The trip

                              Me and my brother in Kullu valley

The trip

……………..

We were coming out of gate number of 2 of Vishwanath temple of Varanasi through the narrow lane towards Godhulia when I spotted Pyarelal going up the stairs of the popular Brown bread bakery. Here I must introduce Pyrelal, I met this colorful man on the way to Manali from Kulu in a dhaba. Me ,my brother Chandan and Verma had just visited a hydro plant and were having muli paratha lunch in that dhaba. 

                                  The Israeli in the dhaba

We noticed there were some foreigners in fatigue enjoying the typical Indian cuisine and one smart local fellow was with them. The foreigners left after lunch but that Indian guy stayed back. I was curious about the foreigners so I walked towards that Indian, he gave a welcoming smile and I sat down with him. He said his name was Pyarelal, I introduced myself.

“You people must be visitor here.” He said.

“yes, we came for some work.”

“I stay in Kulu but keep visiting Malana valley.”

“ You mean where there is hydro power plant?” I inquired.

“Yes, pretty near to that there is a valley where foreigners come for camping. I cater to their need of groceries.”

“ Why suddenly foreigners visit such an obscure valley?”

He smiled mysteriously and said,” High quality grass is grown there . Italian were first to arrive in the village in early 70s, in Malana,. In 70s cannabis was solely used for medicinal purpose for humans and as well as goats. Even the fibres of the plant was also used to make ropes and fabric, though Himalayan sadhus were the only one who knew the potential of this plant and smoked the intoxicant power to stimulate their consciousness. Italian when settled in camps near the valley soon discovered the potential of the plant, and the first who taught villagers to rub the plant and churn it into 10 times more potent hashish or charas. The rest of Malana story is legend, now producing the most expensive and powerful charas in the world. –“

It was news for me and beyond my imagination.

I got interested and asked about those foreigners who were with him.

“Oh! Those were Israelis who are actually controlling the drug trade in this area operating from Kasol.By the way Kasol is often called Mini Israel. But then because of cannabis hippies from all over the world come to this valley.You will be surprised to know that currencies of all first world countries are traded here. The trade is done in dollar term.”

I was totally flummoxed by that piece of information. He gave lots of information about the scenic valley with back packers camping there.

Thus I came in contact with Pyarelal.

                                   Brown Bread Bakery in Viswanath temple lane

I asked my wife to go back to hotel and followed Pyarelal to Brown Bread Bakery in that narrow lane. This bar is in the second floor. I spotted Pyarelal in a corner table  with some foreign tourists. Seeing me he gave a big smile and invited me to sit with his group. He spoke to them in some foreign language and introduced me. I said “Hello” to them.

“Which country do you guys belong?”

“We are from Spain.” In halting English one of them replied.

“ How come you are here? Is it do with cannabis or what?” I mischievously asked Pyarelal in Hindi.

“Yes, something like that.” He winked at me.

                                      Assighat

We spent sometimes there ,it was getting dark , he invited me to accompany them to Assighat. I have noticed most of the low end tourists stay in various lodges around Assighat. That place also has many restaurants serving foreign tourists from nations like Spain,Italy, China, Japan etc. We went to one of the lodges along Ganges. I came across so many back packers there. We walked into a big room where already a mix group of male female back packers were there. I could smell hashish or cannabis, hear a very soft raga on sitar in the dim light. All were sitting on the floor. It was dreamy ambience, in my bachelor days I had a few drag of charas with my friend Thampi in Indian Oil,Barauni. I was a bit hesitant but Pyarelal held my hand gave a reassuring squeeze. In typical Indian style we sat down by occupying one of the walls as backrest and waved at the group in general. As Pyrelal was known to them so I was readily accepted. A chillum was getting passed from hand to hand. I was already high after visiting temple and meeting Pyarelal unexpectedly. My turn came and I took a cautious half lungful drag. There was no effect only my throat became dry, i coughed. In the meanwhile Pyarelal was expertly handling the chillum. Another chillum came to me, too many chillums were in circulation. It went on and lost count of drags I took, I was feeling light. Pyrelal in the meantime was busy in talking with a young girl.

I did not know when I got up and walked out.I was standing in the balcony, the freezing wind from Ganges was hitting my face. I was feeling light as though weightless, I was in a very happy mood.  A shadowy figure approached me, the posture looked familiar. I was shocked ,I was looking at younger me. I looked closely , it was me of Barauni when I was weighing less than 65 kg.

“How are you?” younger me asked.

“I am fine .” I stammered.

“What have you done to my body? You added more than 20 kgs  of weight and 10 inches in the waistline. Grey falling hair is understandable. Have you stopped playing games , you have fallen in the trap of change of life style.” My younger self admonished me.

“ Yes I know I have gain weight and struggling to reduce.” I said lamely.

I was happy to see me of 1969 or so, in that drain pipe pant and a woolen jacket of that era. I thought I must be hallucinating, “ You are not real, it is trick of my mind playing with me. How is it possible?”

“Why I am with you always,true it is all in the mind , there is a switch and you have to select the happy moment of your life. Today unknowingly you chose your Barauni  bachelor days as you consider those as your happiest moments in your adult life also you were introduced to charas then. This selection was not in your hand. It was that grass which you inhaled decided for you.”

