Rann of Kutch!

Top: Bluebull

(Neelgai)

Rt: Wild Ass (Gudkhur)

Of the most humbling regions of India, where the ego is easily annihilated, fear of lonliness can creep forth to engulf the self, pride is ground into the cracks of caked mud and the only thing on mind is survival...can easily be the Rann of Kutch!

I was fortunate, a few years ago, to have had the opportunity to lead a modest sized, yet fiercely like-minded group, with keen interest in textiles, cultural exploration & photography to this marvellous region. Making our base in New Bhuj, as the capital centre is called after restoration of the region following the devastating earthquake, what unravelled over the next 10 days was sheer delight! Hira Bhasar, a weaver master, was to be our friend & guide over the days.
Until early 19th century, the mighty Indus river ran thru the region of Kutch untill a massive earthquake in 1819 altered its course leaving the landscape arid & parched. Then again in 2001 January, was when large number of villages just disappeared, hundreds and thousands killed, in another quake, with Bhuj at the epicentre. There are now distinct timezones for the locals. Before & After the quake of 2001.

Hostile landscape, fresh water an everday scarcity, scorching sun & freezing nights, wild dust storms, wildlife, non-existent shade, ..all this & more is on tap. Each day. Every day.
However, it is the people, their simplicity, their eversmiling faces in living conditions unfathomable to an urban dweller, formidable hospitality, pure heatrs, their phenomenal sense of artistry in almost every art & craft, their unity in diverse habits, customs & religions, sense of humour, despite prolonged government neglect, is what leaves you baffled! What was experienced over the days we spent in the villages of Bhirandiyara, Luniya, Tundavan, Uddo, Jaralwari, Ajrakhpur, Bhujodi, Dhamadka,....amongst many more was an experience that will remain with all of us through this life time.
What excited us equally were the visits to Kaladongar temple, meeting with our soldiers at the last army bunker beyond India bridge (virtually peeping into neighbouring Pakistan) or the night of 31st December we spent in the Little Rann, in the middle of 5000sqkm of nothingness! Our maverick driver, Javed, the intermittent crackling of his walkie-talkie, that informed our resort of our well-being, and a billion stars for company is was all we had! Suddenly, Javed disappeared, only to reassuringly return with firewood & some fuel to light up what seemed the only light for lightyears of pitch darkness! The visit to the flat, unending salt pans, the salt people, the playful jeep chases with Neelgai (Bluebull), Jackal & Wild Asses at 70kmph is an thrill we all wont be in a hurry to forget.

Easily accessible from Mumbai or Ahmedabad, in western India, a stay of 8-10 days for those keen on tribal culture, handicrafts, stitchwork, tribal art, salt making, wetland avain life and the thrill of desert stay, this is THE place!

Bird life? Plethora of migratory birds such as Storks, Pelicans, Cranes, Flamingoes..smaller resident birds such as sandpipers, quail, lapwing, falcon and other add to the omnipresent beauty of this region.
(pl. see the foto-feature of this tour carried in the national edition of Indian Express. Bottom left pic shows natural fabric expert, Ms. Neeta, in discussion with aari work artisans at Jaralwari)

Adventure Breaks!

Adventure my Fix!

Nothing ignites me more than a hedonistic activity like hurtling down a river in rubber dinghy or rapelling down a cliff, perhaps trekking long distances in the Himalayas to see the marvels unfold before my eyes. Maybe there is one that fires me up more...to get as many people, young & old, to overcome their fears & mind blocks by actually getting them to try these sport under experienced hands & watchful eyes of experts!
Besides what you see here, there are times when, with some encouragement and soft prodding, people have actually been able to surpass themselves in Parasailing, Snorkelling, Hiking,

Waterfall Rapelling, Night trekking, Camping, River Crossing...many more! Fear, i believe, is more in the subject than in the object. Ponder...

Postcard from the Zeltzers!

