Ooty On my Mind!

Chennai, Dec 2011

Bollywood movies and television serials have made Ooty a familiar hillock for Nepalese as well. So, when opportunity came to visit this 'virtually' familiar place I jumped to the idea.   

 

But, less said the better about my night bus ride from Chennai to Ooty. Twelve hours of motion sickness that started as soon as I got on bus left me totally drained of energy. So, when I got off the bus at Ooty station I was literally swaying and had to hold my friend Bincy to steady myself. However, after a minute or two, the chill in the air did its magic. Few more deep breaths and I immediately felt alive, comfortable, and almost at home. 

Continuous rain for a week, which had stopped the previous day, had left Ooty picture perfect for us. The weather was partly cloudy, through which sun rays were trying to escape and kiss the foggy forests. Morning dew drops were fragilely balanced on shrubs, flowers and a variety of vegetables in the fields. Hills surrounding Ooty market looked like some fairy castles in the clouds as they were protruding out of thick misty layers formed round them. With the muddy, murky and cool air, Ooty had a winterish monsoon feel in November. Something I could relate to Nepal during the months of July and August.

We just had a day to explore Ooty, so we didn't spare a moment. As soon as we left our luggage in the guesthouse Tamijhagam, Udhagamandalam, we headed for Pykara Lake. Our guide/driver Ishwor, who has been in this profession for more than a decade, gave us Ooty's historical background on our way. Driving down a long winding road through eucalyptus and pine forests gave us a sense of romance and made me think of Bollywood movies like Kayamat Se Kayamat Tak, Dil, Akele Hum Akele Tum and Raja Hindustani, whose songs were shot in here. However, the feelings faltered as Ishwor said those plants were planted by colonists uprooting the local vegetation. "It changed the whole forest ecology, with many adverse effects in nature," he added.    

It could be because of the “too perfect and monotonous” look of the pine forest I saw when I took a walk; I didn't feel a sense of awe, mystery or wilderness which I usually got in forests back home. The forest started looking tame with some unwanted artificial touch. Yet, I must say, local women returning home carrying baskets filled with eucalyptus leaves, birds chirping and playful monkeys enjoying their errands made it lively and enjoyable. 

Any complains I had earlier vanished when we entered the Pykara Lake forest area. Protected by the Forest Department, the area is calm, at the same time giving a sense of wildness. Different varieties of trees and vegetations left unmanicured gave a fresh, damp and green-grassy smell to forest. It was all natural, even the machine-boats on the lake felt like they belonged there.    

Situated about 21 km from Ooty on the Ooty-Mysore Road, Pykara Lake was calm, clean and beautiful. It was crowded with mostly domestic tourists who were busy boating, taking pictures and enjoying local food items in the restaurants. But the pristine beauty of the lake overshadowed the crowd, their chattering, even warning signs that said ”beware of monkeys". I felt at peace. 

Pykara Lake made me think of the Fewa Lake at Pokhara. Though it's smaller than Fewa and doesn't have a reflection of the mountains, it gave an aura similar to mystifying greatnesses and beauty. It was reflecting the different shapes and forms of clouds in sky; it looked flawless. I gave up on the idea of boating.

With newfound calmness and happiness, we headed for Pykara falls next. By the road side, there were tea vendors which also sold steamed corns. The milky, young corn's sweetness spiced with red chili and salt was simply mouthwatering. The taste lingered on my tongue all the way to Pykara fall, which was not what I had imagined it would be. When I think of a waterfall, I am thinking of huge masses of white water falling from a hilltop, which usually has me pulling my head back and widening my eyes to look up at its origin. Instead, when I saw a rivulet I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it is a very beautiful place. Clean water flows through small rock cliffs and the sound of running water is soothing. There was a picturesque view that will stick will remain with you forever: small pasture hillocks with some pine forests at the top, old English-styled cottages, vegetable fields and a tea plantation surrounding the settlement, and a pond just below it. This view brought back memories of Dhorpatan, Nepal, through which I had trekked for three days on my way home from Kathmandu. 

