Creatively Acting to Serve the world

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

Mahatma Gandhi

CAS is about how we develop ourselves as altruistic social individuals who learn from their activities and spread their acquired knowledge for the benefit of others. While we are exploring these values under IB there have been many people who have made this philosophy their life. One of them has to be M. K. Gandhi whose multifaceted life

Sewagram is a small village located in the outskirts of Wardha. It was established by the crown of Indian Freedom Struggle M.K. Gandhi. The aim behind such an establishment was to popularize the concept of an ideal self-sustaining village so that the majority of rural India can be motivated to elevate their standard of living. Gandhi was a man who thought on a global level and acted on a local level. This was perhaps one of the greatest reasons for him being called ‘Mahatma’ (great soul). Nevertheless, Gandhi never really acknowledged this epithet, he was much happier with his rather modest, fatherly nickname – ‘Bapu’. This loving paternal nature of Gandhi is reflected in this ashram situated in Sevagram called Bapu Kuti meaning Bapu’s hut. For me it was really intriguing to think that a rural settlement was set up with the thoughts of a global level. The true challenge I think was to extrapolate this knowledge and process it.

 

We paid a visit to this ashram on 14 November 2014. The place is a complex of huts of varying sizes with huge trees surrounding them. The campus, full of verdure, creates an eternal peace bestowing atmosphere.  These huts belong to Gandhi, his wife and his followers. Despite being inside one of these huts, one never feels the disconnection with nature; which one usually does in modern houses. It was really jaw dropping for me to rediscover something of this sort. Limitation of resources and the inability of the governments to generate enough funds is a global issue. Organisation such as the United Nations discuss this issue every year. The Sevagram appeared to give such an economical and wise solution that it made me wonder why we didn’t look into this before. I decided that I will tell more people about this so that more and more people are walked into this epiphany.

 

Action is a very appealing part of CAS. It is all about getting physically involved in activities which demand muscle work or are associated with recreation. For some of us the mere act of walking bare feet on the pebbly pathway was a lot of work. But in general however, just visiting the place and physically engaging in the surroundings is something which refreshes our mind with all the action involved. We were 9 students in total namely: Drishti, Urja, Kiran, Jaidev, Shafqat, Kaustubh, Shradha, Rucha and me. I am sure each one of us had a wonderful experience in their own way. Many of us had never been to such a place and in the course of exploring the place all of us inevitably learned something new.

I learned how to cultivate locally global thought in myself and others and realised the true concept of Sewagram. In addition personally, I was mesmerized by the calm peaceful atmosphere and inspired by the hardships, determination, and dedication of Bapu towards himself, his followers and the world. It was my last CAS activity and truly it turned out to summarise the whole of CAS philosophy. I became more humble and altruistic after visiting this place and was really thrilled by all the action which it concealed within it. It was undoubtedly one of the most memorable errands of my life.

Sailing the Skies

Ascend

Life spurts from water, perhaps that’s why it also sports with it too. Water sports therefore are of one of the most challenging and adventurous activities. Last time when I went undertook swimming as a long term CAS activities I had learned some wonderful things underwater. This time, I planned to explore what happens over it during my visit to Goa recently. It is dubbed as India’s most tourist oriented state and one of the most delightful vacation destinations. However, a perfect place to do all sorts of action and adventure was what it was to me.  During my jogs along the scenic coastline of the Arabian Sea I saw various water sports being organized. I was fascinated to undertake such an activity. I approached Joseph, one of the water sport organizer of Baga beach and asked him to be my supervisor. When he agreed I instantly asked my CAS coordinator Ms Vijayalaxmi Kanate for consent. I then decided to undertake parasailing. The activity was expected to account for approximately 4 action hours.

Parasailing is one of those sports which are a colossal challenge initially but a rewarding activity for whoever takes the challenge. The first big thing is to be ready to travel in a small boat deep into the sea, away from land, where the parasailing boat can function. For me, it was a thrilling experience (not the most thrilling as I was about to realise). The literally maneuvered vertically as it hit the waves. One needs to be physically strong and at the same time be confident to surpass such a situation. As we approached the parasailing boat I was startled by the mere anticipate of what was about to happen. I never did such a thing before and it definitely was a challenge for me. I thought that the first thing which was necessary was physical fitness. That is to say, a person who intended undertakes such an activity is required to be able to stand by the physical hardship it demands. Surprisingly however, I was amazed to see one of the participants attempt such a thing despite his hefty body and no prior experience. I became more aware about the sort of people there are in the world. At the same time I realised that I myself needed to keep my theoretical assumptions aside and look at the real world.

