For the lack of a concrete idea
for an article, I am putting down my travel experiences from a recent
backpacking trip to north India. Much like a backpacking trip, these random
musings are without any direction and purpose.
The Dead Himalayan Winter Trek
In quite some contrast to what I had
expected, the winter in Himalayas entailed most difficult conditions for life
that I had ever come across, let alone being conducive for some leisurely climatic
indulgence. During a 4-day trek to Kedarkantha summit, I could only mostly see a bleak stillness around – like a spinning and springing ballet dancer in a flowing
white gown suddenly becoming transfixed as the music stopped, the mountains
seemed to come to stand still in the cold winter’s fury.
Looking at
the naked trees, standing tall and fighting for survival; vast swathes of tiny
grass smothered by the weight of thick layers of snow; lakes frozen and streams
rendered almost motionless; the wild hiding in caves leaving only trails of footprints and hollow-eyed locals squatting in the corners of their tents, one can only
wonder what is life without Sun and its warmth.
Mussoorie
After the rugged 4-day trek under
helpless conditions and an enforced routine, it was time to let myself loose. So, the day after the trek, I set forth to
Mussorie in the coolest attire I could pull out from my baggage, along with all
the accessories that I might need on my mission to chill. With good ambience, scenic
views and decent food in mind, I explored cafes strolling along the hilly
terrain of Mussorie, with a narcissistic pleasure. I managed to find a couple of nicely
furnished, artistically decorated cafes situated in places offering panoramic
views. They looked like ideal settings to satisfy Instagrammers' fetish for food-centered photography; a latte topped by delicate froth-art with distant hills as the backdrop, a
grilled sandwich juxtaposed by antique art pieces, pastas looked over by abstract
wall-posters and cheesecakes melting against dew drops - you have all the shots
covered. Talking about myself, sitting in those places, with an intriguing book
on one hand, sumptuous food on the other, and sceneries that hooked my gaze, at
one moment it felt like the ultimate freedom that I might had been chasing all
this while, and the very next moment it struck as a disillusionment of fleeting
worldly pleasures collapsing all the frills around like a pack of cards.
Rishikesh
Entering into Rishikesh the next
day, I was as amused as a 10-year old kid in Disney World for the first
time. It appeared like a seeker’s paradise and a rationalist’s nightmare. A
town straddling Ganga along hilly slopes, Rishikesh, with its plethora of
ancient temples, yoga ashrams, ayurvedic clinics and a whole gamut of therapy and
healing centers based on nature, touch, sound, crystals, rudraksh, chakras,
hypnotism, numerology, past life regressions etc. etc., in every nook and corner,
opens the door to an enigmatic world that promises inner well-being - things that will make rationalists squirm in
discomfort, but I wouldn’t disqualify anything without a firsthand experience. It’s not just this - from the fun and frolic
of rafting, camping and adventure-sports by riverside to ascetic life styles
of saffron-clad sadhus involving rigorous yogic practices, from pot-smoking
revelers to pious devotees, from rejuvenating body massages offered by spas to holy
dips in cold waters of Ganga, from sublimely original to utterly fake, it’s a majestic mixture of
many things, all coexisting in one place. Words of immense meaning and gravity –
Karma, Nirvana, Mantra, Moksha – are recklessly used everywhere for a touch of
mystique. I found my peace in
encountering a whole new realm to explore and the possibility of knowing.
