Go toh Go!!
Perspective. This is one word that for me has always been associated with the Himalaya. And as I have realized over time, it’s the same for a lot of us who have visited them. It could come from the sheer geographical scale, from the raw form of nature, from the relative physical discomfort one goes through or from chance meetings with the wonderful inhabitants of those heights.
Kashmir or rather the Kashmiris at this point of time are in a strange state of mind. The golden past and the current turmoil of course contributing to this. A predominantly tourism based economy, Kashmir has always been the pioneer in providing ‘services’ to the visitors. The world was in love with the valleys of Kashmir and even before Yash Chopra shot there foreign tourists were arriving in throngs. And not the least coz of the enterprising Kashmiri who has built lodges and houseboats, learnt the art of organizing treks for Sahibs and pretty much cracked the puzzle of ‘fine’ hospitality. But the fine balance between being cordial and being overbearing is not that easy to maintain I guess and soon Kashmir was notorious for its in-your-face souvenir sellers on the dal, put-up arrogance (which gradually became second nature) of the local businessmen and the openly discriminatory (atleast give them that) attitude towards Indian tourists (as compared to foreigners. Tips in dollars…. before the Israelis arrived on the scene). Its not correct to generalize but that was the impression one brought back from a must-go trip to Kashmir.
So, a completely tourism dependent economy + arrogance which has become second nature + tourism at what it is now = confused state of mind. Kashmiris not only have to deal with the volatile political situation in their state and with the rapid growth of Himalayan tourism in other states (at their expense they believe) but also have to reconsider their way of dealing with visitors. And yes, the accent has to go. Most, most definitely.
And then there are the gujjars. And the bakrawals. And the chaupans. Herders of cattle, goats and sheep respectively. An entirely unique set of people. They have been leading the same way of life for ages now, they don’t recognize state borders and most intriguingly they don’t give a damn about anybody. Very similar in their looks, traditions and attitude. But make the mistake of mistaking one for another and they will not waste a moment in correcting you, sternly of course. They live a semi-nomadic life with separate winter and summer homes. The summer abode more a temporary shelter of rock and wood high up on the mountain than a home actually. But cozy nonetheless.
It was in one such shelter that we stumbled to on our trek to the ever receding kolahoi glacier. A two day walk from Aru near Pahalgam, the trek is through the beautiful Lidder valley and follows the river to its source at the glacier. Pahalgam is probably the most affluent of the famous townships of Kashmir with its economy boosted by the annual Amarnath pilgrimage. The season was on and the chaos visible in Pahalgam. But Aru, being in the opposite direction of the yatra route has retained its quiet and charm and considering that it can be reached in 6 hours from Mumbai is highly recommended.
As we approached the final moraine of the glacier the heat, the wind and the altitude were taking a toll and the endless boulder hopping was getting to us. Finally our guide pointed to a stone hut and uttered the magic word: “Maggie”. We literally gate crashed into the hut, which was a chaupan settlement by the way. The lady of the hut was inside on the chullah along with a neighbor friend and their children. The hug she gave Rujuta was, to say the least, special and I would leave it to her to describe it. After the customary round of pictures of the hut and its inhabitants, who more than happily posed for and infact even demanded to be clicked, we settled down with our plates of Maggie, cups of lipton (chai as we know it) and kawa (chai as they know it). The sheer energy in the laughter of the women was mesmerizing. The younger one had a child in her lap who was sliding down towards the floor as she chatted and laughed with us. Suddenly as Rujuta realized his slide she pointed to him with a start and a oh-no expression. The woman’s response has by now become legendary (amongst those present there from our group) and has sparked many debates and revelations. And yes, for most of us it has also put quite a few things in perspective. She continued laughing, casually pulled the child up and said, “Go toh go!”
P.b: Kashmir is very picturesque. It is quite safe also. The locals want peace because that gives them their best chance of survival. Tourists. There is an understandable sense of desperation amongst everyone involved in travel industry at the moment but I am sure they will get their act together soon and the enterprising Kashmiri spirit will come forth.
Kashmir or rather the Kashmiris at this point of time are in a strange state of mind. The golden past and the current turmoil of course contributing to this. A predominantly tourism based economy, Kashmir has always been the pioneer in providing ‘services’ to the visitors. The world was in love with the valleys of Kashmir and even before Yash Chopra shot there foreign tourists were arriving in throngs. And not the least coz of the enterprising Kashmiri who has built lodges and houseboats, learnt the art of organizing treks for Sahibs and pretty much cracked the puzzle of ‘fine’ hospitality. But the fine balance between being cordial and being overbearing is not that easy to maintain I guess and soon Kashmir was notorious for its in-your-face souvenir sellers on the dal, put-up arrogance (which gradually became second nature) of the local businessmen and the openly discriminatory (atleast give them that) attitude towards Indian tourists (as compared to foreigners. Tips in dollars…. before the Israelis arrived on the scene). Its not correct to generalize but that was the impression one brought back from a must-go trip to Kashmir.
So, a completely tourism dependent economy + arrogance which has become second nature + tourism at what it is now = confused state of mind. Kashmiris not only have to deal with the volatile political situation in their state and with the rapid growth of Himalayan tourism in other states (at their expense they believe) but also have to reconsider their way of dealing with visitors. And yes, the accent has to go. Most, most definitely.
And then there are the gujjars. And the bakrawals. And the chaupans. Herders of cattle, goats and sheep respectively. An entirely unique set of people. They have been leading the same way of life for ages now, they don’t recognize state borders and most intriguingly they don’t give a damn about anybody. Very similar in their looks, traditions and attitude. But make the mistake of mistaking one for another and they will not waste a moment in correcting you, sternly of course. They live a semi-nomadic life with separate winter and summer homes. The summer abode more a temporary shelter of rock and wood high up on the mountain than a home actually. But cozy nonetheless.
It was in one such shelter that we stumbled to on our trek to the ever receding kolahoi glacier. A two day walk from Aru near Pahalgam, the trek is through the beautiful Lidder valley and follows the river to its source at the glacier. Pahalgam is probably the most affluent of the famous townships of Kashmir with its economy boosted by the annual Amarnath pilgrimage. The season was on and the chaos visible in Pahalgam. But Aru, being in the opposite direction of the yatra route has retained its quiet and charm and considering that it can be reached in 6 hours from Mumbai is highly recommended.
As we approached the final moraine of the glacier the heat, the wind and the altitude were taking a toll and the endless boulder hopping was getting to us. Finally our guide pointed to a stone hut and uttered the magic word: “Maggie”. We literally gate crashed into the hut, which was a chaupan settlement by the way. The lady of the hut was inside on the chullah along with a neighbor friend and their children. The hug she gave Rujuta was, to say the least, special and I would leave it to her to describe it. After the customary round of pictures of the hut and its inhabitants, who more than happily posed for and infact even demanded to be clicked, we settled down with our plates of Maggie, cups of lipton (chai as we know it) and kawa (chai as they know it). The sheer energy in the laughter of the women was mesmerizing. The younger one had a child in her lap who was sliding down towards the floor as she chatted and laughed with us. Suddenly as Rujuta realized his slide she pointed to him with a start and a oh-no expression. The woman’s response has by now become legendary (amongst those present there from our group) and has sparked many debates and revelations. And yes, for most of us it has also put quite a few things in perspective. She continued laughing, casually pulled the child up and said, “Go toh go!”
P.b: Kashmir is very picturesque. It is quite safe also. The locals want peace because that gives them their best chance of survival. Tourists. There is an understandable sense of desperation amongst everyone involved in travel industry at the moment but I am sure they will get their act together soon and the enterprising Kashmiri spirit will come forth.
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