Maqtoob; Volume 5

Maqtoob; TM

SHUBHYATRA {cover story}

Living t he AM rty) E R D ie &Ba

. Ro (feat

nn

#factination

“Unakoti”

-a Shiva Pilgrimage

CONTENT

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CONTENT - SHUBHYATRA(cover story) - LIVING the DREAM (feat. Ronnie & Barty) - DOSTAT DAARAM - THE MOUNTAIN that moved me!

- UNAKOTI - a Shiva Pilgrimage -FACTINATION

Editorial Our magazine Maqtoob; Features real life stories of people who have visited or moved to a different land far-away from home. It’ll talk about how the place has moulded them. It could be a life changing experience, could be something which has taught them a thing or two about themselves. It could be them falling in love at a place away from home. An emotional roller coaster, with added flavours in the form of different individualistic tales.

We all have gone places, we all will be going more. Be it solo, with friends, with our loved ones. The beauty is that each time we travel, we unwrap something new, something unique about ourselves. And it leaves us with a mesmerising afterthought.

Most of us have a social media account where we put up the best pictures from that destination and write down something related or something we felt at that place, on that very moment. But that emo- tion, that connection is limited within ourself or a few closed ones we share with.

Now, how about we let you talk about your personal experience at that place, a platform where you can pour your entire heart out. How about we keep aside the destination for once.

And let you talk about the journey, YOUR JOURNEY.

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ShubhYatra...

Shubham’s ShubhYatra…Kashmir to Kanyakumari on foot. 5000 km walk , 180 days What made you do this crazy & inspiring 105 days cycling solo expedition and your current walking expedition?

I was studying in NID- and questions about our purpose and existence had started coming up for me, it made me observe everything around me and question the teachings about how even 50 years down the line, what I’m learning here today, students then would probably learn the same, so how am I different and that sort of made me pick up my bicycle at 2AM to see what’s out there, to explore and learn. I cycled till Baroda and I loved the experience so decided to continue to South. I was enjoying each day whether it was sleeping with friends, or at petrol pumps. This was the first of its kind which I did without telling the parents, without any financial sponsorship. But this journey in 2013 which started from Ahmedabad and ended in Kanyakumari it changed everything. It made me understand what I want in my life, to be an explorer - to work for social issues. The return back to college when I saw everyone was preparing the final portfolios and applying for jobs- made me decide that I don’t wish to be a part of the corporate world but I was confused between the comfort of the amazing designer job which would allow to pay my college loans versus being an explorer where you don’t quite know about the money but know that you’re going to enjoy every bit of it. So I decided to give myself a crazy challenge, and I looked for the most dangerous roads and stumbled upon the Himalayas - so I sat down and decided that this will be my last classroom project and I sent it to many companies and finally was able to get sponsors. And fast forward to 2015 when I became the only one to have cycled the Himalayas- end to end, all by myself and unsupported. Soon after college came to end, I started my own adventure tourism company where we work for social causes and I get to do expeditions. But it was last year that maybe it is time to do something crazier in life -and this time I thought let’s do k2k (Kashmir to Kanyakumari) on foot. And well, here I am, it’s been 5 months, I am on the road and it has been amazing so far! I am walking, and I can experience every inch of India, every inch of the culture and the transition between the places is amazing.

With every step I can witness the change, how the mountains are slowly moving towards fields, and that slowly changing into city and buildings. It has been beautiful!

What goes behind planning something like this? Do you decide on the number of kms’ or your route for the day?

Planning isn’t very important, finances are. If you have savings that’s great, otherwise I normally look for sponsorships and I usually get it but the process is tiring and long. It requires you to go to many companies and be your own sales person and apart from that, I don’t decide on anything. I just walk till I feel like. Sometimes I walk till 4PM, sometimes its nicer, so I go on till 7PM, it also depends on my stay. Its not planned at all.

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How is the experience like with the people you’ve encountered on your journey? Could you share an experience with us that touched you?

