Tag Archives: Himalayas

Weekend wandering- Listening to nature speak

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The trickling streams of an untouched mountain tell you stories beyond the realms of audibility. These stories defy logic and fill your hearts with gratitude, not allowing your mind to resist.

The roads less traveled always hold a mesmerism to themselves. The anticipation for nature to unfold something new from its box of infinite wilderness has an allurement which dwarfs most other attractions. As your cup of awe overflows on such exploratory excursions, you are confused whether to tell others about this magnificent mysticism or let nature be in its natural form.

I happened to spend the Sunday,seeking some respite in the comforts of the most captivating landscapes the lower Himalayas have to offer. As we went higher, it appeared as I was transcending a new plane of understanding. Till a point when nature itself started to speak. Or rather I could hear it as I got a hold of the super frequency of the cosmos.

Here are some things I heard nature speak:

1. Contribute, don’t be too full of yourself– The center of the universe for most of you lies within the confinement of your physiological self. At the base of these colossal mountains, with river beds wider than the eye could see, I realized we are nothing but the trickles of water coming from different sides of the mountain. We might have our own paths down the mountain, but all of us contribute to the same big river. Thus, the center of the universe is not within us because the universe is capable of going on without us. We can just contribute to it in our own little ways.

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The universal river bed we all trickle into

2. Flow,there is a way around everything– The streams gently trickled along their own path. Dodging huge boulders, avoiding fallen trees, making a path of its own. Though it might be capable of taking everything with it in all its fury but it avoids this situation till extremities arise. Hearing a gentle stream trickle down an untouched mountain soothens the soul and renders a calming effect on your identities. It shows the easy by which one can avoid all conflicts by just flowing.

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Making its own way.

3. Focus, the task at hand is paramount– As I went further up the mountains, my primordial teachers divulged more knowledge. A cloud cover engulfed the entire valley. Initially I was a little irritated as it obstructed the beautiful view. Then the relevance of the task at hand dawned upon me. Instead of being distracted you should focus on inhabiting the moment. If you are too busy enjoying the view, you overlook the task at hand. Temporary satisfaction might help you float but it wont keep your boat up for too long.

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The clouds come down upon us

 

Sooner or later, your lack of focus would prevent you from reaching the very peak, where the actual treasure or satisfaction lies. So do take a break and enjoy where you have reached, but don’t lose focus, because the real prize always lies ahead. Don’t be disheartened by the clouds which hide the view(problems which camouflage happiness), just keep going because at the peak lies the real prize.

4. Be friendly, nature does respond– All natural calamities are a response not an action. Greed conquers us all. We build dams, pollute sea and land, blast mountains for lime, hunt animals and as a result we see delayed responses from the universe. We initiate the imbalance and then blame someone else for it. If you go into the wild with an open mind and a considerate heart, it will always respond positively, and spell bind you with its awesomeness.

Bissu the bodyguard
Bissu the bodyguard

 

I happened to be fortunate to meet “Bissu” (Biss means 20 in hindi, it was named Bissu because of its 20 nails, considered as a local mark of a well bred dog) an Indian mastiff who took up the responsibility of our body guard/guide. A cosmic body guard is one for the MARVELS, but it is what it is.

5. Appreciating the insignificant makes us enormous– Nature instills in you a stillness to acknowledge its beauty and be grateful for the little things. These things often go unnoticed when you are busy occupying your office space or other portions of the cemented cosmos. You as big as you can notice. Trivial tasks can be learnt by repetition, but it takes a lot to go out of the way and notice the apparently insignificant things and gestures. But these minute things are the ones which actually make you stand out of the crowd.

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Capture the little things

Natures ability to make you open our eyes to the tiny things keeps you in good stead in your daily lives. You notice and deduce more from the same scenario keeping you ahead of common though patterns and mundane perceptions.

6. Breathe, you will be inspired– True inspiration lies in absolute solitude. My rendition of solitude is, in oneness with the self and nature. With no other mind to hinder your thought process, you will be inspired to achieve beyond you think you can. Embracing nature in its purest form guides you in ways you cant even imagine. All you need to do is to leave your stress at the base of the mountain, and let the roads take you higher, both in body and thought.

