One of the great things about travel is that it gives you the eye and time to find out good stories and good kind people all over. Do you remember the Vicks advertisement – Mother, daughter, hostel? No problem, if you don’t, I will help you to remember the heart-touching story. And this love story proves that love has saved humankind.
Today I am sharing with you Gauri’s story. Gauri Sawant adopted a little girl named Gayatri in 2008 when she was just 5 years old after Gayatri’s mother died of AIDS. She is a good human being and a courageous mother who also works as a social activist. Gauri Sawant born Ganesh Sawant adopted her daughter even though it is illegal for transgender people to adopt children. Yes, You read it right, she is transgender. She is beyond your rules, my rules, society’s rules, except love.
Gauri says “Motherhood is beyond gender. Motherhood is a behavior”
Gauri Sawant is a transgender activist from Mumbai. She is the director of Sakshi Char Chowghi which helps transgender and HIV/AIDS patients. She has started an old age home for transgender people called Nani ka Ghar, meaning Grandmother’s Home, where old transgender people will take care of sex workers’ children.
Sawant, left her family at an early age to come to Bombay. While working at an NGO, Gauri came across her daughter, Gayatri. Gayatri had been orphaned in 2001 when her mother died.
The child’s grandmother was going to sell her into slavery when Gauri met her. She decided to adopt her, and since then the two have shared a very close mother-daughter bond. Gauri is the first transgender woman to have made her way into motherhood. According to her, “There’s no gender in being a mother”. Gayatri is now studying to be a doctor and lives in a hostel. Gauri’s inspiring story came to the forefront when Vicks portrayed her journey with Gayatri in an ad that has since its release been watched 1 crore times. She was featured in that Ad by Vicks too.
Gauri breaks orthodox traditions and stereotypes prevented in her country. She is full of life, confident, and above all very loving human being. Her house is full of colleagues who adore her, and whom she has made feel safe. It is not easy to be a Gauri Sawant. I mean, having such a broad mind, modern thoughts, and a simplistic approach to life is tough. We can only talk about it and claim to have all these. But that’s what society needs more, that’s what Gayatris need more. She challenged the norm that parenting is only for married couples or male/ female genders. May she inspire her story and make more humans like her.
Travel documentaries highlight the travel history of the traveler. Also if you are looking for inspiration for your next trip, these travel documentaries will help you undoubtedly to be more knowledgeable. Travel documents make it easier for people to get to know new places and also new cultures. My Favorite Best Travel Documentaries- I have compiled a list of outstanding travel documentaries that you can watch on Netflix, Youtube, and also other OTT platforms. So at this time enjoy your virtual travel.
List Of My 9 Best Travel Documentaries
Salt Of The Earth
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Sebastiao Salgado, a Brazilian photojournalist, spent 40 years on his travel documentaries. He captures some group of unknown people in South America, Africa, and Central Europe and the results are compelling. He portrayed the painful lives of those groups of people through documentaries. As well as this Oscar-nominated 2014 documentary has been highly acclaimed all over the world. This is one of the best travel documentaries I have watched.
The magical Andes resembles a virtual tour of the royal Andes Mountains in South America. The Spanish documentary features a unique story of five characters who share a deep love of nature and also mountains. This six-part docu-series clearly showcases the landscape of the region and the ever-changing lives of the people who live there.
Dark Tourist- The Travel series explores Dark Tourism. Presenter journalist David Ferrier travel to many shady places of the world. And he mainly focuses on that area of travel, known as dark tourism, in this docuseries. The series is also a wild ride that depicts bizarre tourist traps and unsociable things. This is one of the most unique Netflix travel documentaries.
Watch it for exciting travel documentaries. As well as gritty traveling, and the proper technique devised before pulling off such endeavors. 80 Degree South is an assimilation of the memorable journey undertaken by Jeff while recreating the epic tour pulled off by Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins during their road trip in 1968. Jeff’s journey was also more adventurous as he chose to surf, sail, and climb before finally making it to Chile.
