A 'flowery' tale - Trek to valley of flowers

"There is no happiness to him who does not travel" -the Rig Veda

Life , at reasonable frequency finds its ways to take your wisdom and maturity to a higher elevation. Maturity then, lies is how much we allow such experiences to permeate our lives.

I'm just done with one of the most eventful, learning rich, soul warming experiences of my life.- my trek to the valley of flowers.

Irrespective of what prevailing dictates persist of a given place, each traveler shapes for himself a unique experience-which is a confluence of what he knows, what he sees and what he takes away. Each day of my trek somehow dovetails with a fitting bollywood number. So here I go, trying to pen my experiences in a classic piscean way.

Day 1: govindghat to ghangria:

Chale chalo mitwa…. In unchi neechi raaho me..

After Managing to reach govindghat after a trilogy of landslides, which in itself was like an adventure before the trek began, I was in strange mix of emotions. Excited that I saw a small landlslide from a very short distance and dubious about the delays it would cause to our trek.

We were told that the mules and porters were on strike that day. It must have brought maximum agony to the women who thought they could safely unload their burden to someone else. (women are always women!). I thought I had come far from the urban lands of employees and union strikes. But heck, it’s a small world! We  gradually started our climb, trying to feel the cool, take some 'warm up' photographs and getting to know each other better.

It  was noon time and our trekking leader found himself amidst an avalanche of questions about the distance, where our lunch would be and most importantly 'WHEN'??. The seasoned and experienced man that he was, he greeted all our qualms and tantrums with a stoic smile and somehow managed to assuage our fears of going hungry till govindghat. With the weather playing hide and seek between rain and sunshine, we FINALLY had LUNCH at almost 4 PM. How I cherish the satisfaction, fulfillment and rejunevation of spirit that one meal brought to me. How would each day of our life be, if we enjoyed every meal in that same way.  

After a tiring walk to govindghat, least did we know that a dark news awaited us amidst the already dark streets of ghangria. It didn’t take us long before we realised the gravity of the situation. All the hotels were banned from serving food or accomadating tourists due to the strike. While dineshji was running between buildings and busy meeting his friends to find a way out, priyanka and shweta already began day 3 of their trek. They passed ghangria unknowingly, walking toward hemkund. It took a worried dinesh and some helpful travellers along the way to bring them back to our camp for the time being- A medical store with a small room inside. Instructed to be in a  hiding ground on day 1 of ur trek. lol!!

Dineshji returns after a  while and he has managed to give us a sigh of relief. The gurudwara in ghangria had agreed to host all the tourists in ghangria that day. I entered, for the first time in my life a vibrant yet peaceful gurudwara with a plethora of people queuing near the office looking for accomadation. We entered a dorm with atleast a hundred and fifty people inside.  Men engrossed in discussions and mothers taking care of their children, amidst some trifle quarrels between people for blankets and beds.- the scene looked a bit tense and yet amusing.

Inspite of the long walk, I didn’t seem to feel the fatigue.The 2 month gymming regime seems to have helped ;)Priyanka is already crying like a baby because she has a bad headache. The compassionate soul that I am, I lent her a crocine. ;)  Drawn by the soulful chants in the adjacent prayer hall, I spent a lot of time there doing what gives me the most peace- prayer. The sanctity, the energy so refreshing and memorable. The contagious positivity among the sardars inspite of such unexpected aftermaths is a learning I have taken for lifetime. I see myself reflecting. "did I ever in the wildest dreams imagine that I would sleep alongside hundreds of people in a  gurudwara- that too in the himalayan mountains?? . I realised that a single trek doesn't go perfectly as planned. Let alone planning your life.

Day 2: ghangria to VOF:  Yeh kahaa… aa gaye hum..

We had a relaxed walk to VOF after a breakfast in the gurudwara, amidst a ravishing scene of some mountains lit by the golden early morning sunlight. The beautiful mountains help you regain your calm a lot faster than normal. We start seeing the flowers on our way excited about what lay ahead- and we FINALLY arrive.

