you pick yourself up and go trip-ping somewhere...

Day 6: After a peaceful yet uncomfortable night inside our sleeping bags, we headed out to Ilaka and the cave on the glacier. Its about 3700 m above sea level to which we climbed. Another 800 through a steep climb on the snow and you're at the Indrahara Pass. It was sunny mostly while we were at the cave. Our lunch was prepared in the cave and served hot to us. While we were at it, we saw a storm building. It was surreal to watch the clouds come in and go the way they did. Since were at a higher altitude, we witnessed the clouds gathering lower, darkening the surroundings, making the atmosphere colder, and thundering menacingly. That night our camp was fraught with rain, high speed winds and continuous flashes of lightening. We obviously had to abandon camp, and so sought shelter in the cafe- 9 people in that small space yet cosier and comfortable-r thn d tents.

Day 7: Headed back to town after breakfast. Climbing down may not be too taxing for the body in terms of effort, but requires greater care over both rocks and loose mud. Overnight at Spring Valley Resort at Bhagsu, that part of dharamshala most dominated by Hindus.

Day 8: Visited the waterfall and the bhagsunag temple. Back to Mcldgnj. Stayed 2 nights at Pema Thang Guest House. Very comfortable and homely, almost authentically Tibetan in style. Day 8 and Day 9 were spent lounging around Mcldgnj.

Day 9: Highlights- visit to the nunnery, Taste of India restaurant and Chocolate Log cafe.

Day 10: Said goodbye to the mountains, and drove to Amritsar. Reached the holy city by 4pm. Checked in at the CJ International Hotel. Its high point is that it offers 4 star comfort almost inside the gurudwara complex. Visited the Golden Temple and the Jallianwallah Bagh.

Day 11: After another darshan and the holy dip in the sarovar, headed out to the bazaar to shop for authentic juttis and salwar-kameez pieces. [There is plenty more to do there. Visit other gurudwaras and temples, make a trip to the Wagah border in the evening for the sundown ceremony which is quite amazing, there is plenty to eat- The Brothers, Bhrawan da Dhabha, Punjabi Rasoi to name a few.] Took the Swarn Shatabdi to Delhi- very convenient and comfortable.

you pick yourself up and go trip-ping somewhere...

Day 3 contd. : Arrived (finally, phew!) at Mcleodganj around 7pm. Managed to find a room at Kunga's Guest House. Its a well-maintained place with airy, clean rooms. Its highlight is the Italian restaurant downstairs that serves all meals (vegetarian) with ample variety and taste. Plus it offers great views of the valley below and the snow-laden mountains above.

Day 4: Woke up early. After breakfast at Nick's, we walked down Temple Road to the temple of the Dalai Lama and the Namgyal Monastery. Later in the evening, reached Upper Dharamkot about 4km from Mcldgnj, near Gallu Temple. Checked in at Sagar Guest House, the lodgings of our trekking company High Point Adventure. This place is truly away, serene and beautiful. Insects of all kinds are a problem in the upper reaches. fight them with odomos and the like, or just keep the lights off. The moment the weather gets cooler, most of the flying insects hide away.

Day 5: Shouldered our backpacks and began the trek. The trek was hot, sultry, burning and tough. Stopped for lunch at Triund, the base camp. Set up our own camp about 4 km away near the snow line cafe (read dingy chai stall/ dhabha), which is the last form of habitation in the area. These small cafes are the only source of entertainment, information and companionship for those who hike to high altitudes. Not to mention they are the ones with everyday supplies like food, mineral water, drinks, cigarettes and such.

The surroundings are splendid to say the least. At an altitude of about 3000m, it does get quite cold in the night, and a sweater becomes a must. (But for people who are more sensitive to the cold like me would need a sweater and a jacket.) Our trekking company provided us with a guide and two porters so we did not have to worry about food and supplies. everything was done for us. In the night the sky was clear enough to watch about a million stars, close planets and even moving satellites. The difficulty faced, if at all, is having access to water and a toilet. Water is usually filled from a spring about half n hour away. The spring water is clear, and there is just enough for cooking and drinking; almost none for washing, not even to wash yourself. For excretory purposes, you have to share the wide expanse with dogs, cows, goats and ponies. Behind a bush, tree or a rock, you use a place once and it is rendered unfit for use by the hoards of flies that feed on waste. So you can be in big trouble if you have to go more than once, or especially in the night. Post 7.30 in d evening, things begin to come down to a standstill. Once its dark, you're lost. Only a flashlight or candles to brighten u up.

you pick yourself up and go trip-ping somewhere...

10 DAYS

Day 1: Left for Pathankot on a night train. Confusion and tamasha at the old Delhi railway station. Dhauladhar Express that never came on platform 8 did to the extreme surprise of many senior ticketing officials. It came without electricity, so the AC did not work. But all turned out well in the end.

Day 2: Arrived at Pathankot around 9.30 am. Haggled with taxi wallahs to go to Dalhousie. Reached by noon. Stayed at Hotel Spring, Gandhi Chowk. Nice, comfy place. Not in the midst of things. Ate at Kwality Restaurant- good food, cosy ambience. [Things to do in Dalhousie: Dalhousie City-The Mall- Make an 8, Kalatop, Khajjiar, Punjpula, Chamera Dam Trail.]

Day 3: Took a Taxi from Subhash Chowk to Mcleodganj via Khajjiar. Small dhabha opposite the taxi stand serves sumptuous food at very reasonable rates. Khajjiar a bit of a disappointment. Hardle any lake, grass overgrown with horse shit. Good dhabhas around though. Drive from Khajjiar to Dharamsala is amazing. The route is not used too much so the roads are good, traffic-less and very scenic. It cuts through the Dhauladhar range overlooking Chamba valley towards Kangra valley. The drive is long but not too tiring if you're not the driver and are in a car that is not too crowded.

you hook yourself to your ipod...?

