http://kunzum.com Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:45:24 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Many Buddhist monasteries in the Ladakh and Tibetan regions have a tradition of annual festivals, going back hundreds of years. They are usually dance spectacles with colourful costumes and masks adorned by the lamas (monks) for the occasion. Solemn ceremonies in their own way, it borders on the amusing when ... http://kunzum.com/2008/09/03/when-the-lamas-dance-behind-the-scenes/ [caption id="attachment_214" align="alignleft" width="113" caption="The disciplinarian with the whip at the Hemis Monastery Festival in Ladakh"][/caption] Spare the rod and spoil and child. Heard this? Likewise, the lamas (Buddhist monks) seem to believe in the power of the whip to maintain discipline at the monasteries. But it does not come with ... http://kunzum.com/2008/09/01/the-lama%e2%80%99s-whip-comes-with-a-blessing/ [caption id="attachment_226" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Inaobi Singh behind the counter at Desert Rain in Leh"][/caption] How many coffee bars do you know of where you are invited to sit around, read books kept on the shelves, even sleep off if you want to and not be obliged to even order anything? Can’t ... http://kunzum.com/2008/09/01/review-a-refreshing-coffee-experience-at-desert-rain-in-leh/ [caption id="attachment_222" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The agricultural produce in Nubra Valley is clearly not enough for economic sustainability"][/caption] If you thought the Army’s job was only to defend the country’s borders, think again. They have also been entrusted with the responsibility of boosting local economies in rural areas along the international borders, ... http://kunzum.com/2008/09/01/how-the-army-promotes-rural-entrepreneurship-in-ladakh/ [caption id="attachment_210" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="The lama at the Phyang monastery in Ladakh who invited me to become a lama myself"][/caption] On a visit to the Phyang Monastery near Leh, I got an unexpected offer: of becoming a Buddhist monk, or Lama. I was sitting around with the lamas of the monastery watching ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/30/would-i-like-to-become-a-buddhist-monk/ [caption id="attachment_203" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="A sign seen at a Muslim village from Zanskar to Kargil in Ladakh"][/caption] A major concern of the Buddhist Ladakhis is the population increase by Muslims in Ladakh, where the latter are in a minority, as part of a plan to disrupt the existing demographic patterns. If ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/29/is-muslim-population-growth-in-ladakh-a-part-of-a-plan/ One of the surprises in Ladakh was the sight of workers at road building projects all the way from the states of Bihar and Jharkhand in the northern plains of India. Workers from these two states are known to be migratory in nature, going across to all parts of the ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/18/what-are-workers-from-jharkhand-and-bihar-doing-in-ladakh/ The Indus river evokes memories of history lessons from school as one of the earliest human civilizations came up along its banks in the plains of the Indian subcontinent. Captured here are some images of the river near Leh in Ladakh at different times of the evening, including the moment ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/17/capturing-the-indus-river-in-ladakh/ According to a senior and responsible army officer posted at the Siachen glacier, a point of conflict between India and Pakistan, the town of Leh in Ladakh sees the local residents getting violent twice a year on average. The issue: When a Muslim decides to, or already has, marry a ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/17/muslims-marrying-buddhists-in-ladakh-leads-to-violence/ Buddhist monks (lamas) are supposed to be in their robes all the time, even when they are allowed breaks for some leisure. The exception is when they are in Srinagar, the capital of the disputed Indian Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir; if they are identified as lamas, there is ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/17/buddhist-monks-fear-being-killed-in-srinagar-don%e2%80%99t-wear-robes/ The Kunzum Travel Photo Contest, open to all including amateurs, closes on August 31, 2008. If you have not submitted your entry yet, do so now. More information is available here. http://kunzum.com/2008/08/14/photo-contest-closes-on-august-31/ As any road traveller in India will tell you, the country is full of signs on the roads, in shops, restaurants and hotels that can be called funny, strange, queer or interesting. I have been creating this collection for a forthcoming book, and there is now a dedicated blog for these. ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/13/a-blog-for-funny-road-signs-in-india/ If you are looking to buy high quality prints of pictures taken by me during my travels across India, you can now do so at the online Kunzum Picture Gallery. A selection of prints are available for sale; if there is something else you like on my Flickr page, or on ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/13/kunzum-picture-gallery-goes-live/ If you drive through Ladakh in the summers, or at least in the month of July, you will see trees all over laden with the yellow apricot fruit, mostly ripe to eat. A restaurant in Khaltse does not have desserts on its menu, but the manager will point to the ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/05/the-apricot-man-of-ladakh/ When you drive from Leh to Kargil in the Ladakh region of the Indian Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir, there is a distinct change in the ‘humanscape’ from predominantly Buddhist to largely Muslim. Being a troubled state, and its close proximity to Pakistan, you are never sure what to ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/04/winning-hearts-with-a-bunch-of-peas-in-ladakh/ Donkeys (and their cousins asses and mules) are almost as ubiquitous in India as are cows and dogs. And subjects of hard labour and scorn in equal measure. But not even in one’s wildest imagination could one think of a sanctuary for them. It turned out there is one, and ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/04/a-sanctuary-for-donkeys-in-leh-ladakh/ There are many ways to reach Leh from Delhi, but the most enjoyable way is to do so by road. If you can drive the distance of about 1075 kilometers, taking at least 3-4 days, it is sure to be an experience you will cherish for life. And try to ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/02/driving-from-delhi-to-leh-ladakh/ When my travel consultant booked me at Hotel Whispering Willows for my stay in Leh (located in Ladakh in the Indian Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir), I was a bit disappointed initially. It was located in the village of Shey, the ancient capital of Ladakh before it was shifted ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/02/review-whispering-willows-hotel-at-shey-leh-ladakh/ Boys will be boys, even when they are being groomed to be Buddhist Lamas. When I started taking pictures of some young Lamas at the Karsha Monastery located near the town of Padum in the Zanskar Valley (in the Ladakh region of the Indian Himalayan state of Jammu & Kashmir), ... http://kunzum.com/2008/08/02/young-lamas-at-karsha-monastery-zanskar-ladakh/ I have just come back from Ladakh (in the Indian Himalayas) which I would describe as the trip of a lifetime. I was on the road for 23 days, and personally drove over 4,000 kms (about 2,500 miles) during this period. Yes, the best way to enjoy this region is ... http://kunzum.com/2008/07/29/my-trip-to-ladakh-in-july-2008/