Sometime ago i had this great fortune of being retained by a extremely well-travelled, highly accomplished, aware & extremely polite doctor couple from the US to travel with. The Zeltzers had heard of Moving Clouds from a common friend. They were to be in Mumbai to attend an Oncologists' convention and then take a 3 week vacation to etch a piece of India into their minds...and hearts. Goa, i had encouraged them to do on their own with necessary inputs & every detailing organized, to enable them spend a quiet wedding anniversary. Ajanta & Ellora, Kanha & Bandhavgarh National Parks is what i had stitched together for them as an Accompanying India Knowledge Base. Did they enjoy the break, despite a missed flight, long drives & some dense Mumbai traffic? Check out what they have to say under "Our Guests Speak". (this is a post card Paul sent to me when i asked him for a snap he' like to share with me!). Yes, and Lonnie and i shared great laughs over the professor's absent mindedness! We've since shared great bonds.

Reality Check for Mankind.

In my many forays into the countryside,

around the city where i live, Pune, an IT hub and a 'wannabe metro' in western India, besides a callous civic body & an unenlightened set of political managers, this is one that hit me hardest. In a wider perspective, a reality check for mankind ! Think about it...

Benaras- City of Transition

The holy city of Varanasi (synthesis of the words bara (12) & assi (80) adding to 92, which are the number of ghats along the Ganges), known as the city of temples and learning, is a place of great historical and cultural importance. This religious capital of India, also fondly called Benaras, is situated on the banks of the holy & deadly polluted river Ganges and is presided over by Lord Shiva, unfortunately amidst filth, sewage & dirt! It is regarded as the heart of India and an epitome of melting pot of cultures, religions and races. The river-front of the city is decorated by hundreds of well built ghats which is a unique feature.

The holy Buddhist place, Sarnath is in its precincts . Varanasi is the premiere most place of Oriental learning. Simultaneously it is keeping pace with modern advanced knowledge. It has three universities, a Tibetan Institute and an Institute of Arabic Studies. The city is reputed for silk fabrics, perfumes, artistic brass and copper wares and a variety of handicrafts. It is an important centre of literature, art and culture. It has inspired great poets, writers, musicians and scholars to create masterpieces! This vibrant city of joy, knowledge and liberation has a magnetic attraction for people all over the world, but is sadly in a highly neglected state.

Ancient havelis, refurbished into boutique hotels, many with rooms facing Ganga, Mother to the many Hindu devout, are the places to stay in, should you want to get catapulted into the past. Meandering thru the labyrinths of lanes & bylanes and loosing one's way only to find it again, is an intersting game akin to 'Patience'!

Khajuraho - Pleasures unlimited!

In the 27th century of Kali yuga the Mlechcha invaders started attacking North India some Bargujar Rajputs moved towards east to central India, they ruled over North-Eastern region of Rajasthan called Dhundhar and were referred to as Dhundhel/Dhundhela in ancient times, for the region they governed. Later on they called themselves Bundelas and Chandelas. The city was the cultural capital of Chandela Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10th to the 12th centuries. Political capital of Chandelas was Kalinjar. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150. The Chandela capital was moved to Mahoba after this time, but Khajuraho continued to flourish for some time. Khajuraho has no forts because the Chandel Kings never lived in their cultural capital. There were originally over 80 Hindu temples, of which only 22 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about 8 square miles (21 sqkm).
The temples of Khajuraho suffered destruction by early Muslim invaders between c. 1100-1400 AD as various disfigured statues at the temple complex attest. Interestingly, some temples even have statues of Jain Tirthankars in them! Jainism, i always believed, had nothing to do with erotica!
Today, the temples serve as fine examples of Indian architectural styles that have gained popularity due to their explicit depiction of the traditional way of sexual life during medieval times. Locals living in the Khajuraho village always knew about and kept up the temples as best as they could. They were pointed out to an English man in late 19th century and the jungles had taken a toll on all of the monuments.
The Sound & Light Show is a must experience! All the big players in the hospitality industry have set up shop here. The Taj, Chandela, where we stayed is one such warm experience. Smaller ones thrive too. Flights & trains connect the place well.