“True,left to me I would have chosen those happy school days with my parents in Delhi. No responsibility excepting passing exams.”

“Well you will get chance for that too but not tonight. You better leave this place and head for hotel.Come I will leave you to hotel.”

Both of us got down and took an auto for the hotel. I felt sleepy but the younger me was holding me steady. The auto driver was suspiciously looking back when we were talking.

I paid the auto driver, he held me and helped to the elevator. We reached our floor and knocked on the door of my hotel room.

My wife opened the door, she looked baffled at both of us. Younger me said,” Don’t worry he is alright.”

“Yes I am alright but feeling sleepy.”

“Let me help you to change.” Both of us together struggled to change my cloth. I dived to bed and asked him to join me. He joined me without a word and snugly held me in the bed.

 I suddenly woke up and found my wife putting water on my face, it was morning.

“Hey hey what are doing?”

“You were making some strange noise and calling out your own nick name repeatedly. Are you alright?”

“Yes I am.” I said guiltily then started looking for him in the bed.

“What are you searching? Last night you behaved strangely, you were talking in two voices.” Worriedly she said.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes I am fine now, last night i had a few drinks more than my regular quota.”

I did not tell her about my last night’s indulgence with drug and meeting my younger self.

Thank God that I had a good trip after smoking the grass, it could have been worse.
                                                                         

Younger me and now me.

I keep visiting Varanasi

I keep visiting Varanasi, yes i have been doing that for the last 3 years. I made 4 back to back visits but sill as though i have not seen all or sometimes i feel as though i did not get what i was searching for so i have to make another visit.

There is compulsory walk of about 1.5 kms to reach Dashashwamedh ghat from Godhulia as no conveyance is allowed in that stretch. Many a times we have taken narrow parallel lanes to reach the ghat to avoid heavy crowd. Varanasi has labyrinths of lanes,one can reach from point A to point B through the narrow lanes without touching the motor-able roads. Mostly these lanes are 4 to 5 ft wide. Almost all the lanes get sun ray for a few minutes when orbiting sun takes a position bang along the lanes.One has to have guide to take walk in these complex intertwining lanes. One has to jostle for space with bulls,cows,motor bikes, funeral procession,shoppers etc. I always go prepared to walk in lanes with walking shoes, my wife reluctantly follows me. 

All those music teachers,scholars,dance schools, Banarsi saree factories, pan walas, rabdi walas , international cafes all are in these lanes.Mandir,majhar,mosque,jain temple you name it all are in the lanes. If one does not walk the lanes then he or she has not seen Varanasi from the close quarter. I have seen foreign tourists and backpackers walking in the lanes with Lonely Planet book as guide. Don't be surprise if you find restaurants selling Japanese,Thai,Italian, Spanish foods in those narrow lanes. The most surprising thing i noticed are the foreign language skills of those half literate guides. In every visit i do check with foreigners whether those young Banarsi fellows speaking their language or not. Always the answer was yes. It's just amazing.

 I will do more research on Varanasi lanes in my next visit.

In Varanasi either you take cycle ricksaw or a Auto ricksaw to commute in those crowded streets. Cars can't negotiate the unruly roads.

But be prepared for the unexpected.

One is not allowed to take pictures inside those revered temples.

Kaal Vairav

                                                                      Sankatmochan, a temple of Hanuman

Ganges

Yes, this Holy river is the main attraction not only for Hindus but for all religions,  tourists from all over the world throng here. Ganges is Uttarmukhi in Kashi or Varanasi....all .the major rivers flows from North and drains in sea by flowing towards South but here Ganges flows from Soth towards North ...Irrespective of season this Holy river has a mystical power of drawing people. 

 To die here in his city on the banks of the holy river is to achieve moksha, liberation from the cycle of life and death. Death is not hidden in India. It is part of life, and one reason why you find cremation grounds in the very center of Varanasi, and cremation ghats lining the river.

. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats  embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead.

                                                                                        

     I somehow keep on taking pictures of Ganges from every possible angles but still don't feel satisfied because it can not be captured in a picture frame. It is like time keeps on flowing and when i come next time i am a year older and there is discernible shift in my outlook, i rediscover Ganges in a different hue.

                                                                             

Ararti

I have been visiting Varanasi since 1981 when i was posted at Singrauli from BHEL for NTPC's Singrauli Super Thermal Popwer Station. Those days arati was not this glamorous, it was there but in low key. May be effect of globalization has touched this holy place too.

 

I have noticed the people of Varanasi have not changed much, the modernity have not touched their life style like any other metropolitan city. One gets priests of all ages. What surprises me most are the guides who are just ordinary people and have not attended any language class. They can speak Spanish, Japanese, French, Italian just any language without any formal training.  This time i asked this guide who was speaking French ," How did you pickup the language?'

"Bus yunhi boltey boltey." he said shyly.

Here is one conversation in Spanish which i recorded last year. A boatman speaking Spanish....amazing...hats off...

My discovery of Varanasi has not finished yet....har har Mahadev