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10 Photography Myths that the Monkey Busted

 

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Copyright : Monkey.

 

It is just as well, that the monkey selfie was made on the 175th year of the World Photography Day and that it shattered some of the most hallowed photography myths. The monkey selfie in an Indonesian jungle was arguably the best photo to come out of nature photographer David Slater’s camera. No wonder he is fighting tooth and nail for ownership rights to the picture.

With the highly advanced cameras available in the market today, the question, that can anyone and his monkey take a good photo, has been suitably answered. Here are some other photography myths that  float around.

 

  1. The camera doesn’t lie: This is perhaps the most bandied about photography myth. The camera does lie and lies in a million little ways. You not only choose the focus, the angle and the composition but also the time of day – all impacting immensely on how the photos eventually turn out. For example the Taj Mahal photos shot across the river, in the morning or evening light, makes the dirty Yamuna look crystal clean.

 

Boatsmen wait for passengers across the Yamuna. The boat is painted in the Indian Tri-colour to attract tourists. (sanjay austa austa)

The Yamuna looks all clean and blue in the morning light.

 

  1. You don’t take a photograph, you make it: This phrase was coined by the legend Ansal Adams himself. And sure, back in the day, they actually made photographs. Adam and the photographers of his vintage would trudge heavy cameras and tripods over hills, vales and city streets and deliberate carefully before pressing the shutter. Photography was then a long drawn process, unlike the shoot-check-delete and then shoot again photography of today. Photographers use that phrase today out of a sense of defensiveness. They feel that what they are doing is a bit too simple.
  1. It doesn’t matter what camera you use. If cameras didn’t matter professionals would not lug those wrist-breaking monstrosities for assignments. To admit that cameras matter, would be to belittle ones own photography skills. That’s why photographers always get offended if you ask them what cameras they use.
  1. You get hired because you take great photos. Majority of clients cannot distinguish between a good and a bad picture (This includes newspaper editors). More often than not, you get hired because someone knows you rather than that you have a great folio. That your name shows up in search engines is another reason.

 

Oblivious to the world. Even as the photographer peers into his viewfinder looking for wildlife, a huge stag passes him by. Picture: Hans Kruse / London Media

Oblivious to the world. Even as the photographer peers into his viewfinder looking for wildlife, a huge stag passes him by. Picture: Hans Kruse / London Media

 

  1. Photographers see more than the average person. Its actually the opposite. Photographers see much less, busy as they are squinting one-eyed through their tiny view-finder. The photographers are too busy ‘capturing’ the event or scene that they miss out on the experience almost entirely.
  1. Just because you have a DSLR doesn’t mean you are a photographer. The monkey selfie proved beyond doubt that any monkey with a DSLR can take a good picture. The monkey even owns the copyright to the picture according to Wikipedia.
  1. All the great photos in the world are shot by professionals. Today everyone has a camera and there is always someone at the ready to capture a significant moment as it happens. Photographers usually arrive when the event has happened. The best photographs from major world events like conflicts, or natural calamities have been shot by amateurs. Similarly the best photos of the 2014 Indian General Elections were shot on Instagram by hobbyists.
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This photo from  Narendra Modi’s  rally shot on Istagram by an amateur Ravi Mishra was one of the defining images of General Elections 2014. .

 

 

  1. I shoot in the RAW mode because I am a pro. Photographers like to talk about how they shoot only in the RAW mode as if it’s some skill. It not. Shooting in RAW just gives you the latitude to make up for all your flaws later in Photoshop.
  1. If you shoot blurry black and white photos you are an artist: No one wants to be seen as a philistine. Therefore no one argues against art even when its obvious its trash. So if you shoot and don’t get the picture right you can turn it into black and white and say its high art. Truth is, blurry, photos are often just blurry photos. They are not art.
  1. Your First 10,000 Photos are your worst. French photographer, Henri Cartier Bresson, made this comment long before the digital era. Today perhaps your first 10 million photos are your worst. And if you shoot ten frames a second, multiply that by ten.

 

A blurry picture is often just a blurry picture.

A blurry picture is often just a blurry picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aug 18, 2014 | Categories: Photography Notes | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Are There Emotional No-go Areas for Artists?

 

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Pic: Raj Shetye.

Published first in The Hoot, August 2014. 

Like most things these days, it started with a Facebook post. A photographer in Mumbai shot a series of photos in a bus depicting harassment faced by women in public transport. The link to the photos was shared on Facebook. They instantly lit a fuse. It was quickly decided that the photos were a portrayal of the Delhi gang-rape of 2012 and that this was insensitive and in poor taste.

“Moronic”, “twisted”, “sickening”, “fucked up” where the adjectives that flew thick and fast. “One should know where to draw the line ”, said one. “ Here’s where I would really like the MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) to do some rampaging”, cried another.

What was shocking was that the vitriol and cry for rioting came not from political goons as is so often the case in India over art, but largely from the creative community itself. They drummed up such an uproar on the social media that the photographer, Raj Shetye, cowering under pressure, quietly removed the photos.

It has often been this way in India. The biggest enemies of free expression in this country have been the artists, writers and journalists themselves. I have enormous respect for the late Khushwant Singh, but he was the first man (as Penguin’s consulting editor) to suggest that the Satanic Verses should not be published.

Pic: Raj Shetye

There were a legion of Indian painters who rejoiced at painter M. F. Husain’s harassment by the Hindu right. And only recently,it transpired, from leaked emails, that scholar Ananya Vajpayi tried to instigate someone to ban writer Arundhati Roy’s book, Annihilation of Caste.

Professional jealously is only a small part of the problem. The photographer,  Raj Shetye, to whom I spoke on the phone, said he was only trying to depict the harassment Indian women face everyday in public transport. He said he had been working on the concept for months and had put in a lot of money to get it done.

Of course, when photographs  enter  the public space anyone is free to make their own inferences. But the photographer’s motive, when he is available to explain it ,  should also be considered.   Shetye  told me, as he  told others, that his work was not about the Delhi gang rape or rape at all. But by this time the anger had spilled all over the internet and no one wanted to listen to what he had to say.

If I found fault in Shetye’s images, it was his use of skin and bone models, perpetuating the skinny- is -beautiful stereotype. One can even argue that the execution was all bad and that the photos hardly portray the harassment of women.

Pic: Raj Shetye

Pic: Raj Shetye

Moreover, it was not an unusually original idea as scores of short films by filmmakers including by the famous Director Anurag Kayshap have already been made on the subject and watched by millions. All these films were in some measure inspired by the horrific events of the brutal 2012 Delhi gang-rape.

But had someone mischievously linked them to Nirbhaya rape, as it was done with Raj Shetye’s photos, they could very easily have drawn the same denunciation.

So the question is: Are there some emotional no-go areas for artists? I don’t think so. On the contrary, I think its     incumbent on the artists, writers, poets and playwrights to explore those areas for us. It only broadens our understanding about these issues. Admittedly such emotional topics, invite lazy knee-jerk reactions. But that’s exactly what we should avoid and instead adopt a nuanced approach. But where emotions reign supreme, reason dare not show its face.