Two people running through the coasts and ghats of South India, driving one of the lightest vehicles, making it a spectacular sight. Hit The Road is one of the most interesting travel documentaries. Recognized by Lonely Planet as one of the best travel documentaries of 2012, this film is a story of two friends participating in a rickshaw rally from Chennai to Mumbai spanning 12 days also covering over 2000 km. Yes, as well as they had to suffer plenty of breakdowns along the way.
You can watch this documentary on Epic Tv App
Children of the Snow Land
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This multi-award-winning film follows young people making a long and emotional trek back to their homes in the mountain villages of the Himalayas. Children of the Snow Land is a 2017 Nepalese English feature documentary film directed by Zara Balfour, and Marcus Stephenson. Also, The documentary has won Best Documentary at the Victoria Film Festival and London Independent Film Festival.
Baraka, also known as one of the best travel documentaries of all time, is a non-narrative documentary of a kaleidoscopic retreat with various hymns of nature and its impact on different cultures. From the cacophonic mantras of hundreds of monks assembled for a cosmic sacrifice to the frantic slaps of the whole village, the documentary highlights the phenomena of nature and how it forms the core of different cultures.
For some, climbing the world’s highest mountains is a lifelong achievement. For Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja, the new Netflix documentary film 14 Picks, Nothing is Impossible is going to be a good season to climb in all of them. Purja also sets a goal – which he calls “project possible” – to climb 14 peaks (more than 8,000 meters high) in a single mountaineering season. This is one of the absolutely stunning mountain-based travel documentaries.
Travel Docu-series, Tales by Light, is full of moving portraits, panoramic imagery, live music, and also philosophical narratives for exploring the natural world through various photographers and filmmakers. As well as it has unseen footage from unique angles.
My Travel Cool Photos mean capturing my moments. Photo images are incredibly important because they not only allow us to capture specific moments over time. Cool photos are for future generations and enable us to recreate wonderful memories or experiences over and over again. I have captured many such moments in my travel experiences. Through these cool photos, I still do time travel to all my old travel places.
50 Rupees Selfie
50 Rupees Selfie
I met him near Changu lakeSikkim along with his yak. This little yak master has two giant yaks. The kid had something very attractive, called attitude. “Can I click a picture?” I waited for his consent, but he did not say no nor said yes but kept looking at me. I slowly took out my camera and clicked two pictures. He looked at the camera without shifting his gaze or position. “Do you want a ride? 100 bucks for 10 minutes”. he said. I said, “I don’t ride animals.” But before I could complete my sentences, he uttered, “50 rupees then for clicking pictures”. This photo is one of my favorite photos from the Cool Photos collection.
Sometimes a small word becomes the reason for your happiness. And one such is “Holiday”. And if that holiday destination is Goa, then the happiness increases a lot more. This picture was taken on a day when I had the happiest and most exciting day on my birthday. This happiness I still remember.
I believe and I feel sometimes a day is designed just for me. This picture is very close to my heart. This one day I just did nothing. On this day in Himachal Pradesh, I canceled all my plans of going out. I sat on the roof of my hostel with Bagiraa ( the hostel dog). The joy of doing nothing, makes me think again and again when I see this picture. I miss that day.
Nagaland people are very photogenic. As I was walking around theHornbill Festivalin 2018, suddenly some Naga people came to me and said let’s take a selfie. And this is the selfie. Also many more cool photos I have with them. After clicking, I transferred this picture to everyone through WhatsApp while enjoying drinking naga bamboo tea with them. This photograph really touched my heart.
“Drink heavily with locals whenever possible” This caption is perfect for this picture. This photo was taken during the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. Suddenly connecting with new people and becoming friends with them. That day is still very special to me. And this picture still doesn’t let me miss my excitement of that day.
Hello Human
Hello Human
In Hampi, we met a cute monkey. He very quietly came and sat on my neck, took pictures, and left. Honestly, This is the story of these cool photos.
