'Sindhu Darshan' of River Indus.

‘Sênggê Zangbo’ means ‘Lion River’ in Tibetan.

‘Abāsin’ means ‘Father of Rivers’ in Pashto.      

Both names are referring to the mighty River Indus or River Sindh – a trans-boundary River that originates in Tibet and flows through Pakistan (93%), India (5%) and China (2%).

Indus (3,180 kms), Brahmaputra (2900 kms) and Ganges (2525 kms) are the top 3 rivers of the 16 major rivers of the Himalayan River System in India. River Indus is world’s 21^st largest River in terms of annual flow being fed by glaciers and snow of the Himalayas.

River Indus has two main tributaries – Zanskar (in Ladakh with 2 tributaries – Doda & Lungnak) and Chenab (which flows from J&K to Punjab into 5 tributaries namely Chenab, Beas, Ravi, Sutlej and Jhelum).

River Indus is the very lifeline for millions of people in Tibet, China, Jammu & Kashmir; Punjab and Pakistan. River Indus drives the Economy of the countries especially of that of Pakistan and is the backbone of Industries such as Agriculture, Hydropower, Fisheries, River-Tourism and Transport. River-pilgrimage is central to Hindu Religion and culture all over the world.

The world-famous 'Chadar Trek' refers to a 10-day intensive trek on Zanskar - one of the 2 main tributaries of River Indus which entails trekking on 9-inch thick sheet of river through Zanskar Gorges for kilometres at 20, 000 feet altitude in -40 degrees Celsius.

The Indus Valley Civilization, the Rig Veda and the Greek King – Alexander the Great all throw evidence that River Indus has been around since ancient history, dating back to more than 5000 years. India has been named after this River Indus as River Indus was the cradle of Indian Civilization. No wonder then that this River Indus is revered, feared and worshipped in India.

‘Sindhu Darshan’ is a 3-day festival celebrated in honour of River Indus (also called River Sindh) from 1 – 3 June each year on the banks of River Indus (River Sindhu) at Shey Manla – 8 kms south of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir. The event basically heralds River Indus as an icon of National Integrity and Communal Harmony.  

A joint association of Ladakh Buddhist Association; Christian Moravian Church; Hindu Trust; Shia Majlis; Sunni Anjuman and Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee organize the ceremonies, rituals and programs on all 3 days of the festival. The celebrations include:

• A Prayer conducted on the river banks by 50 senior Buddhist Lamas.
• A sightseeing tour of River Indus and its environs plus a bonfire by the river.
• Cultural Programs performed by artists from various parts of the country.
• Puja of River Indus.
• Symbolic representation of mingling cultures – people from other parts of the country bring water from their respective rivers and pour into River Indus symbolizing unity in diversity.

If you’re planning a vacation to Leh / Ladakh in June then be there for the Sindhu Darshan festival when you can see people of multi-faith backgrounds converging at River Indus to pay respects to the River. You’re guaranteed to get some Kodak-moments here.

Pix courtesy Parallelozero, Nomadier, Thrillophili.

Hemis Festival in June 2012.

The largest Buddhist Institution in Ladakh – located in the highland town of Hemis at 11,000 feet altitude, 40 kms from Leh – the Hemis Monastery celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava in a grand and elaborate annual 2-day festival held in the Hemis Monastery on 29^th & 30^th of June this year.

The high-point of the Hemis Festival is the performance in the Monastery courtyard by the Lamas of the Monastery – a Mask Dance which depicts the victory of good over evil. The brightly coloured costumes and large multi-coloured masks constitute the performers’ attire during the Hemis Festival Dances performances which stretch for two days. The over-sized and grotesque masks are the main aspects of the slow and graceful dance. Few other Lamas provide the music for the Hemis Festival with percussion instruments such as the drums, cymbals and long trumpets.

Guru Padmasambhava is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is regarded as the second Buddha by the followers of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism since the 8^th Century. Guru Padmasambhava is the first one to have introduced ‘Tantric Buddhism’ to people.

During the 2-day pageant, a 30-foot high painting of Guru Padmasambhava is displayed centre-stage. Several other performances, religious ceremonies and discourses and exhibition of Buddhist relics are a part of the Hemis Festival which is not only attended by the Buddhists from all over Jammu & Kashmir, it is also attended by the non-Buddhist locals of Hemis and Leh.