From what I have read, those who have protested against the photos seem to believe that gang rape should not be depicted in any way at all, that it amounts to a trivialization of crimes against women and is therefore in bad taste.

Pic: Raj Shetye

Pic: Raj Shetye

This self-righteous hand wringing is false and hypocritical because when Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen was released, except for (who else?) Arundhati Roy, every critic agreed the film’s centerpiece -the public stripping and the gang-rape- was ‘tastefully’ done.

It did not matter then that the rape-victim, Phoolan Devi, who was alive, did not want the rape scene to be shown at all. But the avalanche of praise that the film received drowned Phoolan’s   protests completely with some critics calling them ‘tantrums’.

But then Phoolan was Phoolan- an illiterate woman from the ravines, a consort of bandits, a woman out on bail. What did she know about these things? But Nirbhaya? She was one of us.

So not only are there emotional no-go areas but our moral indignation is negotiable. It blows where the wind blows. It changes with the times. And it depends on who is involved. The feminist narrative riding on the Nirbhaya rape, suddenly makes us all touchy about the subject now. But in 1994, when Bandit Queen was released, it was okay.

Perhaps it’s not about the filmmakers or artists really. Perhaps it’s about us the audience. And about what our moral temperature is at that time.

It took a very long time for Indian filmmakers to document Partition. It was an emotional no-go zone because of the horrors that millions went through. But from 60’s onwards when filmmakers began to depict Partition the audiences flocked to see the films.

Screen shot of Shekar Kapur’s film -Bandit Queen. The Gang-rape scene.

 

Similarly films on the Holocaust- like The Pianist or Schindler’s List, which graphically depict the Nazi’s slaughter of Jews, were made when the audiences were mature enough to handle them. Today, the films do not offend any Jews.

But maybe one is on slippery grounds with the film analogy. As a somewhat practicing photographer, I  admit photography  is a very limiting  medium compared to say filmmaking or writing. Photos either shock us or lull us into a happy stupor. They lack the nuance that other mediums allow you. And depicting social issues using fashion photography has always  faced ridicule.

However, the fact remains that books, paintings, films have always depicted, real-life events in all their gory minutiae.

If we go further back in history we have a wide body of rape paintings, called  ‘heroic’ rape paintings. And painters such as Ruben, Michelangelo, Poussin all depicted rape as it happened in history. All these paintings find pride of place in some of the prestigious art museums of the world.

Raj Shetye’s photos are neither graphic nor gory nor do they show rape. That they represent the Nirbhaya rape was someone else’s conclusion.

Therefore all the noise over Raj Shetye’s photos is very baffling. Or maybe not. We live in times of self-righteous indignations. So Shetye’s protestations that it was not a Nirbhaya rape depiction, will fall on deaf ears. Like the mob in Julius Caesar, we just need a vent for our moral fury. Anyone would do. Its no matter if he is not the conspirator. Cinna the Poet, will always be ripped apart for his bad verses.

Screen shot of Shekar Kapur’s film -Bandit Queen

 

 

The Rape of the Sabine Women

The Rape of the Sabine Women- Oil on Canvas by Pietro da Cortona. (1627-29)

 

The Rape of the Daughters of Leucip . Oil on Canvas by Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1600-1700)

The Rape of the Daughters of Leucip . Oil on Canvas by Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1597-1669)

 

 

 

 

Aug 06, 2014 | Categories: Thoughts/ Articles | Tags: , , , , , , , | 22 Comments »

Varanasi : The Day the Music Died.

Aman Nath Mishra, 73, a sitar exponent. Says there is nothing to encourage the younger people to take up music in Banaras. He is also invited to play abroad and has many foreign disciples. (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Aman Nath Mishra, 73, a sitar exponent, in Benaras

The story first appeared in the Bangkok Post,  2014. 

As elsewhere, music in India has its origins in religion. Hymns sung to the temple Gods eventually began to be organized into ragas. It was just as well that Varanasi, the holiest Indian city, with some of the holiest temples, shrines and ghats, became a cauldron of music and musicians.

From Tansen in the fifteenth century to Pt Ravi Shanker in the twentieth, Varanasi nurtured a panoply of musicians. Music thrived, as did the musicians. Varied music styles and instruments evolved in these schools of music (gharanas) and people flocked to them from far and wide. Even the Bhakti movement saints- Kabir, Ravidas, Ramananda – all of whom hailed from Varanasi, used music to spread their message of humanity. Blessing them all, was the Hindu God Shiva, Varanasi’s presiding deity,  a god -among other things-  of dance and music.

It is just as well that Varanasi is   romanticized by writers, the media and the lay tourist   as a great cultural hub- an Indian microcosm of sorts , pulsating with  mysticism, ancient traditions,  classical arts and an unique way of life.  But like the Ganga flowing through it,  Varanasi today,  is shorn off all its ancient charms.   Music is one of them. The sounds of the  sheenai, the tabla, the sitar are now being swallowed up in the cacophony of a crowded, congested  city, bursting at the seams. Living in neglect,  the musicians  now take any opportunity to flee the  city.  Music concerts are more on Bollywood themes, and Indian classical music as a consequence gets a short shrift. Students wishing to learn Indian classical music are few and far between and there is a real danger of some of the classical traditions vanishing and the old instruments falling silent forever.

Anshuman Maharaj, 28, a Sarod exponent, says no young musician plays the sarod anymore in Banaras. Students come to him for guitar lessons instead. Varanasi (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Anshuman Maharaj, 28, a Sarod exponent, says tudents come to him for guitar lessons instead.

 

“There is no young student playing sarod in Varanasi. No one wants to learn it. I have students who come to me to learn classical guitar not sarod”, laments Anshuman Maharaj, a 28-year-old sarod exponent. Even Banaras Hindu University, which has a fairly comprehensive music department has no sarod or santoor teacher.

The late Ustad Bismillah Khan, who was conferred the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna for his contribution to shennai, had virtually lived in poverty in Varanasi all his life. He had famously written to the Center that he had no money to pay his rent.

“People see that Bismillah Khan got the highest award but he remained poor, so they think what’s the point of all the struggle,” says Haji Mehtab Hussain, Bismillah Khan’s eldest son.

He says that there is more respect for Indian Classical musicians abroad. “They known more about our music now,” he says.

Narinder Mishra, 50, a sitar exponent says they value Indian classical music more abroad. He is invited to perform and hold workshops all across Europe and US every year. (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Narinder Mishra, 50, a sitar exponent says they value Indian classical music more abroad.

This is also a sentiment echoed by sarangi maestro Santosh Mishra. “We are losing our own traditions. A time may come when we might have to go abroad to learn our own classical arts from the Westerners. His two children who are both musicians chose not to live in Varanasi. One lives in Switzerland and the other in the US.

And west is where most musicians are headed. Those who are too old to shift bag and baggage look forward to their annual invitations abroad. Most Varanasi musicians inevitably get a summer invite for concerts and workshops overseas. There for once they feel they are being given their due. They are treated as royalty and students flock to them.