The Poser
The Poser
On the way to Sikkim Nathula Pass, our car stopped for a tea break. My friend clicked some pictures of me at that time. Suddenly the dog came in front of the camera and sat on my lap. And in that picture, that moment has been captured. I just love the picture.
The Goddess
The Goddess
In the Sonajhuri forest( Shantiniketan) I met the little goddess. She is an artist. She roam around in God’s outfit, and makeup and blessed everyone. I requested her to stay with me for the rest of the day. It is hard to find God and when the almighty is seen then who wants to leave her. By the way, her name is Pinky.
Sometimes your locality restores surprises for you. You just need an open eye and mind to see those. This wall graffiti near my home (Kolkata) surprised me with joy. Sitting on a cycle and playing with an art dog makes me feel silly. This photo always reminds me to keep alive my inner child.
I have many such cool photos with short stories. In my next blog, I would post some more for you guys.
Please let me know in the comment box which one you like most.
Nagaland is all set to host the 22nd annual Hornbill Festival 2021. Hornbill Festival held in Nagaland Kisama heritage village from December 1 to 10. The festival was virtually organized last year because of the pandemic. Hornbill is one of the most colorful tribal entertaining events in the country.
The festival has been showcasing the tribal culture and traditions of Nagaland for over two decades. The 22nd edition of the cultural extravaganza this year will include 17 different tribes from Nagaland and will feature music, dance, sports, food, martial arts, folk art, walkathon, mountain biking, CrossFit challenge, car rally, wrestling, and local handicrafts. Nagaland is the destination of colors, rituals, and equally festivals. The most prominent iconic festival is the Hornbill festival. The festival is named after the forest bird hornbill; which are a cultural icon of the Naga people and part of the folklore of the various tribes of the state. During the Hornbill Festival, various tribal in Nagaland held their own festivals which extremely portray their rich culture. Naga People’s lifestyle can be seen through this festival. The festival’s 2021 edition comprises around 700 separate events.
Dimapur is the only airport in Nagaland, with a direct flight to Kolkata. For those coming by air, this is the entry point. There are government buses and private taxis from Dimapur to Kohima. You can also get a shared taxi from Dimapur station to Kohima for around 400 INR. There are also several night buses from Guwahati and Shillong which reach Dimapur and Kohima in the morning.
Kisama Heritage village is 12 km from Kohima. Taxi fare will be 200 approx.
Please Note share taxi and Bus from Dimapur to Kohima last time is 3 pm
Carry a full-vaccination certificate. otherwise, you will have to undertake an RT-PCR test at the point of entry. No testing for children below 12 years of age, if accompanied by a parent, guardian. Carry a COVID negative test report (RT-PCR/TRUENAAT/CBNAAT), undertaken not more than 72 hours before the journey, in case not fully vaccinated. This applies to those aged between 12 to 18 years.
Apart from the COVID regulations, Indians need an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to enter Nagaland. Indian can get it simply Online.
Foreigners will need to register with the Foreigner’s Registration Office (FRO) of the district they visit or the nearest police station, within 24 hours of their arrival.
In this new world, people always try to stay healthy. As being healthy means long life, people all over the world believe this mantra. The life expectancy of an Indian is 69.27, and Americans are 78.54. There are five places in the world where people live extraordinary longevity. They lead their simple busy life as well with a healthful diet. And they believe living naturally means they don’t have mechanical conveniences.
According to World Scientists, they have searched five Blue Zones in the world. Blue Zones are regions of the world where more people live longer than the average. The key to increasing life expectancy in all these Blue Zones is diet, regular exercise, strong social ties, and finding a purpose in life. The five Blue Zones in the world are- Okinawa Island In japan, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Loma Linda in California, and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.
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Okinawa, Japan
Okinawa is the largest of the Ryukyu island located on the coast of Japan. This island in Okinawa is famous in Japan for its extraordinary longevity the people. There are 24.55 people over the age of 100 for every 100,000 inhabitants. It is higher than the global average. A unique traditional diet and also a simple lifestyle are giving these people some lifespans. The Okinawans eat a diet rich in vegetables and tofu served on a small plate.