The experience has been beautiful. There were a lot of stories I heard from people before going to different states. For Kashmir, they said it is not safe, don’t go there. For Punjab, I was told it’s all about drugs – it’s not safe. For Haryana I was told it’s not safe, I could get kidnapped. People judge places and people too quick. My experiences were mostly meeting families, which was beautiful and not at all under these stereotypes.

I’ll share one story, which I have told to many people before, because it is one of the most inspiring day of this journey. It was my day 1, I was walking towards the south of Kashmir, and I was told by a lot of people that the area that I’m heading to is not at all safe and is filled with militants and terrorists. I was like no I want to go and see the real place and that was the whole point of the journey. I decided that whatever happens to me it’s up to me. The day had been very tiring, I had walked 35 KMS, feet were sore with blisters and I was heading to Avantipura where I met two random boys in the market, eating jalebis. They greeted me ‘Asalam-walequm’ and then asked me what I was doing. I told them how I had decided to walk from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He was amazed and so he invited me to his house. First for a while I was a bit scared as this was the place every one had been trying to warn me about but I told myself it’s okay and we went to his place. It was him, his wife, his mother, his daughter and his sister and man! They gave me so much food and took care of my feet, which was full of blisters and after the food they showed me the bedroom to sleep and I was very tired so I passed out on the bed. In the morning when I woke up I came down and I noticed the whole family was sleeping outside the kitchen, there was a dining area like a huge carpet and the whole house had only one bed and they gave that to me. It was just crazy and it was making me think how the whole world was throwing such negative thoughts about these people and they are the ones who have done this. So far no one had done this for me, giving the only bed they have to a stranger. That was for sure the most beautiful experience.

From cycling through the Himalayas, to now doing something just as crazy by walking the states of india, could you share some learnings from these journeys?

There have been many learnings. To be fearless.

Fearless of everything. If you want to do something, if you are passionate about music, art of any crazy thing that people might not believe it. Just do it. Keep doing it. Your dream, your idea. It’s like the seed that you need to keep watering. Don’t get disappointed if it’s not giving fruits or isn’t becoming a tree just the same month, just stay at it. Things don’t happen so fast you have to be working at it. You have to keep giving energy to your seed, the result will come some day. The seed will become a tree with fruits. Also, be fearless, of disappointments, of failures, of everything. Most of the people, when they want to do something, the first thing that comes up is not why we should do it but why we shouldn’t do it, so just be fearless of this and not to get scared of the reason why you shouldn’t do what you love.

And another is, to not judge a place before hand. The world is not how we hear from people. I’ve also learnt that this world were living in, is dying, we are all killing it. Nature is dying. Rivers are treated so badly, so dry, and full of chemicals. They are our God. Rivers give us water. They must be our top priority.

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What’s it like to be on your for days and days? Do you like to meet people and make friends along the way?

Ya, every day I walk, while walking I gain a lot of attention in villages and people come and talk to me, which is great. I make a lot of friends on the way. I know so many people and so many families that I’ve met. This is the saddest and the best part of the journey, and every day I have to say goodbye and it’s the toughest part of my journey. Every day I wake up, eat my breakfast with the family I’m staying with and then walk for 8 hours, while walking, I talk to people I meet on the way and I’m more active in documenting the places, and that’s how it is most of the time.

Your take on culture and diversity experienced through the states?

India is full of culture and walking from Kashmir to Punjab and everything is changing with every step.

When you fly, you see the change is too fast, while walking the visuals, the language and the food, is changing with each step. It’s like magic and its beautiful. The biggest difference, I’ve known and seen is the difference between cities and villages. Villages all over the country, people are down to earth, hardworking and ready to help you with whatever they got but people in cities seem to be scared of each other and don’t know the neighbors. Balconies are covered with iron and they don’t want to help each other. The difference isn’t so much in the culture but cities and villages. People in cities are lost. I miss the village part, people love each other and know everyone around.

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Living the Dream...

- Ronnie & Barty

Could you tell us a bit about you two and this dream life you’re living?