“There is no encouragement for the younger lot here. There is nothing to motivate them”, says Aman Nath Mishra, 73, a sitar player, who goes to Italy every year for a month for performances.

All the musicians here believe that Varanasi’s musical heritage can be restored if a music academy, which they have been demanding for decades, is set up in the city.

“The government is deaf. It doesn’t want to listen. Ten times in front of me, Rajan and Sajan Mishra and Girja Devi ji (all famous classical singers) appealed to the government for a music college where musicians could pass their knowledge on to students,” says Kaniyalal Mishra, a sarangi exponent.

Santosh Mishra,58, sarangi player says many traditional arts like sarangi, sarodh and shenai will die out one day if the government does not establish a music academy in Banaras soon. (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Santosh Mishra,58, sarangi player says many traditional arts like sarangi, sarodh and shenai may  die out one day

The need for a music academy in Varanasi is underscored by the fact that artists like Girja Devi who left Varanasi to live elsewhere said that they would have never left Varanasi if the city had its music academy.

Today, the smattering of musicians who still live in Varanasi teach from their homes to mostly foreign students who come to learn from them because of its exotic appeal.

The fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Chhannulal Mishra a famous Hindustani singer, to propose his name from Varanasi is being seen by the musicians as a positive sign.

But not all are hopeful. “Bismillah Khan asked for petrol pumps for his sons rather than a music academy. Had he insisted on the academy, the government could have complied. With him dead, I am not so hopeful,” says Kuber Nath a tabla player.

Some like Kaniyalal Mishra blame it on the politicking musicians themselves “Every musician wants that the academy should be made on their recommendation. Not otherwise,” he says.

 While a lot of right noises have been made on Varanasi’s  dirt, pollution and overcrowding,  precious little has been said on the cultural degradation of this ancient city.  Will the music heritage of Varanasi ever be restored? All eyes are now on the Modi government.

Kanaiyalal Mishra, sarangi player says musician have been begging for a music academy in Banaras for years but the politicians have only made false promises. Varanasi. (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Kanaiyalal Mishra, sarangi player says musician have been begging for a music academy in Banaras for years.

 

 

Haji Mehtab Hussain, 70, eldest son of late Ustad Bismillah Khan - says Music has gone from Banaras. (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Haji Mehtab Hussain, 70, eldest son of late Ustad Bismillah Khan – says Music has gone from Banaras.

 

 

(sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Kuber Nath, a tabla player in Banaras

 

Classical Hindustani singer Pt. Channulal Mishra, Benaras (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Classical Hindustani singer Pt. Channulal Mishra who proposed Narendra Modi’s name from Varanasi.

Jul 29, 2014 | Categories: Thoughts/ Articles | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

How a Cop asks for a Bribe. Remembers his ‘Old Self’. And goes to a Temple.

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They usually hum and haw and wait for you to make the offer. So when he finished the paperwork  and looked straight at me and  demanded, “Now get me the money”, I was taken aback.

Even in his civvies, he looked every bit a cop. He was tall, had flaccid, clean- shaven jowls and wore a mehndi -dyed moustache. He was lean, though he had the beginning of a paunch. I’d put his age at about 55.

Let me get you some water, I said, as I hustled to the kitchen and switched on the phone’s voice recorder. I had been asked for a bribe so blatantly for the first time in my life.   I was curious to know the secret of his brazenness but later, I found,  it was “normal” for cops to expect a little something when they come to verify your passport.

(A loose translation of the recorded conversation –)

Okay . Its all done. Hain. Chalo now bring the money.

What?

You will get the new passport in two days. I will go now. Bring the money.

You are joking right? I will get you water.

(I go to the kitchen and the recording begins)

Its according to one’s shraddha. We run around in this heat . We don’t ask from everyone. For example, the old people we don’t ask from them. We serve them.

You wont call this a bribe.

This choti moti bribe . I don’t consider bribe.

So you saying if someone gives you a bribe to get their work done when its your duty to do so – its okay by you?

Aisa hai… listen to me. Actually even one rupee is also a bribe. But when someone gives with shradha its ok. If they don’t give, then also its ok.

But its bribe all the same no?

I will tell you one thing- I have seen the world. I have let off a lot of journalists.

Why did you?

They said they were journalists, so we let them go.

You should not have.

I should not leave them?

Of course , the VIP culture should end don’t you think?

But I have left thousands.

But whose fault is it?

Fault? Aree assa hi chalta hai .

But if it keeps on going like this, this country will go to the dogs.

Ok next time I meet a journalist, I wont leave him.

Not only journalist – even if there is a Minister you should not leave him.

I don’t leave any ministers also – Have locked up a few, but the thing is, with journalists we have a 24 hour association. You, me, court , lawyers. We all have a 24 hour association.

But whether a minister or a dhobiwalla you should not discriminate.

We discriminate, because you all also support us.

But why should we support each other. We should support the right thing no?

We have done a lot of good work for the country but no one writes. Whatever press-release we send, you will write exactly the same.

Wait, lets come back to the topic. I am shocked. You asked me for a bribe and you asked for it so blatantly. You did not hesitate. Why?

Listen to me. Leave the shock. I have only told you the reality.

No you said give me money. I am actually not interested whether you verify my passport details or not but I’m keen to know why you asked for money this way.

You know what ? Its like this. I am trying to tell you the reality. The issue is not of money.

But you asked for money. You don’t think it was a wrong thing to do?

Its actually a wrong thing.

You are accepting it was wrong?

Yes yes I accept.

But you know giving bribe is also a crime?

I understand. Your aatma does not allow you. That’s why when we meet a journalist we get so happy.

That’s what, I’m saying why do you discriminate. A minister breaks some rule you salute him , a rickshawalla you slap even before you ask the first question.

If a minister comes we have to salute him.

Why so? If he has crossed the red light. Catch him. Same with the journalist.

Aisi nahi hota

Why not. You work for the country or the Minister. ?

They have so much power.

But its your duty .

I have to do my Naukri. 

What will happen?

In one minute my job will go. You understand. In one minute.

See you asked for a bribe and I refused. So I don’t care if the passport is made or not, similarly you must do the right thing than worry about your job. Go complain about the minister.

Nahi nahi we have to be like this only. Have to salute only. I will tell you one thing.. ek akela chana.. kya karaga. …

But they also say each drop of water adds to make an ocean. Why care what others do?

You are saying the right thing. But the system, you know the system… its made like this only.

But shouldn’t we reject this system? Change it? You are a cop for a reason. You should not leave anyone who violates the law.

I know it all. But journalists gives us a lot of support.

So will that mean you will forgive their crimes?

Yeh sab chalta hai. Nothing happens you know.

I must say I am shocked by your attitude. I am shocked that you asked for the money so directly. Others are indirect, hesitant.

Chalo now lets end it here only.

You have to end it, not me.

But this thing I told you. I was only telling you the reality.

But I know the reality.

