditions and terrain of such altitudes. How did the Indian Army come good in this challenge? [continue reading…]
It is not very often that one gets to drive on a road at an altitude of 18,380 feet. That is where Khardungla Pass, meaning the ‘Pass of Lower Castle,’ is located on the way from Leh to the Nubra Valley in Ladakh. It is the highest motorable road in the world as signs put up by the Border Roads Organization proudly proclaim.
The Marsimikla Pass, at 18632 feet, in eastern Ladakh has missed out on the top honours as it allows for only some kinds of four wheeled vehicles across it.
The Khardungla has quite a bit of history behind it according to documents available with the Indian Army. This is what I got to read up: [continue reading…]
Can your car get a life of its own due to some unknown natural phenomena? It seems to be the case at the Magnetic Hill located 30 kilometers outside Leh on the way to Alchi and Kargil.
A sign at this spot invites you to stop your car over a white square marked on the road, switch it off and leave it in neutral. Follow the instructions and your car actually starts moving on its own at speeds of 10-20 km per hour. Ok, so this was downhill and it was just following the rules of gravity. Turn your car in the opposite direction and repeat the steps. It will start moving uphill. [continue reading…]
Is it Shoja or Sojha? Both spellings are used but let us use Sojha as marked on a milestone. Let the Government have the final word.
Like the Banjara property at Sangla, I have visited their property in Sojha twice: August 2007 and recently in May 2009. The main difference between then and now: the apple trees in the gardens were blooming with the red colour of the fruit waiting to be harvested, so was a bed a sunflowers each the size of a big man’s palm. Go back in August and you will see the apples, but they might not grow the sunflowers again.
Want to read my piece on Sojha? Click here.
This is how my experience was when I stayed on the two occasions: [continue reading…]
I stayed at Banjara Camps’ Sangla property two years ago and visited the same recently. Did anything change during this period? Yes, they have come up with their 12 room Retreat which is not tented accommodation but a built up structure. There was a flash flood that took away some of the land – including the original bonfire area – as the Baspa river changed course. You can see signs of trees being swept away on some of the slopes in the valley as the tributaries of the Baspa also decided to take a different path than normal. These minor changes apart, the Sangla Valley remains as beautiful as ever and the Banjara Camp the ideal place to enjoy it.
Rajesh Ojha and Captain Ajay Sud, the folks behind Banjara, created a new category of accommodation in the country when they set up the Sangla property in 1994. It is comfortable yet gives a feel of the rough, is luxurious without your needing to sell your car to stay here. And located far from the madding crowd where few would know exist – and want to go to once they hear of it.
This is how my experience was when I stayed there in June 2007 and then again in May 2009: [continue reading…]
Are you headed to Ladakh this summer? And have about ten days with you? Here is a suggested itinerary for you assuming you are on the road from Manali onwards.
Posts on Ladakh
- Click here to read all my posts on Ladakh so far
- For driving tips from Delhi to Leh in Ladakh, click here
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Image of the King taken at the Ladakh marathon in 2008
The Great Tibetan Marathon, the annual marathon that takes place in Ladakh, was flagged off by the King of Ladakh when the 2008 edition took place. Or at least that’s who the chief guest was identified as by the organizers.
I assumed this person to be the current ‘King’ till something strange came up while I was sorting the photos I took at the Stok Palace. The chronological order of the rulers from this family listed the last three as:
37. dKun-bzang rNam-rgyal, 1925-1974
38. Jig-med dbang-chuk rNam-rgyal, 1966-
39. bStan-rdzin Jig-med rNam-rgyal, 1997- [continue reading…]
Running a marathon can be a challenge under the best of conditions. Imagine doing so at over 11,000 feet.
I had heard of the annual marathon in Ladakh but I was not sure if they ran the full distance of 26 miles 385 yards or did they give concessions to the runners. So I decided to personally attend the 2008 edition and see for myself. Travellers to Ladakh are advised a day of minimal physical activity before they may venture out, so harsh can the high altitudes be. And here you have runners who could be running a full marathon. [continue reading…]