As per their tradition, their diet contains 30 percent green and yellow vegetables. Although the Japanese diet includes a large quantity of rice, Okinawa people consume less rice. But like other Japanese, they like the purple-fleshed Okinawan sweet potato. But unlike Japanese tradition, their diet has only 30 percent of sugar and 15 percent of grains. Their philosophy of joy meaning is the bonding between them. Living happily together with everyone plays an integral part in their longevity.
Ikaria, this island in Greece, earned the nickname- The Island Of Long Life. One in three people living on the island lives to be over 90 years old. According to health experts, a healthy diet and an active lifestyle is the key to a long life on this beautiful island. There is another reason for their longevity, people here do what they love to do every day as a passion, and they avoid unnecessary anxiety.
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Sardinia, Italy
Sardinia in Italy is the place for the world longest living men. The inhabitants of this region are culturally isolated from other cities in Italy. They maintained a very traditional, healthy lifestyle. Sardinian people consume plenty of vegetables and also fresh catches fish. They are always close with family and friends and drink one or two glasses of wine almost every day. The unitary nature of such communities in Okinawa, Japan, is another reason directly related to longevity.
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Loma Linda, California
The people of Loma Linda, California, are the longest-living people in the United States. The group of about 9000 Seventh-day Adventists in Lomba Linda live about ten times longer than Americans. The average life expectancy here is 89 for men and 91 for women. Here the average lifespan is much higher than in other American cities. They believed health is the center of faith, and they have strict rules about their diet, exercise, and rest. The people here typically avoid eating meat and dairy products. Seventh-day Adventists are pure vegetarians and follow the ‘Biblical Diet”. ( Bible Diet is a health plan given by God that delivers all the necessary nutrients we need to live the most abundant life possible).
There are seven agricultural products listed in the Bible. These are called the Seven Species: wheat, barley, figs, grapes, olives, pomegranates, and dates (Deut 8:8). The Bible often describes the land of Israel as a land “flowing with milk and honey”.
The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica is the happiest place in Central America. Most Costa Ricans are very healthy here. The number of men over the age of 100 is much higher. The reason for their longevity and happiness is a high level of life satisfaction. The main reason for the longevity of the people of Nicoya Peninsula is that they are very active in their daily life. They maintain a healthy lifestyle and also eat very little throughout the day. And they do not eat any processed food at all. They like to hang out with their family and friends all the time. And being happy with everyone increases their life expectancy.
One of my favorite parts about traveling is meeting new people or friends. I would love to say that stranger thing! I prefer to mingle with people than visit historic monuments. No matter how much we travel alone, we get connected with some people somewhere during that journey. Meeting someone for the first time is very exciting for me. And my personal travel experiences taught me that strangers are much more helpful and polite. As we travel, we see changes in the environment, culture, and people in different places. And we will never know about their culture and tradition unless we mix with them.
I have made great connections with different people at different times in different places, including Nagaland,Pondicherry, Sikkim, and Assam, on my nearly one-and-a-half-year journey. Later I may not have had any direct contact with them, but I still feel that emotion when we met first. I can meet you on my next travel?
One afternoon I was waiting at the bus stand in Guwahati to catch a bus to Jorhat at night. Due to travel, I was exhausted, and I fell asleep. The shop where I came to have tea was owned by an Assamese woman. She offered me a cup of tea with some warm concern “did not you sleep last night? Please have it, we will feel better”. More than the tea, her kind words charged me up. Then I told her my travel details, she kept quiet and said “do you want to sleep? There is a room next to my shop where you sleep and rest”. Before I would say yes or no, she told me “don’t worry, it is a clean bed”. I wanted to sleep so I took the offer. When I woke up after two or three hours, she smiled and made me a very good evening snack. She asked me to wait there until my bus arrives. I thanked her, paid for my meal, and headed toward my bus. But she stopped me. She handed me a small packet. The kind woman said “it is your dinner with bread and vegetables.