Ok so I got a very good lesson from you today. But I am only telling you the reality. Now listen to me. I am your older brother. The thing that I said please end it here.

But you have to end it right?

(Getting up). Finish this thing now. You are a very great man sir. I am not joking. But yes I was also like this earlier. I was in Special Cell for 14 years. Did a lot of work. Was like this only. Once we busted a gang and a lot of ammunition was recovered. Then people accused me of taking money and locking up innocents. But they were goons. Some of them had 22 murder charges against them. They still in jail. So I was like you but after some time I thought, I alone cant don’t anything. Then Sanjay ji I began to support people. You have brought those memories of myself as I was 20 years ago fresh today.

( after a long pause and a lot of shaking of the head)

You have opened my eyes. But now, now … you won’t talk about this even to your closest friends. You have to end it please.

Again, you have to end it. It ended with me when I said no to the bribe. But if you go from here and demand money elsewhere, it would not have ended.

So tell me, on which God do you want me to swear. I will swear right now.

You don’t need to swear. You just ask your conscience.

You have made me remember my very old self. You have provoked me to think.

(descending down the stairs and shaking his head)

Why didn’t I meet such people before. You made me remember my old self. But sanjay ji don’t tell anyone.. I am changed now.. I remember my old self.. my old self…but don’t.. 

(After half an hour his phone call)

Sir- I have just come out of a temple. I have sworn to the Gods. I wont forget the favor you did me today. It will never happen again. I have changed. I remember my old self again.. my old self.

 

Jul 25, 2014 | Categories: Thoughts/ Articles | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Golden Temple Kitchen – The largest community kitchen in the world.

Pilgrims sit together for langar at Golden Temple (sanjay austa austa)

Pilgrims sit together for langar at Golden Temple

 

Published first in the Bangkok Post, Aug 2014

It is a kitchen that defies all proportions. The aluminum pots are so huge,  they dwarf you completely. The ladles are the size of rowing oars . The trays have the circumference of trampolines and jugs are as capacious as buckets.

The blazing fire under the leviathan pots is stroked by turbaned men with sticks as long as flagpoles. There are a mountain of potatoes waiting to be pealed for the afternoon meal and  flour sacks, hogging half the room, wait to be kneaded into dough.

This is no ordinary kitchen. This is the kitchen of the holiest Sikh Shrine, the Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib which serves meals to more than 40 thousand people any given day. On a Sikh religious holiday however, the number can cross 1,00,000, making it the largest community kitchen of the world.

The meals, langar, as  they are called, are served in large halls to everyone free, irrespective of ones faith, caste, race, colour or creed. Everyone sits cross-legged, head-covered on the floor in long rows to eat together. There are no VIP’s here nor untouchables, the two categories that unfortunately remain deeply interwoven into the Indian social fabric. At langar you come with no identities. This underscored the basic Sikh tenant that preaches the essential sameness of everybody.

Cooking in large open pots in the Kitchen (sanjay austa austa)

Cooking in large open pots in the Kitchen

Hindu temples at best offer prasad– (consecrated offering)- which is usually a mish mash of sweetmeats, coconut parings and baked rice. But the idea of serving full sit -down meals at their places of worship , is unique to Sikhism. The idea of langar was initiated by Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism himself but it was later established as a religious ideal by the third Guru, Amar Das in the 16th century. It is said that Guru Amar Das was so particular about the langar that when Mughal Emperor Akbar came to visit him he refused to meet him, until Akbar had had the langar. There is a famous painting, which depicts Akbar sitting down for langar with everybody else.

Today all Gurudwaras (The Sikh temples), around the world follow this practice . But Golden Temple, which, attracts more visitors than even the Taj Mahal, has to make special arrangement to run its gargantuan kitchen. But generous donations from Indian Sikhs and the diaspora of devotees make sure the provisions never run dry.

An average of 100 quintals of wheat, 25 quintals cereals, 10 quintal rice , 5000 liters milk, 10 quintal sugar and 5 quintal clarified butter (ghee) is used everyday for the meals. Manning the kitchen are not battalions of professional cooks but an army of volunteers working to earn spiritual karma. Rendering service is one of the tenants of Sikhism and there is no better way to do it than serving tired devotees at the holiest gurudwara.

Men and women sit together and make roties. Someone kneads the dough. Someone rolls it. Someone slaps it on their hands. Someone bakes it. Someone puts it in the basket and finally someone else serves it in the langar hall. (sanjay austa austa)

Men and women sit together and make roties.

 

Therefore from the cooking of meals to the washing of utensils everything is done by the pilgrims themselves. Ironically, the work they so cheerfully line up to do here, would be precisely the work they would shirk from in their own homes, considering it too lowly and beneath their status. Especially men, who would never be caught washing dishes at home. But  at the wash counters here, shirt-sleeves rolled, they enthusiastically wash pile after pile of dirty plates.

In Golden Temple Kitchen too many cooks do not spoil the broth but it makes for one smooth operation. The division of labor is efficient and is best exemplified by the way the Indian flat bread – roti is made. A gaggle of women are in charge of the roti-making in one large corner of the kitchen. Some knead the dough, the others fashion it into small round balls, another group flattens them and pass them on to women who slap them around their palms before deftly smacking them on a large heated pan. A man with a long iron spatula pokes them until they swell up with air. The rotis are then put in a basked ready to be transported into the dining hall.

But to keep up with the growing number of visitors, an automatic roti-making machine is also pressed into service simultaneously.

It must be said, however, that not the best hygiene standards are maintained in the kitchen. Food is frightfully exposed to the elements -the brewing pots are lidless, with curries often dripping to the floors. But the langar is considered holy and it is so delicious that no one ever notices or   complains.

Huge pots and pans at the golden temple kitchen (sanjay austa austa)

Huge pots and pans at the golden temple kitchen and the dripping dal.

Dishwashing at the Golden Temple, India (sanjay austa austa)

Dishwashing at the Golden Temple, India

Devotees at the Golden Temple see someone . (sanjay austa austa)

Heading to the langar hall on the first floor, Golden temple

 

Boys working in the golden temple kitchen. (sanjay austa austa)

Boys working in the golden temple kitchen.

 

Hugs pots are used to cook for the langar. Cooking here happens around the clock. (sanjay austa austa)

Along with gas , wood is still used for the cooking.

 

Bathers come and take a holy dip in the waters of the Golden Temple from all over the world. (sanjay austa austa)

The bather and the sevadar

 

Two Sikh men at the Golden temple. The sevadar and the regular devotee. (sanjay austa austa)

Bather and the sevadar.

 

Jul 24, 2014 | Categories: Thoughts/ Articles | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

The Road to Sangla- The World’s Deadliest Roads

The road to sangla has been cut through a sheer precipice (sanjay austa austa)

The ‘Sandwich Road’ to Sangla, HP


The story first appeared in the Deccan Herald, Aug 2014.