Ooty's hills, pasture lands, grassy meadows, pine and eucalyptus forests, vast agricultural fields, small colourful houses and its misty weather reminded me of home. Yet, there was some sense of detachment as well. Different vegetation, protein-producing factories and modern sheep rearing practices were new to me. Going from one shop to another, buying homemade chocolates, made me feel like a tourist. It also felt abnormal when I went to a hillock and there were no snow-capped mountains in sight. 

Then, seeing the sun set behind the hills was something special. Ever since I returned to Chennai, I have been seeing a sun meld into the horizon, a setting that left me feeling like an alien. A sunset in Ooty, on the other hand, made me feel closer to home. So, the Ooty visit, in the end, was like visiting a maternal uncle's home: not exactly at home but near it.

गोठभन्ज्याङमा क्याम्प-फायर

स्मिता मगर

ललितपुर, होली उपत्यकामा रहेका तराईमूलका बाहेकले मंगलबार मनाए । ठूलो जमात रंग दलादल र पानी छ्यापाछ्यापमा मस्त रह्यो । उपत्यका खाल्डामै रहेका तन्नेरीको अर्को जमात भने फागु मनाउन भिन्न उद्देश्यसाथ दलचोकी गोठभन्ज्याङमा थियो ।

पचास तन्नेरी करिब तीन घन्टाको कच्ची बाटो छिचोल्दै भट्टेडाँडानजिकैको मनोरम भन्ज्याङमा पुगेका थिए । अंग्रेजी लेखक टमस हार्डीको 'फार पmम द म्याडिङ क्राउड' मा भनिएझैं उनीहरू एकान्तमा बढी नै आनन्दित देखिन्थे ।

'फागु पूणिर्मा हर्ष र उमंगको उत्सव भए पनि उपत्यकामा पर्वका नाममा विकृति फैलेको छ,' तन्नेरीहरूलाई अगुवाइ गरेर दलचोकी पुर्‍याइसकेपछि युवा अभियानका उपाध्यक्ष रूख गुरुङले भने, 'त्यसको प्रतीकात्मक विरोध जनाउन यहाँ आएका हौं ।' विशेषतः सृजनात्मक कामसँगै कलासंस्कृतिको सम्मान गर्न दशकदेखि होली यसरी मनाउन थालेको उनले जानकारी दिए ।

राष्ट्रिय युवा सेवा र स्मार्ट क्लबको समेत सक्रियतामा जुटेको हूलमा दन्त चिकित्सकदेखि राष्ट्रिय फुटबल खेलाडी, मोडलदेखि विद्यार्थीसम्म थिए ।

लगनखेलमा मंगलबार बिहानै जुटेको जमात मध्याह्नतिर गन्तव्य पुगेको थियो । सुत्ने र खानेबस्ने चाँजो अभियानले स्थानीय बासिन्दाको घरमै मिलाएको रहेछ । तन्नेरीहरूले गुन्द्रुकको अचारले जिब्रो पड्काउँदै खाना खाए । भोटुडाँडाको हाइकिङमा रमाए । सल्ला र लालीगुँरासले भरिएको भोटुडाँडाको टुप्पाबाट उपत्यकाको क्रंक्रिट जंगल देखिए पनि सहभागीहरू वीरगन्ज सहरतर्फ लालायित भए तर तुवाँलोले तराईको औद्योगिक नगरीलाई ढपक्क ढाकेको थियो ।

घुमघामपछि गोठभन्ज्याङ पुग्नुको खास काम सुरु भयो ।

युवाहरू भोटुडाँडाबाट अलि तल मनकामना मन्दिरमा झरे । मन्दिर पु+mग उडेको थियो । साथै ल्याएको पेन्ट, चुना, कुचोले उनीहरू मन्दिरका भित्ता उजिल्याउन थाले ।