It’s a simple incident. When I reached Majuli Island in the morning, I needed to go to the toilet badly. I asked some people about the location of the washroom. They showed me a place, but I could not go with my heavy backpack. They were strangers to me, and my bags were stranger things to them. But still, I had no option but to believe them at that moment. In there, I was worried about my backpack, as it had all my important documents and money. I regretted my decision, but when I came out, I found them guarding my belongings. I was so relaxed. They ordered tea for me. It seems that believing in people might be a little difficult, but sometimes we have no choice but to trust strangers, who might give us a lifetime memory to cherish.
Facebook Friend In Jorhat
Social media friend Dipak at Jorhat
In Jorhat, I met my social media friend. When I was in Nagaland through my Facebook profile I got connected with some locals from Jorhat. I had a conversation with a gentleman named Deepak. He lived with his family in Jorhat. Deepak assured me that he would arrange an auto for me from the Jorhat bus stand to Majuli ferry ghat. Early morning I reached the Jorhat bus stand, Deepak called at the same time as the bus arrived. And I saw him waiting for me in an auto-rickshaw. He came to pick me up because his auto driver was late for the day. By profession, he was the staff of a government school there. Deepak gave me a lot of information about Jorhat. We had breakfast together and he dropped me off at the ferry ghat to go to Majuli. I have very little time with Deepak but unforgettable.
The world is full of good people. And in Nagaland, the fact was no different. Before traveling to Nagaland, many people warned me about Nagaland. Their culture, eating, and drinking habit does not match with people like us. But the experience that I had is completely different. In Nagaland, I spent time with a beautiful Naga family. And their whole family helped me tremendously to get around Nagaland and took care of my other things.
As I was touring the Hornbill Festival, I met some young Naga people. And in a short time, they became very close friends. We went out together, sang songs and ate different foods. For the remaining four days I stayed with those new friends at their home in Kohima. They gave me tours in their car to different places in Nagaland. In my last 4 days in Nagaland, they never let me feel that I am not in my own house. And the warmest thing was that they cooked various famous dishes of Nagaland in their home and fed me.
Solo Travel is always fantastic when you meet strangers on your way. The fastest way to make a friend for life is to travel with a stranger. And these things it’s called stranger things.
Yoga is the union of body, mind and spirit. And thus, it connects the individual to the universal. It’s about realizing the connection between the finite and the infinite, manifest and the unmanifest. This practice is bringing harmony in Thought, Word and Deed. Rigveda is one among the foremost sacred, and therefore, the oldest books of human history. It’s about eight to ten thousand years old, and it may be a part of this sacred writing. Maharishi Patanjali considered being the authority on yoga propounded, nearly 5000 years ago in ancient India. Lord Krishna and plenty of saints of India have also spoken about yoga. In the middle ages, the practice was confined only to the Royal family. And therefore, the scholarly class taught to students in gurukuls after passing a rigorous test. Bhagavad-Gita says ” Yogaha Karmasukaushalam” meaning yoga is skill in action and expression.
The beginnings of yoga date back to the Indus Saraswati Valley civilization 5000 years ago. And it was first discovered
mentioned in the Vedas. More coded and organized. When Patanjali established his knowledge of this technic when he composed the Yoga Sutras around 400 AD, it was forgotten until the recovery of Swami Vivekananda in the late 1860s. Although Patanjali’s practice was aimed at attaining samadhi or knowledge, the rituals that came many centuries after his writings were meant to engage physically and mentally and enhance the living experience.
In 1893, when Swami Vivekananda travelled to Chicago to address the Parliament of the World Religions, he became interested in yoga by drawing attention to the practice. After that, this practice has gained a different dimension around the world. While the practice was accepted with arms wide open throughout the world.
The rise started with the two Indian celebrated yogis, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and Sivananda. They established Hatha Yoga, the modern form of the practice that we know today. Krishnamacharya’s Mysore School of Hatha Yoga gave the world three leading yogis-B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar and K. Pattabhi Jois, men who have been responsible for the global ubiquity of yoga.