Kinnaur , even for a Himachali like me, is a strange place. The religious affiliations there are very flexible. Some Kinnauries are Buddhists , some Hindus –while others swing both ways.  Their women don’t wear dhatus like the women from our part of  Himachal , but caps like the men. During   weddings, women drink openly and gift home-brewed liquor to the baratis. Kinnauris  have distinct Mongoloid features making them look more North Easterners than Himachali. Prudery has not infected them yet.  And when it  comes to a crunch, their women,  a la Drupadi, takes on many husbands.

But the most memorable Kinnauri experience for anyone– Himachali or not-  is perhaps the road to Sangla – the small village in Kinnaur district.

I have seen winding roads that go on  endless loops up steep hillsides but the Sangla road is something else.

Road to Sangla- Kinnaur. (sanjay austa austa)

Road to Sangla- Kinnaur.

Firstly,  like all mountain roads, the Sangla road has  not been carved on a mountainside but rather bored through  a rocky precipice.  Therefore  the road has an  overhang of rock giving you a feeling that you are driving  through  a tunnel. At one stretch,  you feel frightfully  hemmed in,   prompting travellers to christen it  the  ‘sandwich road’. If you dare  to get off and look down from the ‘sandwich’, which inevitably every tourist does for selfies, there is a sheer drop of a few hundred feet.  Down below in the stone strewn gorge, the  Baspa river- a tributary of Satluj-  appears  but as a trickle of water.

It is not for nothing that this road has been called one of the world’s deadliest roads and has been a subject of   numerous adventure documentaries. But the  road is dangerous in the sense that if you  tip over the edge,  there is instant death. Except at some stretches, the road is otherwise broad enough for two vehicles to cross each other. 

If one is driving from Shimla, going  past Kufri, Narkanda, Rampur and Jeori in Shimla district,  one is for hours in the comfortable embrace  of the broad well metalled National Highway (22).

The women in Sangla don't wear dhatus like the women in other parts of Himachal. They wear these Himachali caps worn also by men. (sanjay austa austa)

Kinnauri women don’t where ‘dhatus’ but caps that men wear in Himachal

And after the highway loops down from Narkanda to Rampur, its runs alongside the Satluj till Karcham,  lulling you into  visions of a quite hill drive. But at Karcham when you leave the relative luxury of the  highway and take the Sangla road you are rudely jolted out of your  reverie.

From here it’s an 18km adrenalin-pumping road to Sangla. The weather beaten  road has potholes and at long stretches is broad enough only for  one vehicle to pass.

The famous stretch, a  sheer mass of rockface through which the road is bored, after  which  the road earned it ‘dangerous road’ sobriquet, is called by the locals simply as the  Taranda  Dhak .

The road gradually evens out into a valley as you reach Sangla. The village is part of lower Kinnaur and the houses are not very dissimilar from homes in other parts of Himachal at the same altitude.  The landscape is however more majestic. High  above this sleepy tribal outpost,  snow-capped mountains stand thousands of meters tall.  Among them standing at 6050 meters is the Kinner Kailash Peak.

Two curious boys and their mother, Sangla.

 

 

The people here grow apples and cherries just like the  orchardists in Shimla and Kullu district. But because the soil here is much more fertile the quality of their fruits is much better. Kinnauri apples are famous for not only being juicy and crisp but unlike the hail -beaten  apples of Shimla district , Kinnauri apples have perfect shape and colour.

A recent novelty in Sangla is the asparagus. And I found that quite by accident. Ravenously hungry after the long journey, I barged into the first dhaba in sight and ordered what eateries at such remote places are best in rustling up- Maggie. The owner, who was just seeing off a brood of foreign travellers accosted me and suggested  I  sample asparagus soup instead.

I reluctantly agreed but was surprised by how delicious it was. The owner was watching my expressions all along  and refused to charge me for the soup but insisted I visit his asparagus  garden.

Apart from a orchard walk, (if a local privileges you with one) it’s a good idea to trek upto Kamru village which sits just above Sangla. It makes for not only an  excellent trek but is  a good lesson in local history. There is an ancient Kamru fort here where the local rajas  once had their coronation ceremony.

One can also trek to Chitkul, the last village on the Hindustan Tibet trade route 22 kilometers away.

The road to Sangla is cut out from sheer precipices like this one. (sanjay austa austa)

The Sangla road and the Bapsa river, Kinnaur

How to get here. 


Sangla is about 194 kilometers from Shimla. Its best to break your journey midway in  the pilgrim town of Sarahan to which one has to make a 14 kilometers detour from the highway.

From Sarahan you go via small villages of Wangtu and  Tapri to reach Karcham where one leaves the highway to take the 18kilometer road to Sangla.

Where to Stay: 

Sangla has a lot of budget options.  One could stay at Hotel Royal Castle or Hotel Prakash Regency. Both of them are close to the town, with clean rooms and good views.

Jul 16, 2014 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters. Art in the Stone Age

(sanjay austa austa)

Elephants. Rock paintings Bhimbetka

 

(The story was first published in Mail Today, Jul 2014.)

It’s a strange irony that the oldest record of human existence in the Indian sub-continent was one of our latest finds. Till as close  as 1957, we thought Indus Valley People (who lived from approximately  3300-1300 BCE)  were our  oldest   known ancestors.

But Bhimbetka Rock shelters, pushes our antiquity back to the stone ages. Records of  humans  exist here from as far as Paleolithic Period (30,000 and before ). A rich treasure trove of  their paintings adorn the walls of these shelters to this day.

And it was not just our ancestors, the homo sapiens, who inhabited them. There is a theory that homo erectus – the now extinct human species – also lived in these sandstone outcrops, jutting out  from the  foothills of Vindhyachal hills in Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, 46 kilometers from modern Bhopal.

(sanjay austa austa)

Hunting scenes at Bhimbetka Caves

From Prehistory down to Medieval times , man lived and left his indelible mark on these caves, displaying through art the crucial stages of his evolution from a hunter- gather to a pre-modern agriculturist and animal domesticator. But it was only in 2003 that Bhimbetka got  the UNESCO world heritage site recognition. Until V. S. Wakankar, a peripatetic Indian archeologist discovered them in 1957,  Bhimbetka existed in archeological records only as Buddhist sites.  Not far from Bhimbetka lie the Sanchi Stupa and the Buddhist monasteries and temples and the assumption was made due to this close proximity. The name, however,  came from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandav, Bhim, the story goes,  had rested here  during his exile.

Call it a characteristic lack of interest in our history or lack  of publicity, Bhimbetka hardly gets any visitors.  Most of the tourists throng the other more popular monuments  and  pilgrim spots that litter this part of Madhya Pradesh.

(sanjay austa austa)

Wild bore hunting a man. Painting Bhimbetka Shelters

I hired an early morning cab from Bhopal to Bhimbetka  to avoid what I thought would be a  deluge  of tourists  and long queues. But for much of the morning I was the only visitor. There were no pesky guides either and the attendants, not used to morning visitors , took  their own time to come and man  their posts.  Though these ancient art galleries are barricaded, the rock shelters themselves are not fenced in. They remain open to the jungle as they always have been for millennia. With no extra surveillance or manpower one shudders to think what a vandal could do to these historical  treasures.