The soothing silence…. The misty breeze….the vast floral diaspora redolent with a mild perfume…. Multiple colors...gushing sound of the flowing waters….. the enormity of the surrounding mountains… and the delicate beauty of the omnipresent geraniums and pink balsams.   These are perhaps what strike most when you enter the VOF. A famous aphorism goes thus : "Nature is never in a  hurry, yet everything is accomplished'. At some level, nature seems to implicitly question the unpleasant haste and aggression that has meandered into our lives as an excuse for better achievements. It’s a subversive heterodoxy.

   Each flower seems to tell you a tale, each bee is busy with its day's work. When god is the artist and nature the canvas, the best role we could take then is that of an audience. The nature lover and biologist that I am, the valley left lasting impressions. Close my eyes for a second (even after 2 days) and what I see is the valley of flowers and mountains. Dineshji vindicates my plight, and says it'l be a while before we can get out of it completely.

The Icing on the cake- strike is lifted off in ghangria on our arrival.! We gorged on the Rotis and blackdal like never before. Like they say, in the end everything will be fine; & if its not, then it ain't the end.

Day 3: Sama hai suhaana suhaana 

ghangria to Hemkund Sahib

After a lot of if and buts on who's taking the mule and who's not- (one even took the helicopter and flew back to govindghat. ;) four of us determined souls decided to trek. There is a certain delicate charm to the trail from ghangria to hemkund. Alongside the fabric waterfalls, dainty clouds, glaciers and flowers,  You bask in the warmth of a million smile s of fellow travellers and feel grateful that you're blessed with good health when you encounter differently abled people. The kind gestures and energetic singing of co- travellers reinforces your vigor and faith in the goodness of humanity. Each person is cheering the other, the common purpose of reaching the holy hemkund sahib being the subtle connecting chord between people.

After scraping through the many shortcuts on the way, we reached hemkund after a  stiff climb on the last staircase.

The soulful guru gobind singh chants grip you from quite a distance. The sweet waters of the hemkund lake, the chilling breeze at 4 degrees, the devotion in the air and the hot kichdi at the end of it all. Life cant be more beautiful. Adventure, spirituality, nature, trekking and peace of mind. A rare meeting indeed. After some rest and prayer in hemkund, you begin the long walk back but not before you see the vast stretch of the beautiful bramhakamals around. I return to ghangria- with blisters on my legs and every bone in my body aching after the irksome walk- and yet I find that I'm encompassed by a sense of evening calm and fulfillment. I trekked to hemkund and back after all!

Day 4: zindagi...kaisi yeh paheli haa..ye...

Here we go, it’s the last day already.we begin an early start to govindghat. The attraction to watc out for- having a hot butter smeared aloo paratha with achaar sitting next to a beautiful waterfall!!. The best breakfast ever.

 For mostly the first time, I met people who think just the way I do, who share the same dreams and who just love to be silly like me. I'm forced to give up my long held belief that it takes years to build deep friendship. The epiphany dawns that its not years, but a common purpose, an adventure and unique experience that suffices to keep people bonded for a long time. Be it the guy who trekked to everest, the pretty girls with whom I kept chanting 'pisces' pisces' all through or the angry old man who gave me sleepless nights with his arrythmic, boisterous snores, I learnt something from everyone, savored the joy of making people laugh and seeing people's compassion.

I realise that its just been  a week- and I'm left transformed- to carry on with my life in a new and renewed fashion; with greater patience, lesser expectations and a certain openness to uncertainty.

I'm back in office.;And yes, Life goes on.

Kolkata - Ami tumaake balo bhaashi!

As part of perhaps the most impromptu travel schedule ever (thanks to my enterprising cousin-Santosh;) I'm just back from a memorable outing to the temple town of Puri, the heritage site of Konark and Kolkata. 