The virtues of yoga practice are slowly spreading all over the world. The fascination began in the 1940s, thanks to the efforts of Indra Devi or Eugenie Peterson. Peterson was an actor before she came in contact with Krishnamacharya and became one of his disciples-the first woman and foreigner to get the opportunity. After training for several years as his disciple, Devi travelled with the gospel of yoga to China and then to Hollywood. Indra Devi Often called the ‘First Lady of Yoga. Devi went where many others didn’t and attracted the West to this ancient practice by restructuring it to appeal to Western sensibilities.
Indra Devi (google Image)
The Significance Of June 21-International Yoga Day
June 21st, the day of uninterrupted summer, transforms the passage of the sun into the sky from north to south. The yogi and mystic, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, explains: “In yogic lore, the first transmission of yoga by Shiva. And the Adiyogi, to his seven disciples, the Saptarishis, said to initiated on the first full moon after the summer solstice, which celebrated as Guru Purnima. This period, known as Dakshinayana, hailed as the phase when there is natural support for those pursuing spiritual practices.
The Journey Of The Kalash People – Picture Source By Google Image
For centuries, the Kalash People lived in a remote mountainous region which now spreads contiguously across Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, Kalash people who lived in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan carried on the legacy through their centuries journey. The natural beauty of this region is almost isolated from the earth.
The people, known as Kalash. They are said to have descended from soldiers of the army of Alexander the Great who traveled this way in 324 BCE. The animist Kalash is outwardly different from the darker-skinned Pakistani Muslims who live in the lowlands below them. Today, they form the smallest of Pakistan’s minority ethnic groups (numbering between 3,000 to 4,000 people) and can be found in three valleys: Bumburet, Rumor, and Birir. The Kalash language is said to be part of the Dardic group of Indo-Aryan languages. They have held their ancient Culture and story.
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Who Is These Kalash people
They say their ancestors came from Greece. There is a lot of evidence of it in the history of their journey. According to historians, Alexander the Great conquered the mountains of northern Pakistan 2,000 years ago, where the Kalash now lives. The people of Kalash have also been living here for almost two thousand years. There is no resemblance between Arabic and Urdu, the language spoken by the people of the Kalash tribe, which belongs to the Indo-Iranian language. According to Kalash people said that Alexander came to India even before Islam. Some of his comrades remained when he returned to Greece after winning the war. They like the natural beauty of Hindu Kush. Married local women. The infidel Kalash of Hindu Kush are their descendants. And such a cultural mix has happened.
The New York Times found that the Kalash people’s DNA seems to indicate that they had an infusion of European blood during a “mixing event” at roughly the time of Alexander’s conquests. These isolated people are thus most likely the direct descendants of the ancient Greek-Macedonian armies who set up outposts in this region 2,300 years ago.
The Kalash people kept their pagan rituals and worshipped their ancient gods in outdoor temples, despite the fact that most Pakistanis converted to Islam throughout the decades. Most importantly, they produced wine much like the Greeks of antiquity did. This is a Muslim country that forbade alcohol.
They cultivate on the slopes of the hills for their livelihood. They enjoy a very colorful culture. Full of dance, song, and entertainment. Earlier, the people followed a simple life, mostly dependent on agriculture and cattle rearing. Buckwheat and other crops were grown in the river valleys. The food is prepared in wood-fired ovens. They followed a nature-oriented faith. which later some researchers equated with the animistic form of worship while others found similarities with ancient Hindu concepts.
The customs of the Kalashas are very strange. One of them that has been much discussed is the custom of sending menstruating as well as pregnant women to the ‘Bashaleni’, a dorm-style building far from the main village. It is frequently referred to as oppression by modern cultural interpreters. But according to Kalash people, it is the women who handle the bulk of everyday work; so they need the time out.