One of member of my team went first and I got to see how it actually feels like. To an extent I was a little afraid to go up in the air since I could see how dangerous it was if safely measures failed. I did frankly, feel like quitting the activity. But I wasn’t a time to back off, I wasn’t going to get this opportunity again and so I stood firm on my commitment and told Joseph I would go next.

Up in the air!

Descend

Joseph gave instructions to wear the harness and other safely gear and also informed me about the technique required to enjoyably perform this activity. A rope is tired to a harness worn by the person and he/she is left in to the open air. The act of going into and returning back is a little technical. But once you are in the air, the view and the experience is unparalleled. I wish I could take a camera up there with me. I cannot forget the time I spend up there. I had to ensure I stayed in the harness and gripped the ropes well because below me, what the entire world; long stretches of ocean and massive patches of land. Although it wasn’t that high, but as I stared down at our planet, flying singly in the air, I felt a sort of connection to it. It was a sort of connect we experience about our parents or elderly—a sense of responsibility. One of most important global issues is attaining a global perspective. Thinking of the entire earth and its residents as our home can undeniably revolve many problems. This fact is known to all of us but institutions only seldom succeed in inculcating this outlook in their candidates. Hanging in air, up there, I felt that the torrent of emotions which I generated from this experience made me realise my role as global citizen more than any other academic source. I strongly believe that just like me, anyone who engages in such and activity will, at least to some extent, develop a global outlook. It was a strange epiphany. I mean, it is true after all that some incidences or activities, such as this, provide solutions to the most complicated problems faced by the civilisation and yet we struggle to find it in books.

Parasailing as seen from a distance.  

After getting back, I did feel I had undertaken a challenging action activity but with it was a strong realization. I have stated to believe that the global citizen in us will only come to it bloom when we actually see the world we live in one, and something which belongs to us. If we can obtain this experience from activities such as parasailing, then there are more worth than any lecture addressing the same. 

Abhudaya: Helping the Sunrise

“For Every Child We Teach To Cherish Learning, A Universe Is Born.”
― D. Simone

Learning is one thing, cherishing what one learns and encouraging the willingness to learn is completely different. The latter is a very prominent issue across nations, cultures and societies of varying number. Evoking the curiosity of students can be seen as a latent global issue the world is facing. There will always be a certain percentage of learners but sadly, it makes up a minority. In order to encourage learning amongst masses one must employ appealing educational curriculums. The essence of such a curriculum is activity based learning –very much like IB. An important concern however is that such an educational system is not affordable to all.

Our welcome at AGVS

Mrs Bhagyashree  Deshpande is currently running a NGO funded school called Abhodaya Global Village School in the Khapa district of Saoner. This place, situated in the outskirts of Nagpur, provides primary education to the children of 9 surrounding villages at subsidized costs. The school was founded by Mrs Bhagyashree’s  father who a no less than a visionary. Our coordinator Ms Vijayalaxmi suggested us to take over the school for one day as a part of CAS activity. Since teaching at an elementary level is more impactful for child’s brain, we could all see the social benefit of encouraging active learning in students of grade nursery to 3^rd.  We contacted Mrs Deshpande to asked her if such an activity was palatable. She readily agreed to allow us in, however as I later realised during a conversation with her, it was majorly because of yet another global issue – lack of efficient teachers. In almost all developing countries appropriate teaching faculty is one of the most daunting scarcities. We, as IB learners were ready to accept this challenging opportunity by contributing our bit to this problem. In addition, I personally think that it is the moral responsibility of knowledgeable people – or people with relatively advanced knowledge – to educate those who aren’t as fortunate.

Therefore, we collaboratively discussed the schedule for a 6 hour long CAS activity which emphasized on Action since we agreed that lecturing the young minds might in effect discourage learning. 

When we first reached there each one of us was surprised to see the discipline which these kids maintained. Although there was no doubt that it was due to all presence of teachers but the respect and kindness they demonstrated was really awe-inspiring. All of them greeted us warmly and welcomed us whole heartedly. I was really motivated by this earnest nature of these kids. However, as I later realised this motivation was necessary to manage what awaited us.

The entire activity was challenging for each of us but perhaps most challenging for me since I took up grade 3 with most number of students. A throng of over 50 kids all in a room created a moment of bewilderment. I had to mentally prepare myself to confront them. I started with asking each of them their names (which I strived to remember till the end) as it allowed a first-hand one to one interaction with the kids I was going to spend the day with.

To commence our first session I asked them to move from the class, out into the natural surroundings. As they did so, I asked their teacher what they had learned hitherto. I started with asking them what they already knew so that they feel comfortable with me and I can mix up easily. After a small session of poetry and alphabet recitation – which ended up being a cacophony – I executed my plan to teach them about self-improvement and social conduct. I asked common things like when they sleep/wake up; what did they eat every day and at what time; how did they treat their friends and parents; and what their views on cleanliness were. Although at their age they could hardly understand the significance of these things but they did candidly answer my questions. I think it is better to let students discover what they are expected to learn than to dictate them. I discussed concepts like good habits; greeting manners; healthy diet; and cleanliness.

In the next session, we had a small story telling session which was really enjoyable. Following it was a colouring session. I asked the kid to recall how the bird depicted in the colouring sheet looked. What colour it had? While some correctly identified it to be a parrot the others set their imaginations free into the realms of creativity. The result was a bunch of colouring sheets with the same bird coloured is various vivid colours. As I was arranging them an idea stuck me, why not combine all of these into a beautiful mosaic wall hanging? So I pasted all of the arts works on a huge chart and nailed it in their class, not only as a display of their work but a memoir of this day they spent with me.

The following two sessions were focused of action. I had planned to conduct two main sports — football and dodge ball — and indulge in them myself. However, as it turned out, my plan didn’t work for football. Although all of them were extremely enthusiastic about football and also started off very well, they capricious minds and ever-changing mood turned the game into a melee after a while. It became difficult to manage them. Leashing the chaotic Brownian motion of kids made it even more physically engaging. Nevertheless, I stood committed to my responsibility and cooled them down without panicking.

In the next session I was prepared. I realised what could go wrong and so was ready to deal with it. I then made them play dodge ball and in doing so I asked them to be their own monitors. I also told them that they will only be able to enjoy if they play by the rules. But to make them play, I couldn’t be a thrived person spectator. I have to get physically involved in the game not just to show the how to play but to teach them how to enjoy it. We played for a long time till the conventional end of the game. I learned from this that in order to teach someone something you need to get involved in it yourself. A teacher cannot simply instruct, he must himself do what he tends to cultivate in students. It was a really memorable experience for me. I had played dodge ball when I was a kid but playing it with these kids was really fun. I was really happy to think that I was exposing these kids to one of the most fantastic sports they could enjoy.

Towards the end of the day, all the children had formed a sort of attachment with me. I felt an emotional thrill running down me when it was time for me to bid them good bye. I must say it was one life changing CAS activity.

Performing Arts - Violin

Learning one of the most difficult musical instruments might be a real task of challenge in itself; however it is incomplete without performing it if front of a considerable audience.

It has been a year since I started learning violin. Albeit, I have only come to realise – I am still digging the crust of an immensely deep and dense pie. Learning violin really takes immense determination and passion. Moreover, training in Indian classical takes it to a greater level of arduousness. I have merely learned two Rags (Bhupali, Durga)  as per the Indian tradition. However, when it came to performing I was faced with one of the most bewildering of all challenges.

Cultural events in any Indian society stand unmatched when compared to the rest of the world. Ganesh-Utsav (usually a 10 day long celebration centralized on the elephant-headed god of wisdom and prosperity Ganesh) is one of the biggest of such cultural and religious gatherings. Having said that, it gave me a nice opportunity to display the skills I had developed over the past year; serve people by entertaining them; and perhaps encourage others to take interest in it. So I decided to perform on one of the day 10 days. I consulted my coordinator Ms. Vijayalaxmi for approval and contacted Mr. Anoop Iyyer my supervisor. Mr. Iyyer is an excellent keyboard player and show organizer. He helped me put up a complete show. Even though I was learning Indian classical, it wasn’t adequate to be able to perform in a classical show naturally. In addition, if I had to perform in from of the common audience, I had to consider the fact that not everyone had the taste and understanding of classical music.         

Mr. Anoop on keyboard and me playing violin.

Therefore I decided to play something other than classical music, something which could at least be apprehended by the audience.  Thereby, I planned to prepare a piece of western music and play that instead. I came up with the world famous song “My heart will go on” from the movie Titanic. The song was known to all and the evening served as an adequate time to play and enjoy it. Admittedly however, planning to play it was the easiest part. The way western violin is played is different from the Indian style, even the seating differs. I had to struggle a lot to play it while sitting on a chair (we sit down conventionally). I had to prepare it in very less time. I never thought I would be able to do it in time. To my surprise, I just did prepare it well! In fact my sister wanted to sing it with me on listening to my violin. I became aware of my own abilities to perform under pressure and the latent talent my sister had. I didn’t know she could sing so well. Being able to play a new song was still easy I thought, when it came to performing.

My activity supervisor, Mr. Anoop supported and encouraged me to take up this task. Initially I was really nervous about performing in public. I did agree to perform but since I had no experience of it I wasn’t really sure. I even thought of cancelling it, but something in me refrained to give up. Such are the times where we actually need to show perseverance because it our determination which enables us to withstand the challenges. Mr. Anoop kept encouraging me and it really helped me stick to my commitment. 

Our performance: "My heart will go on"

The event was set, crowd occupied that area and after the opening ritual and a couple of religious songs it was our turn. Mr. Anoop just asked me to simply start without any second thought. I started playing and without realizing I finished it smoothly. To me it just felt like a fraction of second, I had no idea what the audience was clapping at in the end. It turned out that people really liked it. Some people even wanted to learn violin getting inspired from me. I felt really excited. I was glad that I could perform it so well and that people liked it. Suddenly, that so called ‘stage fear’ vanished. Performing an art is a skill and I was really happy to have at least taken a step towards perfecting it.  

Au service de la langue (Serving the language)

French language and culture are said to portray love and indeed it is really lovely to be a part of anything French (not to mention French food!). This was the most unusual CAS activity I ever undertook in every aspect. I am studying Hindi as my second language in IBDP and given the indigenous inclination many students have opted for the same.  However our school just like any other IB school offers other language Bs. This time the French day celebration was supposed to be organized by the IB students but unfortunately there was only one candidate for French in IBDP – my class mate Shradha. She was really falling alone of organizing the event. Therefore our French teacher Ms Varsha approached my help. She asked me if I could organize and conduct the French Day event. I had studied French during my Cambridge Checkpoint course but it had been quite a long time since I left it. Nevertheless, I saw it as a really wonderful challenge.  I asked my coordinator Ms Vijayalaxmi and she consented by saying that this was a service not only to a group of students who wished to express the language they had learned but to the entire French culture itself. Thus, with that thought in mind I decided to accept this challenge helping the French Day celebration. 

Suddenly my class mate Rucha Verma also expressed her wish to contribute to this service. I was really amazed to see her audacity since she was a student of Hindi as well and had never learned French. I felt that she was more confident she could do it than me. This positive approached not only helped her in co-hosting the event with me but also encouraged me to pull it off. I realised that the characteristics and attitude which she had motivated all of us involved in the event. I believe it is something which we all need to do to work in adverse conditions. However, this event needed more than just motivation.

I was supposed to speak French that matched the level of the French students and at the same time sustained the dignity of French language and culture. The French celebrate is day by the name Bastille Day and it is one of the most scenic events in France. Although I had agreed to contribute to this event when I thought over it after going home I was forced to ask myself if what I was doing was ethical. There would have been no question if I were helping an English, Hindi or even Marathi event but I wasn’t learning French officially nor did I have proper knowledge of it. In such a circumstance would it be moral to host a show and organise it? I had this sense of injustice lingering in my mind and I had to remove it. I thought that if I could get my French as good as at least the students then I won’t be doing anything unfair. However, I did not have much time, certainly not to take French lessons. I researched the internet for some brief resources on French and practiced speaking it as authentically as possible. However I felt that it wasn’t possible entirely be authentic about what I was doing.

I had to communicate fluently in French in order to conduct the program and although the prompts could be prepared prior to the event I need to be ready to improvise. I wasn’t really sure how I would do that if situations demanded. I was a little nervous at first but as the program got going I became easier and more relaxing. I became more confident about hosting in French.

I felt that this activity made me a better human since I was serving a language which was not known to me. I believe this is sort of altruism we are expected to develop and I was really glad that I got and opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful experience. 

Embracing Environment

Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.

                                                                               Earl Nightingale

We all know that it is requisite to conserve our environment. Therefore, from time to time it is vital to revitalize our ecofriendly mind. Every organisation must responsibly contribute to saving the environment. We the IBDP students of Nagpur thereby decided to organize a 4 day program commemorating environmental conservation as a CAS activity.

We approached our coordinator for consent and planned out the outline of our program. Ms. Vijayalaxmi divided us into three groups of two and assigned each group with a theme. Here is how we organized it:

Day/Date	Topic	Student in charges	Venue
Day 1 7/7/14 Monday	My Planet My Home.	Shraddha Wakode & Kaustubh Murmare	Multipurpose Room
Day 2 8/7/14 Tuesday	How are we affecting our planet?	Jaidev Pahade  & Shafqat Syed	Multipurpose Room
Day 3 9/7/14 Wednesday	Recycling: Why? How? Recycling Resolution	Himanshu Halve & Rucha Verma	Amphitheatre
Day 4 10/7/14 Thursday	Tree Plantation.	DP-2	Gardening Area

I and Rucha also took up the responsibility of making display board poster, play cards and

On the first day Shradha introduced some of the many ways in which humans influence natural earth processes and shed light on the geological and biological alterations caused by humans. I helped her with making a slideshow presentation and contributed the program by sharing a thought for the day to ponder upon.

On the second day Shafqat and Jaidev shared some information on the natural calamities and pollution and attempted to find a link between them. Jaidev explained some physical phenomena and the science behind it to make everyone more aware of the entire scenario. I contributed to the program by sharing some important news and information.

For the third day, the theme was Recycling. So I and Rucha decided to do something new and innovative. Most programs on environmental issues are one-sided. So we decided that we will have a higher percentage of audience participation and make it more of a discussion than a lecture. We had made the display boards earlier and now for our topic we decided to circulate info-sheets about reducing; reusing; recycling; plastic waste management; and aluminum waste disposal to all the students. We conducted a discussion based on this which was primarily handled by me. I knew I had the skills to improvise conversation which was vital in such discussions and I also knew that my co-host Rucha was uncomfortable with it. So I took the lead and successfully compared the discussion. Rucha on the other hand is really creative person, knowing that I asked her to adapt a pledge and a ‘mantra’ for our theme. She did a commendable job there. I believe knowing about myself and others help me put up a good show. Moreover, I learned that one cannot always single handedly orchestrate such events and program. Being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of self and others helps overcome the potential limitations.

The next day, we organized the tree plantation. All of us – Shafqat, Kaustubh, Jaidev, Shradha, Rucha and me – worked together to allocate each student of our school a suitable place to plant their saplings. We also planted our saplings and vowed to ensure its survival.

It was really difficult to conceptualize this program and then successfully carry it out, especially in the time of monsoon. Nevertheless, I and almost all my classmates showed appropriate perseverance. I was really happy to be a part of such an event as it open doors so many new things which I wouldn’t otherwise learn.

Rediscovering Independence

Celebrating independence of some or the other sort is our nature. We celebrate it because freedom is much liked by everyone. But there is a lot we must learn from independence, and certainly there is a lot to learn from independence. India’s Independence is celebrated throughout India. The tales if Indian Independence reverberates in every Indian’s heart. But there is another Independence act which is not only more inspiring but perhaps the most influential on the face earth. It was the independence act of the United Stated of America.

Along with my classmates and Ms Vijayalaxmi I planned to commemorate the Independence Day of USA on 4^th July. It was something unusual because we never celebrated some other country’s independence. We thought that it was worth doing so since it would be an activity which would serve the audience in a completely different way. I personally felt that all those countries who were once ruled by some other country celebrate their independence to express the joy of free will. USA got its Independence more than 200 years ago and is a country which has turned out to dominate the world.

It was really an amazing feeling. We collected information which required to share with the audience and ensured that out message was clear. The main motive behind undertaking this task was to tell others how a the sense of independence changes from culture to culture and how we can learn from the American beliefs in independence.  The main challenge however what to present this information is a manner with conserved the venerability of both the Indian and the American Independence Acts. I felt it was necessary to know about how the Americans think of their independence and how Indians do. Not that any of them is better than the other since everyone is entitled to their opinion but I thought that as IB students it was our ethical responsibility to encourage others to be unbiased and free of contaminated presumptions. This however needed to be done in a way which did not vent any unwanted controversy.

In a way, we wanted to present a new perspective to look at freedom. As we discussed in our program I myself realised a lot of interesting things. We do celebrate freedom but since our thinking is at times enslaved by the geographical distribution of freedom. In addition we have become slaved to freedom itself.  It is happening in many other countries around the world and we can only eliminate it by acting locally by spreading awareness. This is what we did. I and my co-host Shradha were the main speakers of the event. We explained how independence in USA is celebrated and how they value their freedom. I tried to force the audience to think of freedom as something which doesn’t belong to USA or India but is something which every individual on earth must keep in mind and cherish. It is only when we stop being slaves to freedom will we achieve it in true sense.

Independence and freedom if believing that we are not controlled by anyone but ourselves. Leashing ourselves and unleashing our potential is what freedom should be. While conveying these thoughts to the audience I my when into and introspecting mode where I tried to analyse if I myself for the same. And after a little thought I realised where I was right and where I needed to work more. This service to others in turn served me by provoking thought and increasing my awareness about myself. 

Climbing Heaven

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    -- T.S. Eliot

The Pindari Glacier

 The natural landscape around us provides an endless arena for exploration, exhilaration and expedition. The mountains, in particular, provide a terrain where traveling is commonly associated to achievement.  Trekking to such lands isn’t just an Action activity; it’s one of my many definitions of fun. The sweat, the wind, the rock and the limbs all add up to a journey so wonderful that there is hardly a match to it.

Dr. Atul and me at Farukabad

Bhimtal

Lokarkhet

The Trek

A fraction of this mesmerizing experience was contained in my CAS activity: Trekking to the Pindari Glacier in Uttarakhand (North India). Mr. Rahul Deshmukh, an established architect and a friend of mine, is also an impressive trekker, albeit he does it to quench his thirst of adventure and to nurture his passion for mountains.  He has traveled to many such places and has been doing it for years. I always wanted to undertake an adventurous errand with him. Fortunately, this time he asked me if I was interested in accompanying him, which I undoubtedly was!  He was a 3 time Pindari trekker and had a remarkable experience of other treks as well; I had no trouble anticipating the fun which awaited me under his supervision. I consulted my CAS coordinator Ms. Vijayalaxmi for consent and on her approval, planned out our journey with Mr. Rahul.  I met him and Dr. Atul Tajpuriya – Mr. Rahul’s friend who was also accompanying us – at his place and chalked our 14 day schedule. However, as it turned out we completed the journey in 10 days. We also discussed things like expenses, equipment and attire and food supplies.

We started our journey on 22 May 2014 and travelled by car (it was an SUV so car is an understatement) for two days to reach Lokarkhet – the outset of our trek.  The road to it went through Uttar Pradesh, a region full tradition and cultural diversity. The rural regions provide a promising agricultural landscape on one hand, and terrifying civilisation in its very early form on the other. The houses – rather huts – still smear dung on them and mud is the only floor. The surrounding atmosphere and lifestyle are so alien to the modern eyes, that one may fancy travelling back in time. Leaving U.P. we made our way to Bageshwar via the beautiful hill stations of Nainital and Bhimtal.  After an overnight stay at Bageshwar, we reached Loharkhet the next morning and commenced our trek.

Day 1__24 May 2014__Lokarkhet to Khati

We started our trek from Loharkhet at about 9 a.m. Initially it’s just another rocky trek into the hills. But as you elevate to higher grounds things start changing. The view starts becoming ever more interesting and literally breathtaking.  It is very difficult to explain what one feels walking in the lap of mountains; one of the most enthralling experiences I surmise. The trekking path to Pindari was discovered and made during the British Raj and remained quite the same until last year when the region faced terrible landslides. The original trekking path which was considered very pleasant and easy has now become very difficult. Nevertheless, those who enjoy adventure and adore the beauty of mountains find nothing impossible. The same is true for me and Mr. Rahul. It was really amazing to walk for hours into the uncivilized and yet most civilized nature in its most beautiful form.  We reached the Dhakuri top around noon. The scenery which now embraced us was just the beginning of what was waiting. The Himalayas welcomed us from all directions and the birds flapped at our feet. So spellbinding was this experience that I wondered if it was an illusion.

“It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.”

-- Robert W. Service

Dhakuri Guest House

We descended from the top towards the guest house of Dhakuri, where we lunched, and from there to Khati the place where we stayed that night. In doing so I realised how difficult life in mountains was. The people there lead a very challenging life and faced hardships on a daily basis. It made me more aware of the world which surrounds us. It is commendable how these people thrive to survive with their lives on stakes, and all this with utmost ease and valiance.

On reaching Khati the beauty of what encircled us multiplied 1000 times and we nestled in a private guest house against what may be entitled one of the most scenic villages in the world. The village of Khati was the last inhabited village on this trek and found itself right in the lap of the snow covered giants. Suddenly, one experiences the urge of leaving the cities and finding a permanent adobe in these earthy heavens. The most astonishing was the night; the collection of stars which I there beheld was so immense that I could hardly isolate my favourite constellations. Apart from Ursa Minor – my most beloved constellation—all the others were lost is the colossal sea of stars. In last 10 years of star gazing, never before did I see so many stars with naked eyes, and if I ain’t erred the Milky Way itself! The majestic appearance of the heavens not only bewildered me but also, I was drawn towards the global issue of pollution. Be it light, sound, water or air, the pollution in the modern day world has not only created disastrous situations for the mankind but also has robbed us the opportunity to see the universe as I then witnessed. So fortunate were the people of Khati, I thought, they could lie in the lap of mountains and stare at the sky so full of stars, that one may doubt sighting an empty piece of sky!  If only we weren’t so entangled in the polluted lands!

 Today we travelled 17 kilometers and it only made me more excited for the next ‘episode’.

Dhakuri Top

Day 2__ 25 May 2014__ Khati to Dwali

Mr. Rahul and me at River Pindari

Today’s trek was the most difficult part of the entire journey. The landslides had caused most damage in this region and the original track was mutilated at several places. Owing to that, we had to leave the track, descend down the mountains and trek along the river Pindar many times. To add to the fun (or to the dread, whichever way one may see it) it started raining at noon. We had the risk of our luggage getting wet so we took shelter under a cliff – a pretty dangerous one – for a while. However, the rains refrained to stop and settled on getting reduced to drizzles. Since we needed to reach Dwali before evening we couldn’t waste out time waiting for the rains to stop and thus, we resumed our trek. It was a really adventurous experience. The rain, made the rocks slippery and the mud tracks were puddled. It became increasingly difficult to climb and descend the mountains. Anand Singh, one of our porter and professionally a guide, taught me some stepping techniques which facilitated travelling in mountains. This is what made the natives so skillful at traveling. I soon developed this skill too and it helped me a lot throughout the rest of my trek. Mr. Rahul suggested that keeping the body straight instead of leaning on to the rocks helps maintain body balance, thus avoiding slips. It was a very vital piece of advice as I soon realised how it improved my performance. I got to learn many other things from Mr. Rahul, his experience and expertise at trekking proved valuable to me since it was my first time.

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

--Sir Edmund Hillary

Dwali KMVN Guest House Kitchen

The bridge to Dwali

To reach Dwali we needed to cross the river at one point and I was surprised to see the puny bridge made of wooden logs which we were to use. It was an amazing feeling. Every part of this journey had adventure written on it and I ensured I read it everywhere. It was a true Action activity, one that demands your physical input to the maximum!  The KMVN (Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd.) guest house where we stayed that night was really basic. I am sure many of my friends would have found it difficult to stay at such a place, especially when it comes to using the lavatory! But for me, it was really fun! I enjoy living life in a very generic manner and don’t mind even if it resembles that of a hermit. 

The freshly formed clouds made their way right through us and sometimes we were above the gigantic clouds. The godly feeling one experiences isn’t just fascinating, it also tells us how clouds still are a symbol of superiority for us.  

The day ended with a tired body and a pleasurable sense of achievement.

Day 3__ 26 May 2014__ Dwali to Pindari

Swamy Dharmanand

Today’s ‘episode’ of the Pindari trek began with beautiful landscapes. Relatively, this part of the trek was least affected by the landslides. Nevertheless, it was the most challenging of all! The views were breathtaking and ‘breath-giving’ at the same time. The liveliness one experiences is unequalled! No words or pictures can adequately describe what it is to be there and what one feels. The Himalayas – rather the snowy heartthrobs – are the mountains which stand tall and tough and yet greet you with softness which has a tranquilizing effect.  At many places on this path we had to cross frozen streams and ice covered regions which was fun but risky. As my walked over them and on to the rocky path again I could recall some episodes from the famous TV show ‘Man vs. Wild’ hosted by Bear Grylles, one of my idols. I applied the things I watched back then and was surprised to see how I could accomplish tasks which otherwise seemed too risky. I became more aware of my abilities and felt stronger than ever.  The flora and fauna diminished drastically as we elevated 3000 m above sea level and by the time we reached Phurkiya, we were only left with some shrubs and flowering plants as small as the common grass. Our eyes now felt closer to the mountains but by this time I had got a good grasp on the three rules of mountaineering:

"It's always further than it looks.

It's always taller than it looks.

And it's always harder than it looks."  

My guide Pushkar and me

 

As we went higher, although the trek wasn’t steep the altitude caused breathing inefficiency. That’s what made it more challenging.  But like all this time and always I was ready to take up this challenge. I used another trick I learned on TV to manipulate my breathing pattern. Although it wasn’t something fabulous I would say it helped me. Towards the end of this trek we finally reached the Pindari glacier’s base. There at the base, there is a stone cottage of Swamy Dharmanand. The guy is a genius with functional knowledge of Physics, Biology and Economics and not to mention Spirituality. He leads an isolated life there and facilitates the tourists my serving/helping them. He is also a sort of social worker and is an active philanthropist in the local education system despite the fact that his only asset is the money from the donations made by the tourists and his friends. A noble man I would say, and very witty.  I was impressed to see the way he optimized all his resources and strongly advocated recycling. It was commendable how he spreads awareness about issues of global significance like pollution, disaster management, black-marketing, resource management, sustainable development, fraudulent etc.  I was pleased to meet him. He assured me that there are people like him who are spreading awareness in areas as remote as Pindari. 

After meeting him we camped near his cottage for night stay. Living is the tent is my favourite part of an adventure trip. The feeling of living in a small polyester dome place in a remote region surrounded by mountains on all sides gives me eternal joy and has always fascinated me. It was very cold no doubt, the temperature that night was -3 degrees Celsius, but to me, it only made it more enjoyable. 

Day 4__27 May 2014__ Pindari

The next morning, the dew drops on the grass and the sun rays descending the snowy mount left me in awe-struck perplexity. The scene was captivating in every manner.  Leaving our camps behind, today we completed our ascend by trekking beyond Zero point. Zero point is technically the end of this trek and the nearest one is recommended to go. The region beyond this has no track and it relatively difficult to travel in.  It is suitable for mountaineers as one must literally climb mountains to travel there. We even went beyond the Mt. Nanda Devi base camp in order to get closest to the glacier. It was a wonderful feeling to get as high as 3915 m above sea level, and still see the snow giants dominating you. On our way back we travelled through a lot of snowy region. It was the most enjoyable part of the trip. When on a higher elevation one can find a straight slope, crouch and slide down on the frosty rides.  No amusement park stands anywhere near the fun of snow slides. It’s remarkably awesome!  We came down by noon, to Mr. Dharmanand’s cottage. He made us some really delicious food and we talked about his livelihood and adventures. It was a memorable experience. It was one of those times when I felt that going to school/college or in other words leading a conventional life doesn’t necessarily make you wise. Like him, having the thirst of knowledge can make you more knowledgeable even when living a reclusive life. I was constantly thinking about this ethical problem of our education system, especially the Indian. Crushing the dogma, this man was more knowledgeable than an engineer holding masters degree, and certainly more aware than most of the Indian politicians. Is it moral or even sensible, I asked myself, to latch on a system which leaves you with a huge degree and relatively less knowledge and awareness? The world will always have some geniuses, but why not adapt to a system which brings out the genius in every being?  It was very thought provoking. Especially after meeting Mr. Dharmanand, I was reassured that with a little more effort, substantial answers to the above posed questions can be found, all you need is to investigate.

Day 5__ 28 May 2014__ Pindari to Dwali

After two days of camping at the feet of Pindari we began our return trip this morning.  It was a really horrible feeling, as if I was leaving my home.  I was familiar with today’s trek so it was relatively easy and the experiences were more or less the same except of course, the views were unique and empowering.

Day 6__29 May 2014__ Dwali to Loharkhet.

"Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory."

-- Ed Viesturs

This part of the journey was the real test. The trek was mostly down the mountains which made it uncomfortable for the feet, since there was a high chance of injury by the jerks experienced while descending in excitement. In addition, I had walked so much all these days that my legs now demanded rest. I continued with my journey anyway, and stood committed to the task. Although, I could have taken frequent breaks, I decided not to stop and keep up the trekking spirit. I had a nice opportunity to show my perseverance to myself and I did not wish to waste it. 

By the end of the trek, I was happy to have completed the wonderful journey in time. All the things I had learned in these six days of trekking, enhanced my understanding of the world and added another very glorious chapter to my life. No doubt, I will have more of such experiences but the importance and significance of the first is well known to everyone.  I realised on my way back that this wasn’t just a CAS activity of 10 hours but an act which unveiled the fascinating world of mountaineering to me, albeit a small bit of it. It exposed me to so many realities which I might not come across otherwise. To say, I just walked on the rocky grounds of a beautiful mountain range but to extrapolate a deeper sense I would say, I learned what life is. Isn’t it a rocky climb in the mountains?  To close this reflection I quote myself:

"Of all the things the mountains have to teach you, the most important is to see every boulder in your way as a stepping stone."