We are Rohan Thakur and Bharati Bahrani and we have a YouTube channel called “Ronnie & Barty” based in the beautiful Himalayan town of Manali.

We both worked in the Hindi film industry in Bombay, and like most clichéd Bollywood couples, we met on a film set :) But what sealed the deal for us is our love for the mountains.

Our creative journey together began with the TV series we created called “Way Back Home - A Himalayan Travelogue” for TheVibe. This epic journey changed the course of our lives forever. It rekindled the passion for travel and our immense love for the mountains, but more importantly it opened up new possibilities for us to create the kind of content that we love.

We always knew that we’d end up living in Himachal, but it was a big step to take then, especially because one gets used to the comforts of city life. But around three years ago, while we were still working in Bombay, we came up to Manali for a few weeks in the winter. We were both conflicted in our minds about making the big move to the mountains. And then something happened. We found friends. Netflix streamed live. And Amazon delivered! That was it! Two months later, we had packed up our place in Bombay and set up shop in Manali!

It’s been a crazy ride these past two years! With absolutely no regrets! Life is definitely very different compared to the hustle bustle of Bombay. But there’s a sense of freedom, of constant excitement, of curiosity, of discovery. We consider ourselves to be extremely blessed because we get to do what we want to, to create without limitations, to wake up each day and look at the bright blue sky, the towering mountains, the lush forests, and to breathe in the crisp air, to hear the birds chirping and the bees buzzing. And the icing on the cake is the mad group of friends we have, who are always ready for an adventure!

What keeps you going?

Being a YouTuber is very different from the conventional route most filmmakers take. It’s an ever evolving platform and it’s very important to be current and yet stand out from the rest of the pack. But at the same time it’s an amazing space to experiment with your craft. And that’s what excites us. We feel like we can keep trying new things with the way we tell our stories, and don’t have to stick to a formula. And what’s really encouraging is the overwhelming love we get from our viewers. Whatever we throw at them, however weird at times, they are constantly cheering us on. So that makes us push ourselves even more to try and create something original, something fun and exciting.

What was your inspiration behind “soul trails”?

So “Soul Trails” is a result of a slightly inebriated night :) It was sometime midway through the tourist season in Manali, and everyone was kind of sick of the traffic, the crowds and just the congested feeling around town. Anubhav (the Chef) came up with the idea to head to Leh as soon as the season ended, but to do it over landing style! Find the longest possible route to Leh, pack everything that we would need to survive the journey, explore all the crazy places in the middle and do it completely off the grid! And then Ronnie had a light bulb moment - let’s make this into a show! That’s how “Soul Trails” came into being.

3 things you enjoyed the most about soul trails? Would you do something like that again?

Ok, so first of fall, what ‘made’ the trip for us was the super awesome team we put together. Each and every person on the trip added their own special flavor.

Nothing is scripted. That’s all them!

And living together under those extreme conditions, pushing one another to be stronger, setting up our “home” every evening and cooking together, entertaining ourselves with lots of random banter, reminiscing childhood stories - all of it brought us closer together in a way that we could never have imagined!

Having an extremely talented chef on board is always a luxury :) We were feasting like kings every single day! Bacon and eggs for breakfast, rustic Italian chicken and Alfredo pasta, finger licking mutton curry, Thai food, pancakes... basically all the yummy things you imagine eating when you are out in the wild but are stuck eating instant noodles!

But the best part of the trip was definitely the mammoth landscapes that enveloped us, and in some way the “nothingness” of it all puts things in life into perspective.

It’s a good idea to cut off from the world - just for a little while, to reset your mind, give it a time out, and then come back with a fresh outlook on the world.

It’s been two years since we’ve been on the trip, and the itch to go out there again is definitely back. Plans are being plotted and hopefully we’ll be able to do something even crazier this time around!

What’s the next thing on your ‘adventure’ list?

Oh this list is like a bottomless pit! Too many plans - too little time! :) We want to do an over landing trip across the Himalayas, or maybe even a coast to coast trip across the country. There are so many parts of Himachal and India that we’ve still not explored.

