Random Travel

Pahad...

Pahad; for someone from the rugged desert landscape of the plains, it takes a while to adjust to the curved pathways of the Himalayas. But all in all one is in search of the large hearted. There are ways to embrace this grand country called India, go to Pahad, breathe, alive and anew shall you come.

Land makes the people or people make the land; both make the sense of place, a certain reverence for the land you take back home to remind yourself that this is where you belonged once, and this is where you shall return.

The Company
A shared taxi ride to Kausani
A shopkeeper, a newly wedded Pahadi couple, two nasty young men teasing them, Bhura, the cleaner on our right, Bistji- the soldier with the guitar returning home, two friends together- the grandpa and the grandson and above all the happiest driver who would stop in the middle to serve his passengers with pure and cold spring water by the road, good smiles make good people.

Kausani; the place inspires verses but the traveller's eye is set for the 'gaze'. The gaze at the snow clad peaks of Himalayas. You sit for hours just wondering, wondering on the plain white marble wonder.

Kumaon and Garhwal, two leaves and a flower on top. Uttarakhand, the formation must have been painful but it brings new will and energy. Development is the new song. Who is singing this song? There are noises from the government. And people? Two words in Hindi are helpful for clarity in vision. Vikas Aur Khush-hali.

Though, few questions arise:

• Does Uttarakhand have the right and clear model and vision of development?


• What is so Eco about Tourism?


• Do we want to build cities in the Hills?
  If yes,
• How did British build cities in our Hills?

First question is important, Kausani is a small village, we met Mr. Mohan Kandpal, a local shopkeeper who weaves Kumauni shawls and runs Gramodyog Seva Sansthan and helps as he claims empowering people in the villages nearby, especially the already powerful and hardworking women of the Hills. Mr. Mohan is an entrepreneur, a nice person to talk to. This tells us that beyond tourism, there are opportunities worth exploring with efforts at identifying resources, people and problems.

Bageshwar:
The Temple is dark and moist...

The drummer has set the beat
and dancer in him for the show
Shiva dances
drunk in the heavens
arrested, lest we move
ecstasy indeed
the moment has seeped dark into the dark

Standing firm on this dark
we shall rise
for the
peace that exists
peace that exists
peace that exists
...
...
...

There must be a local term for the 'guard', the 'watchman', the 'vigil' of the Pahad; for the treasure is our fortune, for years to come...Preserve.

Article presented by: Piyush Rana

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