Only about 15 or so of the total of 750 caves are open to visitors.  The caves lie hidden in the forest,  a possible reason for their late discovery and their preservation. It is not hard to imagine why our ancestors from the Paleolithic period down chose to inhabit them. Concealed in the forests with vaulted wide tunnels,   deep enclaves and  caves,  the shelters provided excellent protection  from the wild animals, the elements and other marauding tribes.

Tunnel Rock Shelter, Bhimbetka

Devoid of the myriad preoccupations that distract  the modern man, the Bhimbetka dwellers drew at leisure on the walls that hemmed them in. The paintings,  some of them elaborate and realistic, some    just lines and strokes – reveal the Bhimbetka dwellers keen observation of their world. It also reveals the intimate interactions they  had with nature.

Most paintings depict animals,  both domestic and wild,  including the bison, tiger, rhinoceros, elephant, wild bore, monkeys, antelopes and peacocks.  Other depict hunting expeditions and few others scenes of battle. Some of them also display dance formations which have an uncanny resemblance to the dance of the local Gond tribes.

The oldest paintings are almost  30,000 years old. Some of the more famous paintings are of a wild bore attacking a man even as his friends  look helplessly on. There is another which looks like a man walking a dog on a leash. The rock dwellers sometimes used the same canvas, so we have one era superimposed upon another.

Red and white were the  different shades used for the paintings. The paint was a mixture of  vegetable extract, animal fat, manganese, coal and red stone.

(sanjay austa austa)

A buddhist monk at the ancient Buddhist temples at Sanchi

Other attractions:

Bhojeshwar Temple: Only 24 kilometer from Bhimbetka lies the incomplete Bhojeshwar Temple, dedicated to Shiva. Its lingum which is crafted out of a single stone is the largest in the world. It is a mammoth 18feet tall  and 7.5 feet in  circumference.

Sanchi Stupa and the Buddhist monasteries and temples : The Stupa which is said to house Buddha’s relics  is only  hours drive from Bhopal. The Stupas at Sanchi  and the monasteries  and  temple are one of  the finest example of Buddhist art and architecture.

(sanjay austa austa)

The largest Shiva Lingam at Bojeshwar Temple, Bhojpur

 

 

 

 

 

Jul 08, 2014 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Tawang- A Place China Calls ‘Southern Tibet’.

Tawang monastery is the largest Buddhist monastery in India but from a distance it does not look as imposing or exotic as the monasteries in Ladakh or Spiti because unlike the latter it does not have an ant-hill like formation but is set comfortably on a ridge. (sanjay austa austa)

Tawang monastery -the largest Buddhist monastery in India, Tawang


Published first in the Mumbai Mirror, Jul 2014.

Its not easy to travel to the place China calls  ‘Southern Tibet’.  The road near the Arunachal border is so rough it makes you want to turn around.  But having trundled all the way from Guwahati and invested so much time and effort in obtaining the Inner Line Permit – essential for all Indian nationals travelling to Arunachal – I decided to brazen it out.

Eventually it becomes the sort of journey that makes you forget the destination. No sooner you leave the dust of the plains behind, a better road, huge mountains, precipitous waterfalls, cool breeze and silence rewards you.

The mountains begin almost immediately as you cross into Arunachal, cradling in its folds Arunachal’s  thick jungles famed for its exotic flaura and fauna.  If you stop a while,  you may chance upon a rare bird in the high pine branches. Arunachal has over 500 bird species. Tracking them are men with sling shots, though thankfully their strike rate is pretty low.

There are wafer thin waterfalls, that you can see only in the morning or the evening light, when they leave a trail of iridescence along the mountainsides.

The loops in the road from Sela Pass, Arunachal Jan 2012. I have seen this picture many times shot by many people but I had to shoot it anyway. (sanjay austa austa)

The looping road near  Sela Pass, Arunachal

Whenever  the road emerges from the forests and enters human habitation you see barbed wires, army trucks, men in fatigues, speed breakers and  “Photography not Allowed”, signs. Army cantonments dot the hills, often  overlapping the villages. You barely see the locals.

This is just as well. The Chinese claim- that Arunachal is  part of its territory– has put the Indian Army on edge leading to an intense militarization  of this isolated region.

Everyone here talks of how China has built a four-lane highway right upto the Tawang border. To counter that threat, road widening is in full swing and you have to wait at several points along  the highway for the road rollers to finish their job.

Bomdila is the first major town on the road to Tawang. In the 1962 Indo-China war the Chinese soldiers had marched as deep into India as this sleepy little town before retreating. Like all Indian hill stations, Bomdila is pretty but congested. It has a wide range of hotels but its best to bypass the town and head up to the monastery guesthouse, which sits right at the top of the town. The guesthouse attached to a Buddhist monastery,  provides only basic services but lends extravagant views of the valley and the mountains.

Snowflakes taster in Bomdila, Arunachal He walked like this trying to get as many snowflakes on his tongue as possible. (sanjay austa austa)

He walked like this trying to get as many snowflakes on his tongue as possible, Bomdila- Arunachal

From Bomdila the road gets steeper.  It spirals up the mountains to reach Sela Pass– the highest motorable pass in these parts.  At 4170 meters, Sela Pass is beautiful, according grand views of the valleys you ascended. There are fierce winds and an ephemeral lake, which remains frozen for half the year. But the most fascinating aspect of Sela Pass is perhaps the fact that two girls live here all by themselves. Laza, 29 and her kid sister Gije 16, have been living here alone since several years managing a tea stall. They live here with practically no connection to the outside world. There have no electricity nor water connections and phone signal  is sketchy at best. Their tea-stall is frequented by army jawans and drivers who stop  for tea, maggie noodles and the warmth of their hearth.

From Sela Pass it’s a steady descent for about 50 kilometers until it levels out across the valley leading intermittently though farmlands and forests.

Where it not for its monastery, Tawang (or Southern Tibet as China defiantly likes to call it) would be just another nondescript hill town. The peaks surrounding it lend it a magisterial air but its nothing compared to the beauty of similar valley towns like Sangla  or Sarahan in Himachal. The presence of military pickets everywhere also take away that sense of tranquility one expects in  such remote hill towns.

The monk missed the wicket by a whisker as the batsman completed his run. (sanjay austa austa)

The monk missed the wicket by a whisker as the batsman completed his run, Bomdila- Arunachal

 

The 17th century Tawang Monastery however adds a meditative glamour to the town attracting hordes of tourists and believers from far and wide.

Its the second largest monastery in the world after the Potala Palace in Lhasa and like all Buddhist monasteries its  perched high above the town. Its the centerpiece in the lives of the Tawang residents almost all of whom are practicing Buddhists.

I couldn’t have thought of the worst time to visit the monastery  as almost all  monks had gone to Bihar for the Kalachakra ceremony. But it  turned out a blessing in disguise as the monks left behind, relieved of their ecclesiastical duties, talked more freely and took me around  the monastery including their lodgings.