Tourism & Tour operators design tours of Leh which include a visit to the Hemis Monastery and its adjoining Hemis National Park (India’s largest National Park) during the Hemis Festival as this is the best time of the year to see Hemis. You will also find the media and photographers from all over the world witnessing to cover this event. Visitors of Hemis stay at Leh which is at 40 kms and do a day trip to Hemis.

In the backdrop of the Ladakh Mountains that overlook the Hemis town, the Hemis Monastery with its multi-coloured splendour gives a fascinating appearance and experience.

Pix courtesy: James Gritz, Baiyu, vkiran_2000 @ flickr, wikipedia & ABOUT.

Amarnathji Yatra 2012.

The toughest Yatra of them all – the Amarnath Yatra – the Hindu Annual Pilgrimage of Lord ‘Shiva Linga’ is here, beckoning all the strong-willed on a spiritual journey all the way up to13,000 feet altitude to the 130-foot high Amarnath Cave where the ice Shiva Linga naturally forms every year. The Amarnath Cave is set amidst snowy Kashmiri mountains where the air loses its oxygen count at -5⁰ Celsius.

Amarnath Yatra is open for 37 days this year between 25 June and 2 August. Registrations – online and over the counter are open. On-spot registrations are also possible.

Visiting the Amarnath Cave is practically an adventure sport in itself as it entails strenuous trekking-trails through challenging rocky, verdant and snowy mountainous terrain and camping in the mountain wilderness. Involving 50 kilometres of near-vertical mountain-climb and spanning 4 days (one way) is this mother-of-all-Yatras for Hindus all over the world.

The base camps for this Yatra are Chandanwari and Baltal. Both these places are approached via Jammu. The routes being:

1.    Jammu > Pahalgam (315 kms from Jammu to Pahalgam) > Chandanwari > Pissu Top > Sheshnag > Panchtarni > Amarnath Cave – 50 kms from Chandanwari to the Holy Cave.

2.    Jammu > Udhampur > Patnitop > Kud > Ramban > Banihal > Qazigund > Anantnag > Srinagar > Baltal (414 kms from Jammu to Baltal) > Amarnath Cave – 14 kms from Baltal to the Holy Cave.

Pilgrims can also complete this Yatra in a shorter span by availing of the Helicopter rides which start at Pahalgam and at Baltal and back. Ponies are another alternative for people who can’t walk or fly in Helicopters.

6, 34,000 people from all over India and the world visited Amarnath Yatra in 2011 – the highest ever!

Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department along with the Bhole Bhandari Charitable Trust are gearing up for more visitors in 2012. Registration Counters have been increased from 149 to 274 counter and additional tent-accommodation facilities are underway – being freely offered by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department, Bhole Bhandari Charitable Trust and many other non-Government Charitable Organizations. Helicopter fare from Pahalgam and Baltal to Amarnath Cave has been slashed by 40% in order to make it more convenient for aged pilgrims who are daring this Yatra these days. Security has been revved up along the route to make it naturally safe for the pilgrims.

The one thing that is reiterated as mandatory by the Shrine Board is a fitness test and a medical certificate issued by Registered Medical Practitioner for the pilgrim, without which, the pilgrim is not allowed on the Yatra as 107 pilgrims lost their lives due to Cardiac arrest on Amarnath Yatra in 2011 and the Shrine Board is concerned for the safety of the pilgrims. So, take this seriously people.

Besides the Darshan of the Shiva Linga in Amarnath Cave, the amazing aspect of this Yatra is the route to the Holy Amarnath Cave which is awesome and overwhelming and gives a sample of the glorious Kashmir terrain. And reciting what my colleague recently taught me - Bol Har Har Mahadev!

Pix courtesy Wikipedia & Amarnathjiyatra.

Mother's Day - the day of the Juggler !

That day of ‘Saluting your Mom’ is here people and I hope you’re all set to make it ‘special’ for her. With just a couple of days to count down to Mother’s Day this weekend, take your hand off the panic button and breathe, as this pointer aims at giving you not just directions but also the ‘soul of celebrating’ Mother’s Day.