The Kalash follow various social customs and rituals. When a boy goes from adolescence to youth, the boy is sent to the high mountains with sheep for the whole summer. When he survives and comes back to the village, Badulak festival is happing. During this festival, he will stay for one day, with any married, unmarried, or virgin girl in the village. For this, if anyone is pregnant, everyone in the village will consider it a blessing.
Barbara West, a professor of anthropology at the University of Rochester. He says in the Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania that “Kalash religion is a form of Hinduism that recognizes many gods and spirits” and that “given their Indo-Aryan language … the religion of The Kalasha is much more closely aligned the Hinduism of their Indian neighbors.
There are three main religious festivals of Kalash. In May, ‘Chilam Joshi’ is ‘Uchau’ in autumn, and in mid-winter, the best festival is ‘Kaumus’. During this festival, they create human chains around the whole village. The priest of the temple spread the leaves of the juniper tree on the devotees like leather. At the end of the day, everyone dances and eats in a place called ‘Charso’ in the middle of the village.
The Kalas believe that at this time their most revered deity is ‘Baloman’ or they go around the valley and listen to everyone’s prayers. So big fires and torches are lit in the mountains to pay homage to the deity. Then they play the flute around the fire, play drums made of pinewood, clap their hands, and dance in circles.
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Journey Of Modern Lifestyle
Numerous Kalash men and women in Nuristan, Afghanistan, have been forced to convert by the Taliban. But the Pakistani Kalash people are still fighting to preserve the tradition they have held for thousands of years. For decades, in their long journey, they are trying to hold on to their ancient culture. The traditions continue even today but have been much influenced by the incursions of modern lifestyle as motorable roads (rough and dusty) have made the remote villages accessible. Shops have opened in the valleys which provide meat and other food items, consumer products, etc. Electrification has made televisions, mobile phones, and computers accessible.
Even though the Kalash people and their culture, change slowly over time. The elderly keepers are worried about the advent of modern lifestyles and the younger generation’s proximity to the Islamic lifestyle. A leader of the Kalash, Saifullah Jan, has stated, “If any Kalash converts to Islam, they cannot live among us anymore. We keep our identity strong.” About three thousand have converted to Islam or are descendants of converts, yet still, live nearby in the Kalash villages and maintain their language and many aspects of their ancient culture.
Tourism has also made inroads into the Kalash villages. Unless hindered by political situations, tourists take a long journey to arrive in spring and summer to see the rugged breathtaking beauty of the region and the unique culture of the Kalash people. The villagers too look upon tourism as a way of earning and have set up homestays and hotels, and shops selling local handicrafts. One of the best occasions to visit the Kalash villages is during their colorful festivals.
Coorg people or Kodavas are a well-known martial community in Karnataka. And they are the only community in India that can keep a gun without a license. Kodavas are a martial race and have been bearing arms for 300 years. They still worship weapons and consider them sacred. They obtained licenses for firearms such as pistols, revolvers, and double-barrelled shotguns.
So why do the Kodavas have special rights? Actually not just the Kodavas even original residents of Coorg who have jamma land (land granted by the king). So the people of Coorg (Kodavas, Coorg Gowdas, and other communities as well who have been granted land by the maharajas) have an exemption from certain sections of the arms act. So it was a simple system – take land for free and don’t pay property tax on it, but when the king needs you, come with your army to assist the king. They always had to be ready with weapons if ever there was a call from the king. For this, you were allowed to keep weapons and practice during peacetime. If you decided you don’t want to fight a war, you had to pay taxes on the land you Owned.
Kodavas Guns Tradition (Google Image)
British Era Rule
The Kodavas have been exempted from the Indian Arms Act right from the time it was introduced by the British in 1834. The British made an exception for this tribe in appreciation of their valiant support to them in their fight against Tipu Sultan. Of the 3.8 lakh people living in Kodagu, almost every family possesses a gun, some even ten. The only regulation is that the Kodavas should obtain an exemption certificate from the Government, which gives them the right to possess any gun without a license.