Ronnie’s dream is to go skiing in Hakuba, Japan, and Barty dreams of drowning in sushi! ;) So yeah, Japan tops the wish list for sure! Tibet, Indonesia, the Norwegian countries, and Iceland are definitely on the bucket list as well. We want to go across North America in an RV and ride on some the craziest roller coasters they have!

Basically we want our passports to look like mini novels! ;) Hopefully we get to explore and experience all of these beautiful places in this lifetime!

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Dostat Daaram

A JOURNEY HOME

-Afrah Futum

What a perfect day to go down one’s memory lane. I didn’t imagine having such a beautiful content Monday in my life.

Life seems magical and blessings keep flowing. A Monday morning so contrast to my life a few years ago. Chariot of clouds passing by. Blessing with the smell of wet soil post light morning drizzle. Exactly how lovers smell of each other post engulfing one another.

The smell lingers on. Reminding of days spent in sheer joy.

Smell carries a strong nostalgia. This is what happened to me this morning. Somehow, I was reminded of my days in Bombay. The city I loved immensely, as a kid. Without ever visiting the city as a kid. I knew I’ll love it. That’s exactly what happened when I visited Bombay for the first time in 2009. It was love at first sight.

I knew it was my city. A feeling of belonging. I moved to Bombay in 2013 after my marriage.

Before that, I was visiting the city continuously for work.

How all these years passed in a blink? I have no idea.

Seems like a book reading.

You are so engrossed dealing with all the drama that you do not realize when you reach the last word. That last line or a paragraph. Time to move on to the next book. That’s how I

have dealt with life. Taking every incident as a chapter in life.

Life took a turn when I got married. Another turn, when I stepped out of my marriage in September’14. Another major turn, in September’15. When I was drugged at my own parent’s house and admitted to a hospital. To be specific a mental hospital. Why? Reason? I asked for a divorce. When I had emotionally moved on in life. Getting back to the things, I loved doing. I started to paint. Welcoming the art of theatre in my life and getting back to looking after myself.

They couldn’t understand my move. I guess because I didn’t really create a scene out of it.

Happily got engrossed with my life I was firm and they couldn’t figure out a way to deal with the situation. The thought of divorce comes easy, but it doesn’t manifest quickly in our society. Especially, when it is a woman asking for it. You are expected to give life another chance and compromise. Even if it leaves you exhausted and with no respect. Just a mere standing trophy. Sad but a living reality.

So many of us go through it.

Not just women but also men.

I have no memory of those three months of my life. I lost

sight. I lost body movement. I couldn’t speak all the time in bed. It was then I started to cry deep inside and being strong outside. Even inside I kept telling myself to play along. It was then when various thoughts about life started to come into mind. Questioning myself the concept of family and relationships.

Life in general. What is really more important? My biggest fear was what if I am unable to walk again? What if I really end up losing my voice and can’t bring myself to speak.

What if I can never write again? What if all my life I’ll need someone to assist me to brush my teeth or even to take a leak or bath. It broke me into pieces deep inside. A constant fear of being raped by our servants kept lingering because there were times when I was alone at home.

Whatever one reads in the newspapers would haunt me. I felt so helpless. I had never felt this lonely in life. But then, I had my own family outside my family. It is because of those three pillars I am here.

Breathing life. Ramiz, Vandana, and Guneet. They didn’t leave a single stone unturned to find me and help my escape.

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I left Delhi once more in January’16. Should I say escaped Delhi, to Bombay. This time around the city was different. I was weak. Mentally, emotionally and physically. Need not to say financially too. I reached Bombay. Stayed at a friend’s place. Another friend, Rasika, helped look for a job.

Who is now my fourth pillar.

As soon as I arrived in the city.

For a month I survived on a glass of milk or some bread.

Then later on, some or the other friend started to cook a meal for me. Then another person in office started bringing me lunch. I still remember the day when I was left with few coins to pay for my autorickshaw fare. Still a month to go for my first salary. That meant taking long walks from work to home. I didn’t give up.