'गोरखाको मनकामनाकै प्रतिरूप मानिने यो मन्दिरमा वैशाखमा मेला लाग्ने भएकाले गाउँलेले रंगरोगन गर्न आग्रह गरेका थिए,' युवा अभियानका महासचिव विपिन पोखरेलले भेद खोले । सहरी युवालाई गाउँले जीवनको झल्को दिनु पनि उद्देश्य रहेको उनले बताए ।

तन्नेरीहरूले मन्दिर परिसरमा सरसफाइ पनि गरे । विगतमा अभियानले ललितपुरको बिष्टाछाप गाउँमा बाटो खन्ने, खेलमैदान, पानीट्यांकी बनाउने गरेको रहेछ ।

'साह्रै रमाइलो भयो,' एनआरटीका फुटबल खेलाडी बालगोपाल साहुखलले भने, 'थप सामाजिक काम गर्नुपर्ने थियो ।'

युवा जमघटबाट दलचोकी गाविसका निवर्तमान अध्यक्ष रामशरण आलेमगर पनि कम उत्साहित थिएनन् । 'यिनले हाम्रो गाउँको विकासमा लाग्न हौस्याएका छन्,' उनले सुनाए ।

दलचोकी गाउँ जान प्रत्येक सहभागीबाट ४ सय रुपैयाँ लिइए पनि आनन्द र उत्साहसामु त्यो नगण्य भएको प्रत्येकको अनुहारले बताइरहेको थियो ।

उपत्यका खाल्डाबाट 'पहिलोपल्ट बाहिर निस्केकी' काठमाडौंकी नर्सिङ विद्यार्थी प्रविना कर्माचार्य दलचोकी जाने बाटामा लालीगुराँस हेर्नमा मग्न थिइन् । 'एकदम रमाइलो लागिराखेको छ । प्रकृति र गाउँले जीवनको मज्जा लिँदै होली फरक तरिकाले मनाउन पाइयो,' उनले भनिन् ।

तन्नेरीले डन्डीबियोलगायतका खेलबाट पनि आनन्द उठाए । मध्यरातमा गितार र मादल
बजाए, गीत । मंगलबार रात पूर्णेको जून उदाएपछि क्याम्पफायर सुरु भयो जसले झनै लोभ्यायो । क्याम्पफायरको तातोमा दोहोरी खेल्ने र आलु पोलेर खानेहरू पनि रौसिए ।

(source: www.ekantipur.com)

Where I Belong!

Under the protecting eyes of Ramajima and Mount Sishne, she blossoms in all seasons of the year. There is a very genuine misconception in urban areas about her; many of urban-born affectionately call her ‘mountain’ though in reality she is just a hill. She doesn’t touch the blue sky above her as Mount Everest does. But, she is the only one in the whole world who can take children on her rainbow to travel through the world of heaven and bring them back to herself.

Far from the world of maddening crowed, of plastic and the worldly eyes of intruders, she hides. Here, people born out of her are the only ones who can feel their blood give rush when they see her from miles away because they are so much alike that they are linked with each other to feel each-others heartbeat. These people are out of her seed and are as enigmatic as she is. Only intruders in this virgin society are poets and the God and Goddess of nature. I can guarantee, Laxmi Prasad Devkota must have been the only intruder in this society in his dreams and must have been inspired by her to write every words of his life. These were extraordinary beings with extraordinary powers that linked them with her.

But, if you decide to go and see her leaving your cozy home in Kathmandu, you will have to drive west through almost forgotten-highway for two days in bus and then walk for three days to find her in front of your eyes. After some days of relaxation upon her lap, you will not be able to impede yourself from putting on your hiking shoes. And then, after 3 hours hike through the small trails passing cheerfully through deep wooded forest with artistic old trees standing tall just asking you to appreciate them for their age while thousands of wild flowers beg you to stop and smell their heavenly scent. With those temptation and discovering mysteries hidden behind those rocks of hers if you still can move forward you step on Ramli. And after missing few breaths; standing on grassy sheep pasture when you look around; there, you will discover yet another stimulating reward in those smiling mountains and unfolding hills that extend to the horizon. At that time, your eyes will see the miracle of her; the startling synchronization of natural colour…the valley with scattered villages by the deep blue river and hills raised from those villages extend from being deep green to haze blue in the horizon behind the folds of higher hills and suddenly turn itself white with snow covered mountains behind them protecting and cherishing them.