Of course, the most obvious thing for most people. IPOD (or its lesser clones/jukeboxes)is no longer the hottest accessory. It is a given. If you're anywhere on the locatable areas on this planet, you have got to be a part of the ipod revolution.
But what of most of us who live on the 'other' side of the world, devoid not of accessibility to these technological revolutions but rather of the means to acquire them. The more upwardly mobile would find their music in cassettes or CDs or cell phones or internet downloads. Yet, a major part of the lonely, insomniac population still turns to their, well not transistors so much, but to their radio-sets. They still count on the 'hipper' versions of the binaca geet mala and agony aunt/uncle advice from the likes of love gurus.
So the next time you turn on your ipod, spare a thought for the mere mortals, who keep blank tapes ready in their tape recorders to record their favorite song the moment it plays on the FM; those who collect bit by bit, their cues to beat the blues...

you watch a film and then analyse..

When you look at the latest successful Bollywood melodramas like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Salaam Namaste, or Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna what is it that strikes you about the man-woman equation portrayed on the screen? Two things- they are not "conventional" and the action (or the climax) is not "Indian" to say the least.

Take the instance of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Most women loved the film because the female protagonist in the film is a self-assertive young woman, who believes in love and being one with her lover. She helps her sister escape a brutal marriage and run away with her lover. She romances her lover right under the nose of her father and a very conservative and traditional family. And then what happens is everyone's guess. The father has found her a more suitable husband, and she is married off. Young Nandini resists her fate and refuses to be the bride to her new husband. Hubby dearest finds out about her past relationship, is visibly mad and upset, and then does something no "man" would have otherwise done. And this is precisely why a huge chunk of our male population would have detested the film. No "man" is capable of understanding the selfless Vanraj's condition of having a wife who wasn't lovingly, emotionally, physically and willingly his. He defies tradition, familial constrictions and cultural legalities to take his wife to Italy to unite her with her lover. What is important to me is the site where the climax of the film takes place- Italy. Had the lover Sameer been any other part of the country like Gujrat or Rajasthan or even Delhi, would the same have been effortlessly possible? I think not. It is only after stepping out of the culturally defined borders of State can Vanraj give up his wife peacefully, and watch her be happy without envy or hate or remorse. Freedom from traditionally binding mores of a man-woman, or more essentially a husband-wife, relationship is possible only in a place not own. It is, therefore, important that Nandini too then realises her freedom away from her roots and cultivation, and makes the choice of returning to her husband.

But then of course, it can also be argued that Vanraj is projected as the 21st century Ram, who is bhagwaan-ish with the highly epitomic values of forbearance and sacrifice. Nevertheless, even within the carefully circumscribed borders of the "Indian" way of life, the changing attitudes of men, who don't necessarily have to be lableled as metrosexual, are heartening for the race of women who have always had the courage to go against the grain. Salaam Namaste gives us a peek into such a woman who gives up her family and traditional life in India to move to Australia to pursue her career, and live life on her own terms. She's 20-something, does not want to marry and is not queasy about living-in with a man who too does not look toward committment and permanency. So, the woman is changing as well, stripping away her sati-savitri and bhartiya naari avatar.

yet, the cloaks can successfully, and un-problematically, be removed away from the Indian homeland. It is in Australia that Amber can live-in with her "boyfriend," get pregnant outside marriage without taboo, and even think of raising a child without support from external agencies. She can think of abortion without societal or legal hassles. In turn, her partner Nick is as metro a guy you can think of. He cooks amazingly well (woos his lady by preparing a 5-course breakfast for her!), is crazy about cleanliness and order, faints at the sight of blood, cries at the movies, and wears pink. However, he too is as typical as his clan, wanting nothing more than an intense relationship without the strings of marriage, children or permanency. It is significant that there are no moralistic or authoritarian figures in the film that advice the young couple, or influence plot and action. The average age of the characters is 25 (barring, perhaps, 3). It is no wonder that they mature and change their ideas enough to agree to marry each other in 9 months on their terms. their problems are not externally orchestrated but lie within themselves as individuals, and within their relationship. And afterall, a Hindi film wouldn't be a Hindi film without happy resolution and reconciliation in the end.

The phase of transition from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam to Salaam Namaste, from Nandini to Amber shows a trend of growth for the female protagonist and the woman. Amber is a self-sustaining young woman who has the volition to make her own choices. She is sensible, understanding, flirtatious, fun loving and unhesitatingly self-assured, unlike a dependent, emotional and individualistic-yet-helpless Nandini. This trend intensifies in a complicated film like Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, in which the type of the self-assured woman is made to make a difficult choice of coming clean with her spouse after having committed adultery. To discuss this fim is tiring and time-consuming and will be followed up later. However, the point in relation to this film that i would like to make is that the complexity of man-woman or husband-wife relationships vis-a-vis incompatibility, impotency, un-loveability and adultery in the film needs a setting that is uncontroversial and indifferent, hence, New York. This might not be wholly new for audiences outside India, but had the film been set in Mumbai, it would have created an outrage unparalleled, when compared to the voices of dissension it had to face now.

Therefore, eventhough filmmakers have ideas that can access the current urban society, they cannot freely project them in their "real" scenarios. The characters have to be unidentifiable people located elsewhere, whose lives cannot be necessarily matched with our own.