First let’s define ‘special’ before we decide on how to make it special for your mom. A popular survey conducted last year among moms asking them what they wanted for Mother’s Day revealed startling facts about how moms define the words ‘special day’. Here are excerpts:

§  Majority wanted an ‘NQA Day’ – a ‘no-questions-asked-day’. They just wanted to be left to themselves where they do their own thing without having to check with family first or give explanations later. When asked what they would do in that time, a big chunk of them said they wanted to stay in bed all morning and have breakfast in bed; get a facial, manicure, pedicure, and massage done at a parlour; meet friends over lunch at a fancy restaurant; stroll in malls and do some mindless shopping; watch a movie of their choice; and quickly return home and cuddle-up in bed and read magazines and take a nap. Some even wished that their homes got sorted and tidied-up before they returned home. Get the idea? The ladies want rest.

§  Some moms just wanted to be relieved of their glorified life-long careers of the ‘CEO of the household’ for a day: which meant no waking up at dawn and cooking for the whole family; no setting the ball rolling for everyone in the house early morning; no decisions to be made regarding what food to be cooked or what chores to done for the day; no packing your lunch; no dropping-off kids or grand kids at school; no entertaining your guests by cooking ‘maa ke haath ka mazedaar khaana’; no watering the plants and walking your dogs which she didn’t want in the first place. Basically, she wants ‘Time-Out’ from the daily grind.

§  Many moms wanted to be treated like a Queen. They wanted to be pampered and be made the centre of all your family’s attention for the day. They wanted to be hugged and spoken to. They wanted gifts, gift-coupons, flowers, chauffeur-driven car for the day, some spending-cash, lunch with friends and dinner with family – both in plush 5-star hotels. These ladies have got style.

§  Few moms wanted quality family-time - with all cell-phones off! Family meets at the end of the day in the living room; laze around talking about everything; browsing through photos shot recently when on a vacation or on a business-holiday; discuss important decisions to be taken collectively as a family; eat some nice home-delivered food; take photos together; invite close friends and relatives. Some moms also wanted their siblings and parents invited to the home-dinner. Craving for quality family-time says there isn’t enough of it right now. So get the drift.

§  And some said – and this is interesting – they wanted to do something different and be someplace different. They are talking different latitudes people.

Nett nett….your mom has a mind and choice of her own. On this day, let her have her way.

You can now fairly figure-out your mom and make a fairly good decision as to - what to gift your mom on Mother’s Day?

And as for moms who want to do something different and be someplace different – gift them the much-needed holiday. You could top it up with an extra ticket for her dearly beloved or her dear friend.

Here are a few suggestions:

1.    If your mom’s an adventure-seeker and has the knees and lungs for it then explore this.

       http://www.hoparoundindia.com/adventure-places-in-india.aspx

2.    If your mom would give an arm and a leg to visit her favourite Temple / Church / Mosque but just can’t get time or family to go with then check these options.

      http://www.hoparoundindia.com/religious-places-in-india.aspx

3.    If sea beaches and rivers excite her then this is where she ought to go.       http://www.hoparoundindia.com/water-gateways-in-india.aspx

4.    If she’s one with a green thumb and loves serenity and cool climate, this should be your pick.

       http://www.hoparoundindia.com/hill-stations-in-india.aspx

5.    If you want to surprise her with the real wildlife other than the ‘wildlife’ she feels she's got at home then….here you go.

      http://www.hoparoundindia.com/wild-life-in-india.aspx

6.    If she digs history and anthropology then send her here with a map and a spade.

       http://www.hoparoundindia.com/historical-places-in-india.aspx

7.    If your mom explicitly prides the national heritage all the time then plenty of options here.

       http://www.hoparoundindia.com/heritage-places-in-india.aspx

8.    If your mom seeks no-stress – no-plan simple relaxation outdoors then here are some options spreading across different types of landscapes and altitudes.

       http://www.hoparoundindia.com/picnic-in-india.aspx

So let’s get two things straight - the words ‘special day’ mean differently to different people. And your mom’s special day need not involve you or your family in it. And let’s be ok with that coz we’re in ALL of the rest of the days of the year.

The grand question here is – do we pack all the goodies in one day (which by the way lasts just 15 hours tops from day-break to her shut-eye time) or can we as a family take away few daily-tasks from her and clear out her calendar all year long and give some of her life back to her? She’s also got a life you know! Let’s help her live it up folks!

Cheers to Moms!