After that magical moment, when you have caught your breath and you are relaxed you have to look directly below you to see her. With some scattered thatched roof houses, deep green forests and potato, maize, millet and mustards fields, at first you might find her as ordinary as other hills quietly lying next to her. She will not make you gape or reach for your camera like Everest does. But you will discover she will not allow you to turn your head away from her as well. It is that time when you decide to look her closely enough to find something striking hidden inside her. Then you will discover, there is something very intriguing about her. It is a wonder; to find her become alive in front of your very own eyes.

Through her prairie you will see two different worlds within a circle of clock. During day, laying on your back, under the shade of full grown maple tree you will see the blue sky extending to infinity with only a source of light hanging on it. While during night, laying on the terrace, hands under your head you will find yourself staring at the wonder of another world. The world of night yet so bright and so gay with uncountable numbers of stars twinkling in the same clear sky that held sun on its palm during day time; as if someone had quietly slipped to put glitters during dusk to make your heart give a leap in your life.

You will discover, She is a place… a magical place where Echo is still alive under her loving arms. Here, Achillies and Beowulf live in harmony with fire- breathing dragons. Sita and Ram come here to have their romantic moments once in a while. Here, you can find your wishes made on rocks come alive. She is the one who lets people see God in rocks, shows the footprints of them in hills and water. And yet so secretive with her limestone caves and layers of ancient power hidden under bushes you can never expect what might jump out of it. A roaring tiger may chase you towards your home if you wander too far away or wild boar may show you how to dug the jungle and eat earthworms.

Of all people I should know. I have spent my first 9 years wrapped around her arms. Even after parting with her, I have been spending my days with her in my imagination and dreams. The first thing I ever smelled was her sweet scent on her air that gave me life and encouraged me to open my eyes to see her in her full glory. When I was about 2 minutes old I had cried with full joy by sensing her love for the first time. At 4, holding my brothers hand, I had witnessed secrets deep within her. At 7, I had learned birds’ language and was talking with them sitting comfortably on her rhododendron’s palm. Then after a decade I had gone back to her and she had not changed much; she was still the love of my life.

I really don’t remember when exactly love affair began between us. What I am sure of is that I had realized her love even before I was born, even before I existed. It was just like that…when I had breathed in her for the first time I was totally, deeply and madly in love with her.

Yet I fear. I fear, in the tiny moment of her long life-span, my love seems one sided. If she blinks her eyes during the time when I am with her, she will miss me. She will miss to notice my existence. She will not see I ever existed and loved her till the last breath.

But that realization heightens my love even more because that fear gives me a reason to be by her side in every breath of my life: a reason to live, a reason to love and a reason to die. And even after death takes hold of me I will lay a somber sleep in her lap of intoxicating beauty tasting the ambrosia of her core. Yes, this is my wish: to live my whole life wrapped around her arms, and let my body live forever mixed with her in her garden of Nirvana.

I have come to realize, to understand her you need a little bit of black magic. We all do. A little black magic to belong with her, to understand her mysteries and her secrets behind her smile because her subtle beauty is not like a beauty of Everest: instantaneously impressive but nothing more. This instant impressiveness doesn’t give you enough time to create, to reflect and to live with them. That is why we need a little black magic in our lives to understand her subtle beauty because these mysteries and magic crawl up on us slowly giving us enough time to live, love and appreciate life. Life that is so full of mysteries and secrets revealing itself in right time, with right message and meaning showing each day with a little piece of heaven creating smile on beholder like she does.

This is the reason; She and Life are so much intertwined together. Creating a reason to smile, to live, to love and make you believe that you rightfully belong in her heavenly wings of life’s warmth.

[Note: I was born in Jhumlabang of Morabang VDC, Rukum District of Nepal!]