Land of the High Passes - LADAKH !

Ladakh! The intensity of the place begins with the pronounciation! When the like-minded yet physically diverse group i approached, with a mention that an incredible itinerary, including a picturesque trek over 13500ft high passes, had been chalked out for this Trans-Himalayan abode, boasting of the highest civilian airstrip in the world (11500ft), there was a unified squeal of delight!
22 were the bravehearts who set afoot. This was least worrisome. What was, was the age band: 7 to 50yrs. What also was, was the fact the many were first time trekkers, of which a few believed that they could never trek in their life & few others were very seasoned ones. I had yet to figure out how i was to get them acclimatized to hi-alt & confidence, all together. Planning began 3 months ahead. Long walks & laboured hill climb routines were conducted. Sessions on understanding the nature of Altitude Sickeness by an expert were held, co-ordinating breathing while hiking and many such simple yet crucial workshops were conducted.
The group commenced with a practice walk to Vaishnodevi and came up trumps! Was i relieved? But trekking hi-alt is different, i silently thought. We flew Jammu-Leh, perhaps to be regarded as amongst the most spectacular flights in the world! Gigantic peaks burst out of nowhere just below the airplane window..and we were flying at 28000ft!
Crucial are the first 48hrs when one gains altitude quickly. Exactly what we did. 11000ft in 1.5 hrs! Is this what theu call 'fishing for trouble'? The Dawa Stumpa family we checked in with, joined me in literally forcing liquids, water, soups, tea/coffee down the participants. 5-6 liters each! What followed over the days was a lifetime experience. Great monasteries, fantastic drives, simple people, stark, vast and stunning landscapes, stupendous experiences..icing on the cake being the luxury trek over 4 days! Ghosts in the mind were tackled, ego's tamed, benchmarks with the self achieved & surpassed by many too. What a feeling! Sangeeta Pungaliya, 40yrs, participant & first time trekker sums it up: " Given my physical condition, i never imagined i would ever trek. Leave alone in Ladakh! Thanks to Moving Clouds' meticulous pre-departure training, none of us, had any medical condition. Not even a headache. Thanks, Girish, for enhancing my self-belief."
(yours truly in an orange T-shirt, top pic)

Adventure & Spirituality Sojourn with Art of Living teen!

Perhaps one of the most energy intensive tour that i was fortunate to escort was a bunch of 30 extremely lively, boisterous, vibrant & diverse teenagers of the Art of Living Foundation, UAE! Accompanied by 3 AoL teachers, led by the ever smiling & softly encouraging Rugmani Rao, the perky Shreya & the 'ever at peace with himself' Rashmin, who were to impart spiritual insights of living & life, breathing techniques (sudarshan kriya) etc, it was uopn me to conduct adventure activities over 10 days in the pristine North Indian State of Himachal Pradesh.
The group converged in Delhi from where we left by train to Chandigarh and then in a convoy of 7 SUV's drove to stay in fantastic locales, with great views to match. Shogi, Thanedar, Sarahan & Shoja ( the beautiful Sangla Campsite had to be dropped due to a massive landslide cutting off all connectivity with the valley) were to be our destinations over the days that sped past. A beautiful blend of 'inner journey & outer exploration', a Spiritual Sojourn, as termed by AoL, was to unfurl over the days following.
Adventure activities undertaken? Trekking, River Crossing, Flying Fox, Burma Bridge, Waterfall Rapelling, Canyoning...and i must admit that most teens excelled at them all. What a unique way to spend a vacation! Adventure & Spirituality. Tip: Avoid Himachal Pradesh in monsoon months! Just too many flash landslides.
(see pic..yours truly stands 2nd from right)