Savor the stillness
Savor the stillness

You are grander than you can imagine

Although you are dwarfed by the infinity of the cosmos, yet the fact that you are a small part of something so huge is awe inspiring. If you embrace this feeling and strive to stay in unison with the elements, you will be empowered and energized to face anything that life brings your way.

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Embrace the infinite

You would not only be a spec in the vastness but a spec capable of making a difference. Share knowledge, inspire who you can, help the needy, respect what supports you.

Have a Good Day.

 

 

The Winter Line- A secret natural spectacle

Natures soul enriching magnificence never fails to overwhelm the ones who embrace their organic surroundings. At times, unaware of the splendor that surrounds us, we give nature a chance to dazzle us with its infinite hidden secrets. The winter line is one such secret.
I happen to have come across the winter line by accident. On a typical Sunday exploratory session, I sound myself at a remote spot neighboring the queen of the lower Himalayas Mussoorie.  Mussoorie  is aesthetically pristine by itself but not many know about this rare natural marvel. the winter line.
The winter line

What is the winter line?

From mid-October till January, with the setting sun, the western horizon is replete with myriad shades of yellow, red, orange and mauve. This is known as the winter line. The phenomenon is unique to Mussoorie and a certain place in Switzerland only …The sun drops behind what is essentially a false horizon, a grey and mauve coloured strip, and there is a bright line of yellow and orange colours at the upper end of this strip. The colours are so spectacular that onlookers are left spellbound till the sun finally sets.

Sunset

Sometimes we are so occupied with the unnecessary that we become oblivious to the obvious. The world boasts of a multitude of such phenomenons waiting to be unearthed.But instead of finding solace in our surroundings, we are bound to wander aimlessly. Marvelous people and places are all around us, but we ignore these for distant alternatives.

Nature, being the best teacher has a lesson in every revelation. The subtle subliminal hints can be decrypted by those in harmony with the flow of the universe.

We are surrounded by gems of both natural and mortal kind,

Camouflaged by our ignorance, we miss out on these gifts divine.

Superficial knowledge is rendering the world blind,

Disdainful towards what makes itself available, we chase the strange sublime.

If we open the windows of our minds we will realize, the universe is grander than it meets the eye,

Everyone has some magic inside, and yes there are diamonds in the sky.

 

Himalayan highs-The healthy habit of hiking

Doorways to the next dimension

Its hard to express the unparalleled euphoria of exploring a pristine dimension to unearth the ultimate sanctum in words. Although it has no door but the doorway into the infinite abyss of uncertainties can only be unlocked by a key of guts and passed by a spirit full of adventure.

Anyone dwelling in a valley would testify that the surrounding mountains allure you sooner than later. Dehradun is one such valley, ideally located at the lower Himalayas. The 10-25 km trails to surrounding peaks are a perfect platform for novice hikers.

Hiking or simply running up a mountain (without spraining your ankle or bruising your knee) is one of the best cardiovascular exercises. Moving up a mountain is an absolute physical and mental workout, specifically challenging the pillars of your frame( your lower body) and the resilience of ure brain. It also makes your lungs suck in more oxygen and your heart pump more blood, thus making both these vital organs function more efficiently.
Anyone looking to overcome health concerns this new year, can take up hiking. Although the health benefits are only a bit part of the overall package that hiking offers. The interaction with nature, typical to the specific terrain, infuses calmness and serenity to the hikers paradigm. Simple things teach you much more than elaborate researches and Byzantine texts.

Hiking

Hiking up a mountain can be quite debilitating by itself. But it will test the resolve of the toughest men if it follows their lower body workout day. My spirit for adventure overruled my lower body’s plea for recovery when an acquaintance made a spontaneous plan to backpack up the 18 km long path to Mussoorie, the queen of the Himalayan hill stations.

What to carry in your backpack?