One visit to Kolkata and you will know why that sobriquet -'City of Joy'. It all began with me arriving at perhaps one of the most humongous railway station i ever saw.- Howrah. (it has 29 platforms!) With all its rich history and cultural heritage that I had studied about, i didn't know what to expect. At the end of my 2 day sojourn, however- I observe that i'm deeply touched.

What is really palpable as you walk across the streets is the 'old'- a cumulative sense of antiquity that  adds up with everything that you see- the pristine buildings, moving (or should i say 'Crawling') Trams and the most intriguing of them all - The people. 

What Kolkata uniquely showcases like no other, is a classic juxtaposition of lifestyles. Victoria memorial will show you lot of people 'in love' ;) Howrah will surprise you with its frugality. Park street will boggle you with its opulence; and yet, they all are so closely interwoven  in  heritage of this multifaceted city-Kolkata. People say bad governance has impeded kolkata's growth. But the perennial optimist that i am, i tend to ask - would excessive growth lacklustre this subtle yet dainty charm of kolkata

While Santosh was trying to finalise our stay in 'Hotel Majestic' at the new park lane in Howrah, i noted people planning sharply to get a slot for their daily (or maybe weekly!)  bath in an adjacent water water tank of about 5m X 5 m. I learnt later that this is what served the hydel needs for 3 complete lanes in Howrah!

People are settled, happy and comfortable in a meagre setting- with all their daily chores compartmentalized in a cloistered existence. It evokes in the onlooker- a sense of wonder : what is it that makes people stand in such a veritable fist of defiance to all their innumerable difficulties and not give up on life? why hasn't their enthusiasm for life plummeted even after years of such frugal living?.

To these seemingly simple questions- the people of Kolkata have to give- some deep answers. They have consciously taught themselves the skill of survival. They see not a distant horizon for their existence, unlike the city crowd. For them its about 'today' and its about 'now'. they have wired themselves to find a way out 'today'. Their life then, is but a congregation of such 'todays'.Life itself so to speak, has decreed upon them a  narrow vision. While such limiting environments could be detrimental to individual growth, at the cost of being over focused on survival, its amazing how much of an influence a surrounding environment can have on the moral fabric of a society. On the flip side, the classic affluent urbaner when exposed to such lifestyle has the opportunity to learn the value of life, a sense of gratitude for what he has and savor the joy of 'living in the moment'. This is perhaps where the roots of the title 'city of joy' really lie.

Such a setting was remnant of Dr. Viktor Frankl's famous question in his all time classic -'Man's search for meaning' . The extreme circumstances in his concentration camp forced the question -"Is man but a plaything of circumstance"?. Frankl is of the opinion that a meaningful life is one in which we continuously grow in inner strength. Such a process can only be initiated by deep and meaningful suffering. Their life then is as meaningful as ours- but in a different way, unique to individual perceptions. 

The Andhr'IIT'an Paradox

2963 students qualified the IIT JEE Examination in 2011. The same stat stood at a 1693 in 2007.

Succinctly put, their growth has been as consistent as India’s GDP. In the past 15 years, the presence of Andhra students in the coveted list of toppers in National examinations for professional degrees has been unmatched and unprecedented.

For lots of people, this ‘social epidemic’ is a conundrum of sorts. Some wonder, some complain. Some fret and some envy. Such successes often evoke a mélange of emotions across communities. We contemplate on how a single state manages to produce so many entrants into the country’s most prestigious institutes. A large scale success always will have had a humble beginning somewhere.

Malcolm Gladwell, a captivating writer and a master statistician, in his famous book ‘ The Outliers’ , notes – “The success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social gifts”, This one is no exception.

It all started in the year 1983, when a freedom fighter and an erudite scholar, Chukka Ramaiah migrated toHyderabad on retirement as a principal from Andhra degree college in Nagarjuna sagar. Known to be a seasoned exponent of Mathematics, 6 students who were preparing for the IIT Examination approached him for help in Mathematics. It so happened that none of them qualified. Ramaiah, in general known for his grit and determination brought together a Physics and a Chemistry teacher, coached ten students the following year. Six qualified.