All because I started to value life more and more. I didn’t want myself to be oblivious of any emotion or feeling that life has to offer to me. I started to appreciate life more. It also made me distant from lot of people. I started to spend more and more time by myself. I loved my work. But, because I didn’t give much time to my recovery post the trauma, it affected my health. I was sick most of the time.

August 2016 I quit my job.

After a long period of being sick. I decided to spend time in my own company. It was on one of the September’16 afternoon when I finished reading the book ‘SIDDHARTHA’

by Herman Hesse I completely broke down. I sobbed and wailed in my apartment for hours. I shivered. I apologized to myself and the plants

in the house. I think it was that day when I felt the need to leave the city. My beloved city Mumbai. I again took up a project, to make sure what I am feeling is for real and not out of any emotional reasons.

The itch and the restlessness again grew stronger. Finally, in December 2016, I decided to leave the city after much persuasion from my friend Vandana.

Mountains were not my immediate choice. They were never.

But, eventually I moved to Manali and settled myself here. Life changed. I changed.

I welcomed everything that the mountains had to offer me.

Embraced this new life. For me personally moving to the mountains wasn’t that big of a challenge. Being a people’s person and already having some known people around helped me.

As soon as I moved here, I had a lot to focus on. I was the co-owner of a café named ‘Drifters’ in Old Manali.

The urge to open an art residency a space for the creative minds never left me. Again, in September 2018, I decided not to go to my café anymore and mostly stay at home. It took me a couple of months being alone and pushing myself to get back to my dream.

To get myself together you see it is very easy to loose oneself in a place like Manali.

To lose focus. For what you really had come for. It happened with me too. Then once again, I had a friend like brother this time to push me back to my dream. Dream of ‘Dostat Daaram’. It was Abhi-

nav who reminded me why I had moved to the mountains.

By this time, I have had once again hit zero in my account.

With some bank loan and some help from friends, I converted my personal residence into a home stay. Which is an art residency in the making.

‘Dostat Daaram’ was born long ago. In 2012, back then it didn’t have a name. Only to be introduced to people in December 2018.

I wanted the name to be a reflection and an extension of who I am. ‘Dostat Daaram’ means ‘I Love You’ in Persian language. It was the language in which Rumi used to write, and, I personally find the relationship of Rumi and Sham-eTabriz an epitome of love & compassion.

I begin to experience life in the mountains more closely ever since. I absolutely started to focus on Dostat Daaram. I think Dostat Daaram has given me another chance at life. It is my utmost priority and love. Will always be. I started appreciating life once again. It is not easy to settle down in the mountains. They take a lot away from you before giving you back in abundance. By doing my day to day chores myself I feel more independent. Not relying on any house help. Mountains have changed my take on being independent. I cherish the smallest of the gestures now. I feel more responsible of my physical body. I love waking up early to the warm sunrays.

Going to bed early, eating on time and I feel content. I learnt to have patience. There seems to be no rush in life. I have started to feel more grateful and blessed as a human to have experienced so many lessons. It is a beautiful feeling when someone walks-in ‘Dostat Daaram’ as a guest and leave as an extended family. Dostat Daaram has blessed me with a family all over the world.

Of course there are still days when I am worked up. As I have to do everything myself.

No house help. It feels like a chaos some days. There are days when I am exhausted and tired, going nights without sleep. Then there are days when you find hidden notes from guests. The look in their eyes says it all. And, all of a sudden everything feels okay.

Feels worth the effort. Dostat Daaram inspires me every

day. It teaches me balance, discipline and focus. I do not think so that I have given so much of myself to anything in life. So much so that I have become protective of it. In a good caring way, after all it has given me so much.

We do have an initiative called ‘FOR EACH OTHER’ where I invite two people to stay for free for three nights and three days each month. These are the people who are battling depression, anxiety, separation, someone who lost someone. Or going through a major life changing phase and they do not have time for themselves. Or people who cannot really afford a little break for themselves. It is inspiring to meet such people and to know their stories. This is my small way of giving back to the society. I feel we all should stand for each other. Battling my own downside phase of life I promised myself that whenever life gets me to a point where I can do my share, I’ll host people. Give them that time they long for. Give them that safe haven.