I have made around 6 backpacking trips to Mussoorie and each time the backpack has gotten a little heavier. Our latest journey was much more organised as compared to the first one. So for anyone starting off with hiking here is what you can carry for your short trips:

1. Water Bottles- The elixir of life is the ultimate essentiality,.

2. Something to Eat- Carrots, Bananas, Chocolates, Chick peas and protein.

3. Army knife- Just in case.

4. Camera- So that you can share better photos than I am.

5. Footwear- How can I forget footwear, I slipped so much the first time. Footwear with good gripping is a must.

These might not include everything but they are definitely enough for simpler terrains.
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You might get tired and want to turn around and go home where all the comforts of the world await, but then the feeling of reaching the peak,even of a hillock, cannot be mirrored by any luxury that your house beholds.

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Paralyzed in Paradise

At times you capture moments, at others, in certain moments you remain captured,

Lying contentedly in your comfort zone(paradise), with your willingness all fractured.

Captivated by the hollow satisfaction derived from the stillness in our lives we diminish our own capabilities. Satisfied with what we have, we fail to stretch beyond accepted norms and maximize our full potential, Our vision of looking beyond into the brilliance that the future beholds is obstructed by the dazzling drop, which fools us into believing that it is the absolute that life has to offer.

It is very easy to miss out on progression, by allowing oneself to drift in the admiration of universal splendor.  Although I am perpetually marveling at the splendor of the Himalayan valley that I call home, at times I do pause and question my relationship with the town.  Does this paradise create me or do I create the paradise that it appears to be?

“If we weren’t but voyagers in spirit, our lives wouldn’t be as ephemeral as they are.”

Contentment is subjective, some of us want to rule the world others are satisfied with the little loaf of bread. While some don’t understand their potential others mould their goals as per their comfort zones. For some, the paradise keeps recreating itself and amplifying its splendor, while others are captivated with the little that they have, these are the ones who are paralyzed.

No matter how beautiful your life, it deserves to get better, it is just you who gets to decide if you want to break the shackles or stay paralysed in paradise. If you happen to look beyond  and manage to overcome the cohesive forces preventing you from breaking free, you will be able to conjure a better life form for yourself. This is typically true for the ones who are satisfied with little things. Overcoming the inertia is typically difficult for the ones attached to their comfort zones.

A pristine valley, embracing the Himalayas on all sides, house a panoply of adroit polymaths who are paralysed in this paradise. The valley is like a sinkhole, keeping all these highbrows glued to it as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist.  Same is the case with most towns, the people are so content with their little satisfactions that they don’t want to dream big. As a result people are dishonouring their true potentials.

We all have the capability to change where we lack is in the will, we forsake our infinite potential for the evanescent thrills,

Gaping at the grandeur of our surrounding we stand mesmerised, while the world is in need of edification we can provide, we stand still in paradise, paralysed.

Small Town Girl

“Its inside me and I am inside it” Ben Sharp does justice to my state of inebriation with this inimitable heaven on earth that I call Home. The magnificence of my valley is resonated in each and every one of its residents. Just like any other small town every eye sparkles with infinite dreams, every smile conducts the warmest vibe, every soul genuinely cares and every hand munificently shares. Although I might sound delusional but this is what I grew up seeing. Yes vices crept in but the overall balance still tilts towards the good side.

My small town helps me depict its beauties through its beauty. This may even sound true for the small town girls from all round the world.

 “At times she is timid like the gentle streams cascading through colossal stones, at others she is the resolute queen to this mountainous throne .

The elegance in her visage exemplifies the freshness of the air she breathes, her idiosyncrasies distinct to the little world that she has seen.

Her calm demeanor resonates the stillness of the aesthetic landscape around, The natural grace transcends her soul, making it more profound.

Her smile, like the bright sunshine, makes you want to write songs about it,  The divinity in her countenances, makes you feel their wouldn’t be no world without it.

At times more meaningful than stories, at others as naive as a child, Sparkling like a diamond in the sky, a comet leaving a trail of smiles behind.

But then my brains creative curry reveals traces of information which make me worry, The lustre of virtue, enveloped with hedonism, is getting blurry, as my immaculate depiction gets tainted in a hurry.

With fates entwined, the celestial beauties and their exalted hamlets are being inspired by the plastic-city and bigger towns, Thought contamination and unprecedented pollution are consequences, letting our unembellished heritage down.

But once in a while I do find that invigorating smile which makes me realize that the Small Town and Small Town Girl still survives.