Another story is that Kodavas allied themselves with the British against the mighty Muslim warrior Tippu Sultan. So they were allowed to own and carry arms. Which was strictly prohibited at that time in other parts of India. Indian Government has decided to continue a British-era rule of exempting the Kodavas of Coorg.
There has been a very close relationship between the Kodavas and his gun. When there is a boy born into the family a single shot is fired in the air. During the funeral, gunshots are used as a mark of respect. During a housewarming ceremony, the tradition is to carry a baby in a cradle, a lamp and the man of the house carries a gun. On completion of all the rituals, a gun is fired to mark the completion of the ceremony. Kodava mainly lives in a hilly area and their house is far away from each other’s house. They make gunshots in the sky when there is an emergency. And hearing that sound, other people ran towards the house for help.
Kalipodh Festival (Google Image)
Kailpodh Festival
The word Kailpodh means a festival of armor or weapons. “Kail” means armory/weapon and “Podh” means festivals.
They place their traditional weapons like guns, swords, knives, spears, bows, and arrows in the prayer room. They decorate the weapons with flowers and they pray to their God, asking for the well-being of their crops and to give them the strength to protect them from wild animals. This is the significance of Kailpodh. Getting everyone together is one of the main objectives of this festival.
Travel brings surprises with a new trip. Travel teaches me how to earn people. I always get excited before traveling to a new place and rarely fall asleep the night before. Before my trip to Nagaland, I got to hear a lot about the place from known and unknown people. Those were so full of predictions and hallucinations that a normal person would drop the idea of visiting Nagaland. But when I finally reached Nagaland, I was overwhelmed to see the Naga people’s hospitality.
During a trip, we get to mingle with locals which is vital too. And once we get to mix with them, their culture, their life becomes much easier for us to understand. During my Nagaland trip, I get in touch with some Nagas. We gel very easily, which smoothen my way to understand their culture. I have a lot of stories in this regard, all in all, this blog will not end in one page, it may become a little book. The story I will share here has changed my whole thought about Nagaland and its people.
Hornbill Festival is one of the biggest tribe festivals in Nagaland. More than two lakh people from all over the world come here every year to attend this festival. The main purpose of this festival is to showcase the culture of the sixteen tribes of Nagaland to the whole world through the carnival. And I meet here some local people who are my age. I get a lot of information about Naga culture, Naga food, and their daily life from them. They tell me about some authentic naga food and for my first-time experience, they order some of the items too. And no one allows me to pay the bill. The reason for them is simple and straight, they can’t allow their guest to pay for anything.
Life is beautiful not because of the things we see or do. Life is beautiful because of the people we meet. The people of Nagaland have made me feel like family. After our lunch at the Hornbill Festival, they drive me to different places around Kisama village. It turns out to be a special evening for me in Nagaland. I remember the moment when they take me to a hill to have coffee. We sit for a long time there and sing Hindi movie songs with hot coffee. At that moment it feels like I am at home with my people. They all start forcing me to spend my rest days in Nagaland with them in their house and I can no longer stay at my guest house.
The next morning a car comes to pick me from my guest house. They talk to the guest house owner and pick me from there. For the next few days, I belong to a Kohima house. I don’t know the name of that place.
From morning to afternoon, we roam around various places in Nagaland. I taste a lot of authentic Naga food, which is not usually found in any restaurant, only made at Naga home. They never miss keeping my only request of one cup of tea in the morning. They request their Bengali neighbors for that tea. I don’t know how to say thank you to them. Every night we go to parties at hidden places in Nagaland. One night I pay our food bills secretly. But as they find out, they request me not to insult their culture. I feel ashamed. At that moment I don’t know what to say to them.
On the day of my return, they insist on driving me from Kohima to Dimapur. Kohima to Dimapur it’s around 4hr journey. I can’t let that happen. And somehow I manage to convince them. I already have my bus ticket from Kohima. I still remember when they come to see me off at the bus stand, we all group hugged. They say that next year too they will wait for me.