The monks and to some extent the Tawang residents are somewhat insulated from the big stakes political game being played on their  behalf between India and China. And as an elderly monk, too old to go to Bihar,  put it, “ We may fight and claim and counter claim but in doing so we waste our lives. We forget we all die one day. The wheel of live and death keeps moving”.

Spider-hat woman spins the wheel, Tawang Monastery . The traditional headgear of the Monpa tribe in Tawang is this rastafarian spider looking contraption. (sanjay austa austa)

The traditional headgear of the Monpa tribe in Tawang is this rastafarian spider looking contraption, Tawang

How to Get there.

 Almost all major airlines fly daily between Mumbai and Guwahati.  One could also take one of the many trains to Guwahati – the best being the Mumbai LTT- Guwahati Express.

 From Guwahati its almost 500 kilometers by road to Tawang. One can either take a local bus or hire a taxi. The road is not so good so it can take more than 16 hours to reach Tawang. Its best to break ones journey in Bomdila.

Where to Stay:

In Bomdila:

The Guest House run by Bomdila Monastery is decent. It is located in a peaceful wooded part of the town with superb views. The room tariff here begins from 1200 rupees.

In Tawang. 

Tawang Inn:  By Tawang standards Tawang Inn is good. It’s a short walk from the market and the monastery. The room tariffs here begin at 1500 rupees.

These two boys had been wrestling for good ten minutes before we reached the bridge. The fact that they were equally matched lenthened the fight. (sanjay austa austa)

These two boys had been wrestling for good ten minutes before we reached the bridge, Arunachal

 

 

Monks learn up the Buddhist scriptures at Tawang Monastery, Arunachal (sanjay austa austa)

Monks learn up the Buddhist scriptures at Tawang Monastery, Arunachal

 

Summit sisters, Sela Pass - Arunachal Pradesh. Lazo , 27 and her kid sister Gije ,14 manage the highest tea-stall in Arunachal at 4170meters. They are also perhaps the only girls living alone in an Himalayan pass. They are the only residents here and they live without electricity and water connection. They are frequented by passing tourists, army jawans and drivers for tea, coffee, maggie and warmth from their fireplace. (sanjay austa austa)

Lazo and her kid sister Gije ,manage the highest tea-stall in Arunachal at 4170meters where they live alone, Sela Pass

 

Chungi time at Tawang Monastery, Jan 2012. This monk displayed amazing skills at rubberband juggling or chungi. (sanjay austa austa)

This monk displayed amazing skills at rubberband juggling or ‘chungi’ as its called here, Tawang Monastery, Tawang.

 

Women workforce. The women carry huge bundles of leaves for their farms. (sanjay austa austa)

You mostly see women working. The women carry huge bundles of leaves for their farms, Arunachal

Jul 02, 2014 | Categories: Travelogues | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Sherpas and the Truth about Mountain Climbing.

 

SA 021 (sanjay austa austa)

Vertical Limit, Kanchenjunga Expedition 2004, Nepal

The story first appeared in the Bangkok Post, Jun 2014

Fishermen and mountaineers it is said,  have a  natural flair for tall tales. But   the yarn is never so grand as that of the Everest climber.

There are hair-raising tales of the arduous climb, the avalanches, the frostbites, the cliff hanger precipices and how the brave climber  scraped though it all by the skin of his teeth. The truth, as is often the case, is more humbling.

Braving the mountain’s wrath are the Sherpas and not the mountaineers- many of whom are just backpackers masquerading as mountaineers.  Their over enthusiasm, bereft of experience or skill, only endangers the lives of Sherpas.  Mostly, the Sherpas  make up for the ineptness and pull it off, but  sometimes,  there is a disaster. (16 Sherpas lost their lives on  April 18, 2014,  in  Everest’s worst ever tragedy)

A fact conveniently omitted by all climbers in their fire-side tales,  is that they are   aided every step of the way- some of them virtually carried to the summit –by the Nepalese Sherpas.

Sherpas apply sunscreen before setting out on the climb. The Sherpas are the unglorified climbers in the Himalayas. Every successful expedition that returns home to applause conveniently forgets to mention that these Sherpas led their way including fixing ropes for them to the very top. Without them the climb is impossible. Only few great climbers like Reinhold Messner fixed his own ropes on his climbs. (sanjay austa austa)

Sherpas apply sunscreen before setting out on the climb, Kanchenjunga Mountain

The glamour of summiting  Nepal’s big mountains is so heady that rope fixing, tent pitching – the raison d’etre of mountaineering,  taught in every elementary mountaineering  school- is   dispensed with.  They are instead purchased on the climb.

And so it was  during the Indian Army’s Kanchenjunga expedition 2004 of which I was part. Almost every year the Indian Army dispatches an expedition to one of the big Himalayan peaks. The idea is to train the soldiers for high-altitude warfare but it’s usually a   race for glory and medals.

The Indian army paid more than 55 lakh rupees  to the Sherpas who fixed  ropes to the very summit of this dangerous and therefore rarely summited mountain. Sherpa Pempa Ringi who had summited Everest seven times lead the expedition and the soldiers merely followed in his wake.

Year after year, all manner of people, from the physically handicapped to the age defying – the  very old to   the very young- climb Everest and other big Himalayan peaks setting up new benchmarks and world records. The fact is,  the easier the Sherpas make the climb for the amateurs,  the more they risk their lives.

A Sherpa spreads prayer flags around Kanchenjunga for good luck. No Base Camp in the Himalayas is without these prayer flags because no Base Camp in the Himalayas is without the Sherpas. The Sherpas spread these prayer flags all over the camps after conducting their religious ceremony. (sanjay austa austa)

A Sherpa spreads prayer flags around Base Camp for good luck, Kanchenjunga 

In Everest, a special brand of Sherpas called ‘ice-doctors’ are sent forth between camp one and two to probe the dangerous Khumbu Ice-falls region for   potential avalanches. Its only after they have deemed them safe do the climbers begin their climb.  It was in this region that that the 16 Sherpas lost their lives on April 18.

The trouble is that   the Sherpas never complain. More work means more money. The Sherpas actually hate climbers who insist on fixing rope or pitching tents on their own. They do not hanker for fame. Their only complain is money.

“I think the money we get is very less compared to the hard work we put in”, said Tsering Domain, one of the Sherpas on the Kanchenjunga expedition

The Sherpas begin their careers as high altitude porters trudging up steep  slopes with loads upwards of 40 kilos. Once they qualify as high altitude Sherpas, they learn how to fix ropes and pitch camps and in a few years are ready to lead expeditions.

When not climbing the Sherpas are gambling- Ramche. Gambling is a serious activity among the Sherpas after climbing. For most of them its a good pass-time on the mountains when they have to wait for days for the right weather to make a climb. (sanjay austa austa)

When not climbing the Sherpas are gambling- Ramche, Kanchenjunga

Tibetan in origin, most of the  Sherpas hail from the  Solu Khumbu region of Nepal. They are all Buddhists and follow the Tibetan way of life. Few of them like Pempa Ringi live in the monasteries as monks before becoming climbers. Their first task after setting up Base Camp is to build a prayer alter and festoon the camp with Tibetan prayer flags.