Knowing that the IIT’s open doors for a world of opportunities and a bright future, he envisioned a dream of seeing more Andhra students in these prestigious institutions. (the monopoly was with Rajasthan then). He surmised that these students would help realize the term ‘Swarnandrapradhesh’ – a fancy sobriquet coined at that time. He imbued into his students strict discipline, rigor and focus. The success rate kept soaring. Most Ramaiah alumni went on to epitomize excellence everywhere they chose to go. Ramaiah coaching centre was having a dream run. His vision was turning into a proud reality.

Let’s Fast forward to 2012: Ramaiah now has a truly ‘Exorbitant’ realization of his dream. Thousands make it to the IIT and a lot of other prestigious institutes. Andhra Pradesh is applauded for its educational rigor and consistency by leading academicians and also politicians, who couldn’t care less. Looks like all is well?

Maybe not.

This ‘IIT journey’ of large number of teens is housed on a gamut of parental dreams - Pride among relatives, a high paying job in the US, Larger dowry offers for IIT Males and attractive discounts for females! (in this very order of priority ;). Strictly speaking, the ambition of getting into IIT is not an inferior one at all. It takes sacrifice, deep perseverance and the mental strength to withstand the enormous pressure and competition. Admirable indeed are the efforts of the winners who emerge.

However, on the flip side of the 3000 students who make it into the IIT’s are 2 lac students who are made to believe that only IIT means success and education means engineering. Running the rat race are a lot of pitiful teenagers who only know life to be a journey between their homes and coaching centers. No one seems to take time to reflect upon what their passions are and what is a worthwhile career option that streamlines with their unique talents. Most succumb to the IIT mania.

Prof. MS Anand, Director IIT-M, remarked: “The coaching institutes in Andhra are doing a great job”. Taken literally, it is as true as it can get. The ‘Coaching’ institutes in Andhra today coach for NTSE, JEE, AIEEE, Eamcet, VIT, AFMC, AIIMS, MAHE, JIPMER, AIPMT, AMRITA, GATE, IISc, NDA, CSIR, IELTS, CAT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, APPSC. Phew!.

Mind you, the list is yet not an exhaustive one. There are lots of other exams which these centers know of, which have not a standard abbreviation. The ‘Enterprises’ are still exploring new markets apparently.

Malcolm Gladwell defines something known as the ‘tipping point’. A tipping point is the moment of critical mass, or threshold beyond which Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread like viruses do. Therefore the tipping point for exam coaching centers can be dated back to somewhere in the nineties. The success of a couple of centers had a large cascading effect resulting in the multitude of such centre that sustain now. If a subject of any kind has an entrance exam associated with it, be sure you will have a ‘coach’ there.

It is worth taking a closer look at the way these coaching centers operate.

Here’s a picture that first appears on one of the premiere center’s website:

They seem to strongly believe in a business aphorism that most companies follow, “Numbers never lie”!! . They have branches all over the country; and have now executed the concept of a ‘Concept school’. The ‘concept’ being that the school will groom the child at a tender age to have a ‘IIT (coaching) friendly’ Brain later. (Talk about tapping new markets!). Be it marketing, sales or business expansion, they know it all. But sadly enough, what they take away from a child is the joy of learning, completely smothering the very instinct of chasing ones own dreams in the guise of getting into one particular engineering college. The one word that describes a student’s life therefore is ‘struggle’. Struggle to stand first, to stand by their own dreams, to escape the ‘exam mania’- the ever hanging sword on their head. A sad trade off indeed.

The CMD of Narayana institutions, during the inauguration of his Delhi centre, made a very visionary assertion. “We foresee this centre to be a centre of Excellence for UPSC Coaching”. Goodness me! Who ever said that the concept of a COE was restricted to MNC’s. He just started the international Olympiad coaching division last year. They even had a few rankers in the very first Olympiad his students wrote. Boy! Domain expertise is a virtue. Coaching is Coaching. The exam is just an abbreviation. Don’t be surprised if they globalise and establish coaching centers in other countries. The whole world thinks global. Narayana is no less.

Talking psychology, such people belong to a class knows as ‘Mavens’. A Maven is someone who wants to solve other people's problems, generally by solving his own. They are ‘information specialists’. They know the market place very well and have a first hand information of the ‘pulse of the customer’. (especially when the pulse is so ‘IIT’an its not too difficult a job is it??). when a large number of such people it satisfies the laws of social epidemics to create such large sustained patterns.

Ramaiah however still remains the same humble man taking only 120 students every year with an unavoidable entrance test due to the huge demand. Other coaching centers were not foolish enough not to notice. They now coach for the Ramaiah entrance with a fixed schedule and a time table!

What has to come is a comforting whiff of a solacing change for people to think beyond an exam, to think about life as a quest for meaning, and not for marks. The Andhr’IIT’an paradox is here to stay. The AndrhIIT’an plethora however, at least for now, knows no recession!

THE FUSS OVER THE BUS

"ashtu khaali idru olgade hogak saithiralri"(Even when there's so much empty space why do you hesitate to get inside?)

This is perhaps the most routine dialogue u hear from every Bus conductor even when there are people hanging on the footboard!!

Travelling by these BMTC buses makes way for the most interesting eccentric and memorable experiences in daily life........

but mind you...... keen observation and being a sensitive soul become imperative for that to happen.......

couples engrossed in family talk, men engrossed in cell phonic conversations, students with headphones and books together, people taking a nap after a long day.and old people guidin the others outside for buses, small children mysteriously sleeping peacefully even amidst the plethora of noises around and conductors running hither n thither to find change............. This is probably the average scene that you'l c if u get into any of the rectangular boxes.....

somewhere there seems to be some subtle element of beauty in seeing so many people from different levels of the social hierarchy in their perhaps most natural behaviour.........

In this age where kindness and arrogance are considered completely antithetical, there seems to be some sort of a subtle but sure connect between the two..... strangely one somehow seems to be arising out of the other....... and it is probably while travelling in these buses.. that you see both these virtues in their purest form......

Sudha Murty's theory on conversations is this. "The probability of you striking a conversation with a co traveller is maximum when you are on a bus, lesser when on a train and probably nil when u r on a n aircraft"........n my theory is that the more conversations you have , the wiser you get..... to listen to so many different stories from so many people in so many different ways is at times very enlightening and at times very torturing!!!

before even it stops it has people steaming in to it making it unnecessary for me standing at the door to spend my energy to even step forward.... i'm comfortably pushed to the place i like!!!

young or old, everyone seems to hav some energy and dynamism left probably just for this!!!

Once this initial euphoria gradually subsides, and the journey has begun for the nth time in the day.. people get wild if the bus doesnt stop at their place till everyone's comfortably in and the same people get wilder if the halt is anything longer than a minute anywhere else....where else do you notice such impetuously transient and paradoxical behaviour?

being a constant stander in buses(this is when i get an actual feel of the indian population!!!

someone gets up…..and ah! a sudden surge of intense bliss results! i'm never as happy even for much bettter reasons!!

it is the bus that marks the beginning and the end of the innumerable endless pursuits the society is engrossed in............

seeing such a divers assortment of people..... sagacious,audacious,vivacious and atrocious! is truly an enriching experience that leads to a more profound understanding of human psyche and behaviour than those richies who go speeding in their skodas and honda cities on mysore road.........(if u r one of them, then the offence meant is purely intentional and obvious!!)

If the varied facets of many people's Persona can add new dimensions to that of your own.... then, those pairs of coins that you lose is a very small expense……. n not to forget the free prestigious 'environment friendly' brand that you become an unwritten ambassador of......

The ultimate ldestination hasn’t arrived yet….......

so let the journey continue............