I only hope soon to launch Dostat Daaram as a full-fledged art residency. One of its kind.

Again, I am in no rush. It will take shape soon and at its own pace. Insecurities and competition is far behind me. I cherish humans more than ever. I have started to enjoy the art of meeting and saying byes. Being an eternally hopeful person, I always believe in the magic of the universe.

Back the magic with your efforts. I am working towards balancing life. To reach some kind of balance. It is difficult

for a person who loves extreme sides of life.Mountains gave me my 6Es of life. Explore. Experiment. Experience. Express. Enjoy. Evolve.

I try and live my life on these 6Es now. I only wish ‘Dostat Daaram’ continue to receive all the love it has been receiving. For all the love it has given me. May Dostat Daaram continue to being home to lot more people. Come home to Dostat Daaram.

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Come Home, dear.

Come home to an adobe cradling in the lap of the mountains. Nestled atop the mountains of Nasogi village.

Feel at home; and unwind.

I, Afrah, your host, will take care of the little things that matter.

Sip on a hot cuppa of warmth and laugh over the not-so-perfect quirks of life.

Let new friendships bloom.

Just be; feel alive in the present.

Soak in the unconditional love of our pets- Naaz, Ella, Simba, Nawab, Indira, Noor & Mustafa.

Come paint your feelings and bring our walls to life.

Write; ink your soul with us.

Create; for that's the purpose of our existence.

We'll hope when you leave; an inch of your heart whispers 'Dostat Daaram.'

For every inch of this home echoes this sentiment.

Come home, to my space, our space of love.

Come home to Dostat Daaram.

Kedarkantha THE MOUNTAIN That Moved Me -Karan Lakhe

You cannot move mountains, but they surely move you.

Kedarkantha was the mountain that got me moving on my first winter trek. Situated in Uttarakhand the peak holds a mythological significance. Legend has it Kedarkantha was the initial location chosen by ascetics from ancient times to lay the foundation of the revered Kedarnath temple.

However, the truth got lost in time, leaving only untraceable versions of stories to eternally wander and invite people like me to explore its web of mysteries.

Kedarkantha simply meansthe throat of Lord Shiva and I wasn’t doing this trek for the views on offer. The Kedarkantha legend stirred my curiosity to which I couldn’t say no.

Having, previously done treks in odd season I wanted to journey in a winter wonderland.

Kedarkantha topped the charts of winter treks.

The itinerary of many treks at Uttarakhand begins from the state capital Dehradun. Mine was no exception. The trekking company had arranged for a pick up at 6:30am from ISBT Dehradun to Sankri. I was introduced to a motley group of 6 fellow trekkers armed with gears more than necessary.

All my years of trekking have taught me to travel light. And so I put my experience into ef-

fect with one 55L rucksack, selected layers of clothing, basic toiletries and hygiene packets and I was done.

From Dehradun, kick started, a stomach churning road journey of 8 hours in a traveller. The drive to Sankri was generously peppered with breath-taking sights of the Himalayan grandeur. It offered Mussoorie as a starter and further takes you up deep into quaint little hamlets like Harkot, Purola (last place for mobile network) Mori, Netwar and Motwat.

The trek operator insisted to halt for lunch at a humbly, modest Garhwali dhaba which served undoubtedly delicious organic food at one-tenth the price of urban inorganic.

Food tip: - Try ‘Gehat ki daal’ with ‘nachni or ragi roti’ and ‘red rice’. Even the Rajma leaves a tantalising after taste.

Thank me later.

Post lunch on the drive my gaze fell on the mighty Kempty Fall. But, I only jolted out of my seat at the gushing sound of the blue Tons River. It is at the confluence of Rupin-Shupin Rivers of the Yamunotri tributary where Tons River is born.

Pro tip: simply unplug all devices and listen to the tunes of nature. Even your noise-cancellation will go for a toss when the Tons River roars.

The nature only kept giving which was hardly surprising.

What gets me thinking every

time I visit the Himalayas are the people who live there. A stark contrast between my life and theirs separated by a smudged thin window becomes crystal clear. It poses me with one question ‘What am I meant to be in this World’? Still no answer! Guess what I’ll keep finding.

Around 4:45pm, we arrived in Sankri at a picturesque guest house for the night. Evening snacks and dinner was followed by a briefing session by the trek leaders. I skipped the team gossip with my fellow trekkers and retired to bed.

Sankri to Juda Ka Talab The first ascent began at the gates of Govind national park which took me to the first camp at a location approx 4kms uphill- Juda Ka Talab. It is a lake and as the name suggests is connected to a water body downhill that provides water supply to the Sankri region throughout the year. The climb was challenging with every step the terrain kept getting steeper. A quick lunchstop at a tattered dhaba revitalized me.

My trick of trekking involves 1minute break every 15 minutes of climb. This technique has helped me maintain a steady pace without my heart aching to come out of the rib cage.

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4 hours of steep climb and I saw the colorful camp site right in the middle of the forest. The towering pine trees blocked views of the nosey Himalayan peaks. But, the magic happened in the night when the moon shines bright over the lake accompanied by millions of stars against a black canvas of spatial expanse.

Tip: Pull out a telescope for star gazing. Himalayan treks are a haven for Astrophotographers.

Around 8:00 pm I retired to my shared space of tent with 3 fellow trekkers. Reluctantly, I participated in the conversations which got overflowed by sips of vodka getting all of us reciting mandatory Bollywood songs. Then the snoring began.

Kedarkantha base campThe journey to the base camp was the easiest part of the trek. 2kms of climb and that’s it. True, it was indeed manageable. The camp site was a delight. It offered views of Swargarohini peak teamed up with other unending range of mountains.

However, what caught my attention was a mighty conical top overlooking the campsite; sun-kissed and shrouded with white mist gloriously it stared at me. That was Kedarkantha.

I had some time to kill before the final ascent and wasn’t in the mood to curl up in the tent.

After lunch my trek leader huddled the group together and announced an acclimatization walk. We trekked a fair amount of distance and reached near a waterfall. The sight was mesmerizing and worth every step I climbed.

The dinner was served early

around 7pm. The summit climb was scheduled to start at 4am.

Kedarkantha summitThe sound of pitter-patter at 3:00am broke my slumber. It was snowing. Perfect, for the summit push. We started the ascent at 4:00am with temperature dipping to -5 degrees.

Kedarkantha is an enigma and I realized it first that it is also treacherous. It plays tricks with your mind. The closer you think you are the farther it gets. It puts an illusion and you get caught because Kedarkantha is guarded by two hilltops that remain hidden from the base camp. They come in full sight only when you get closer. They tease you by going far again when you think you’ve made it.

A rigorous 2.5hours climb on the ridge of Kedarkantha awaited me. Patience is the key on mountains. The only thing that was real was the mountain summit in plain sight. To reach the top one need to climb the mountain in the head which pulls us behind, forces you to quit.

On the ridge I was literally treading on the edges of Kedarkantha’s shoulder. One misstep and I’d have met my creator. That was the risk.

Avoiding the abyss below I maintained my line of sight to the top. Taking shorter breaks and longer strides I realized my team was far behind.

Everyone was battling with their fears, the only way I knew I could defeat mine was to keep moving ahead.

A moving body ascending from the top made way for me and there I saw it- Kedarkantha. I

took nimble steps to reach the summit point where lay a rocky Shiva temple. I paid my respects to the mountain head before retiring to its vibes.

The feeling makes you joyous like you would be at the first smile of your baby. The mountain speaks in beautiful riddles.

The night at the base camp was the most animated experience of the entire trek. It began snowing at the camp site and seemed it wouldn’t stop soon. The winds nimbly carried white clouds over our camp site and showered heavy snow. The green surface was quickly covered under deep snow. The snow fall had arrived before the expected weather calendar and wreaked havoc at the camp site.

The tents crippled under the weight of the incessant snow fall. All that I and my fellow mates could do to save the night was clear the settled snow around the tent at every 2 hours interval. And, yes we armed ourselves with lunch boxes to scrape out the settled snow from above and under our now turned white flimsy fortress.

Next day, around 9:00am we began the descend back to Sankri.

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Kedarkantha was my first winter trek, yet it offered the best experiences of all other treks I’ve ever done. It moved me in many ways like being comfortable around unknown people and most importantly, being happy in one’s own company.

I heard the mountains speak in signs and vibes it radiates.

I’m yet to learn to decipher what it said.

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Unakoti - a Shiva Pilgrimage - Madan Debbarma Tripura, situated in the lush green hills of North East India, is home to a diverse mix of cultures and ethnicity. The state is blessed with religious festivals, artistic cane & bamboo products, colourful costumes, and delicious food, painting a harmonious cultural ambience which portrays diversity. The state of Tripura is an illustration of a long and varied legacy of history and tradition.

Among Tripura’s explored destinations, is a centuries old ancient site called Unakoti.

Located around 178km from the state capital Agartala, and just about 8 km from the subdivisional headquarters of Kailasahwar town, this ancient site has 99,99,999 gigantic sculptures of Hindu deities, most of them about 30 to 40 feet high, that have been chiselled out of a hill and is believed to date back to the 8th and 9th centuries.

Unakoti means one less than a crore.

Unakotishwara Kal Bhairav, the most famous of them, is a 30 foot high carving of Lord Shiva’s head, with 10 foot high carvings of Goddess Durga on a lion as a crown on one side and Goddess Ganga

on the other. Additionally, there are several sculptures of Ganesh, Hanuman and Nandi bulls.

Some distance away, is another three eyed figure which is believed to be either of Vishnu or Surya. Archaeologists believe that the sculptures are an obvious influence of the Shiva cult, Tantric, Shakti and Hatha yogis, but they could be from two different periods of art from the 12th and 16th century alongside. Among the stone images and rock cut sculptures, we see Narsimha, Ravana, and also a chaturmukha Shivlinga.

According to theories, these rock cut sculptures were carved out by a sculptor known as Kalu Kumhar, who himself was a great devotee of Shiva and Parvati. It is believed, that the couple happened to pass through this region with their enormous entourage, when Kalu asked to accompany them. Shiva rejected this proposition, so Parvati came up with a bargain that if, Kalu can sculpt 1,00,00,000 images of Shiva and his companions overnight, he could accompany them. Sadly, Kalu Kumhar was one short of a

crore and was left behind.

Hence, the place got its name, Unakoti.

Another theory popularised by the Rajamala, the official history of the Manikya Kings of Tripura, legend has that Lord Shiva on his way to Kailash spent a night in the hills of Unakoti, and was accompanied by 99,99,999 gods and goddesses. Eager to reach home, he asked his followers to wake up before dawn in order to leave for Kailash.

Enraged that none woke, except Shiva himself, he set out for Kailash alone bestowing a curse on the late sleepers, that they shall be condemned to and eternity on earth, turning them into stone. It is believed that the petrified gods and goddesses is what decorated the hills of Unakoti and its name.

The stories, theories and logistics behind these carvings remain a mystery. But, whatever be the legends behind this sculptured archaeology, if you are a person who loves exploring ancient, primitive sites, it is time to pack your bags and visit Unakoti.

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#factination North Korea and Cuba are the only places you can't buy Coca-Cola.

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(Liberia, Myanmar, and the United States)

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IN 1889, THE QUEEN OF ITALY, MARGHERITA SAVOY, ORDERED THE FIRST PIZZA DELIVERY. THE CALCIUM IN OUR BONES AND THE IRON IN OUR BLOOD COME FROM ANCIENT EXPLOSIONS OF GIANT STARS.

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