Every expedition to the peak begins only after a religious ceremony is performed at the alter, which besides a lot of chanting, involves much singing, dancing and drinking.  Whisky finds pride of place at the alter and is the prasad (consecrated offering) given to all climbers.

The Sherpas originally made a living tilling the land as farmers and followed a nomadic life, herding sheep. It was the European climbers who first saw their potential as climbers and decided to harness them.

Today there are Sherpas who have not only climbed  Everest scores of time, but have scaled more than 10 different mountain peaks. Babu Chiri Sherpa climbed  Everest 10 times without oxygen, and in 1999, he created a sensation by remaining on the summit for 21 hours. Sherpas Pempa Dorji set a world recorded in 2004 for climbing the Everest in just eight hours. And on May 22, 2008, Appa Sherpa scaled Everest for the 18th time breaking his own record for the most successful ascents.

However, the glory and fame has always eluded the Sherpas. And they have no need for them either. They know these are fopperies of the West. They climb to make a living.

Base Camp at Night 5700 meters. Nights like days in the camp were misty but one evening after dinner at i saw the tents glow in the moonlight. It took quite a while to adjust my tripod on the slope and take this slow shutter shot. (sanjay austa austa)

Base Camp at Night 5700 meters, Kanchenjunga

Returning after a successful ascent. Sherpas and Indian Army return to the Base Camp most of them 10 kilos lighter due to the rigours of the climb. Hunger also dies out in those heights (sanjay austa austa)

Sherpas and Indian Army soldiers returning after a successful ascent, Kanchenjunga

Our camp at Ramche and the glacial lake. I took this pic on my trek on the mountain alongside our camp. The best way to accamatise to the high altitude is climb the mountains as high as you can and return to the base camp. This prepared you to make the final bid to the top. (sanjay austa austa)

Our camp at Ramche and the glacial lake, Kanchenjunga

Two sherpas i meet on the ridge on my walk exploring Ramche (sanjay austa austa)

Two sherpas i meet on the ridge on my walk exploring Ramche, Kanchenjunga

Pempa Sherpa the Sherpa who led the Kanchenjunga Expedition. (sanjay austa austa)

Pempa Sherpa the Sherpa who led the Kanchenjunga Expedition.

Jun 08, 2014 | Categories: Thoughts/ Articles | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Varanasi- A Divine City in Decay

 

(sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

In the morning light a photograph hides a city in decay, Varanasi

Story and Photo-essay first published in Tehelka. May 2014. 

 They say the camera never lies. But shoot in the ‘golden-hour’, with  cropped  compositions   and photographs can also tell a million lies.  And its  never so true as for Varanasi. Behind the sanitized photos of this ancient city (usually  of the evening aarti,  morning boat rides and dreadlocked sadhus)  churned out  in millions by photographers, bagpackers and pilgrims,  hides a city in an advanced stage of decay.

The assault of the incessant honking, the traffic snarls, the squalor and the general chaos can be overwhelming even for an average  Indian city dweller used to the din. But instead of dismay there is a lazy romanticizing of the city, as a consequence  of which nothing changes and the  Ganges continues to collect garbage from ghat to ghat.

Perhaps Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who won his election from here, can stem the rot. Or perhaps not. Because the decay is not just physical.  It also deeply  cultural.  And it  began over  a decade ago when the Hindu orthodoxy ganged up to stop the filming of Deepa Mehta’s film Water.  Or maybe  it began much earlier with the hardening of the Brahminical  view of exclusion that’s best epitomized in the “Non Hindus Not Allowed’’ sign on the walls of  Kashi Vishwanath Temple.   In an ironic twist the keeper of the sacred fire, Dom Raja remains an untouchable in the city.

The spirit of irreverence and questioning that Kabir, (born in a weavers family here) extolled,  is forgotten in a city that’s closing  its ranks to the ‘outsider’ or the ‘outside’ view. However, Hinduism finds a way of cocking a snook at all things rigid and puritanical. Overlooking a ghat, barely frequented by any pilgrim, is a temple (Pashupatinath Mahadev) that incorporates the idea of Hinduism like no other temple  in Varanasi.  Its open to all and every aspects of life, including sex, are celebrated in its beautifully carved wooden sculptures.

Known for its gharanas and having nurtured musicians from  Tansen to Pt. Ravi Shanker, Varanasi today  in the words of Haji Mehtab Hussain, eldest son of late Ustad Bismillah Khan, “has lost its music”. Musicians,  some of them exponents of rare musical instruments are leaving the city to live abroad where they say they get more respect.

Sanjit the Yamraj of Varanasi. He is the undertaker at the cremation ghats and keeper of the sacred fires. He is called the Dom Raja but he calls himself a Yamraj of this world. Varanasi (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

 The Dom Raja, the   undertaker of cremation ghats and keeper of the sacred fires. However he  remains an untouchable in the holy city, Varanasi.

(sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Laxman Babaji, 70. rowing boats in Varanasi since he was 5 years old. Boat rowers are considered untouchables too. Varanasi.

 

 

God is Beauty. And Beauty God Evening Aarti, Varanasi. (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

God is Beauty. And Beauty God.  Evening Aarti  can give you a false sense of peace in  Varanasi.

 

Varanasi's widows. Abandoned by their children they come here to chant Gods name and die. They live in dark, damp hovels and sometimes beg to get by. Varanasi. (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

 Abandoned by their children Varanasi’s widows  come here to chant Gods name and die. They live in dark, damp hovels and sometimes beg to get by. Varanasi.

 

Chitra Devi, 70, has one daughter and one son. Came to Varanasi like hundreds of widows to live the rest of her life chanting Gods name. Varanasi (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Chitra Devi, 70, has one daughter and one son. Came to Varanasi like hundreds of widows to live the rest of her life chanting Gods name. Varanasi 

 

(sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

One of the erotic sculptures on the Pashupatinath Mahadev temple, Varanasi.

 

Aman Nath Mishra, 73, a sitar exponent. Says there is nothing to encourage the younger people to take up music in Banaras. He is also invited to play abroad and has many foreign disciples. (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Aman Nath Mishra, 73, a sitar exponent. Says there is nothing to encourage the younger people to take up music in Banaras. 

 

Anshuman Maharaj, 28, a Sarod exponent, says no young musician plays the sarod anymore in Banaras. Students come to him for guitar lessons instead. Varanasi (sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Anshuman Maharaj, 28, a Sarod exponent, says no young musician plays the sarod anymore in Banaras. Students come to him for guitar lessons instead. Varanasi 

 

(sanjay austa sanjayausta@gmail.)

Bunkars or weavers of Varanasi. Children as young as 5 are roped into the weaving industry in Banaras

 

Jun 07, 2014 | Categories: Thoughts/ Articles | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »