Varanasi

TOS 4: Invisible Cities

TOS 3: Urban

 

  Common people, common challenges

Manimahesh Kailash

Since it was raining we had to put our 14 km trek to Manimahesh Kailash on hold for the day. The small settlement of Bharmour in the Chamba Valley of Himachal Pradesh would get crowded in the months of July and August when pilgrims hiked to Manimahesh which is at a height of about 4000 metres. It was good for the three of us Joyjeet, Akhil and me to choose this time of the year for the trek as it was not crowded and accommodation was easily available at Bharmour. But this time of the year was very dangerous as avalanches struck often.
That evening we bought all the necessary goods for the trek from the few shops: water bottle, umbrella, biscuits, and so on. We decided that we wanted to travel light and we did not know what was in store for us up there.
Early the next morning we started our trek exactly at 6:30 am. 14 km was a long distance and it was actually hiking. We had already trekked a 9 km path to the snowline in Dharmsala, but compared to that, this was much steeper. But already experienced, we made good progress covering every kilometre every 20 minutes. By around 10 we had reached Dhancho, a camp area with few shops and staying tents. We had our breakfast here Mother nature showered here first rays of sunlight on us. We removed our shoes and shocks and let them dry under the sun. Half an hour later we were back on track. Slowly, we got our first glimpses of stunning mountain scenery. Before long we had already reached the snowline. Then it started raining and hailing at the same time.
Some people were quickly setting up a tent to escape the rain and we asked them which route to take towards Manimahesh for before us lay two
routes to the destination. One seem to be running high up and the other from below. They advised us to take the lower route. Unknown to us this route was really was a short cut but the more dangerous one. The other was less steep but there was the danger of avalanches especially since it was already approaching noon.
The snow was really deep and the condition was especially hard for Akhil who was wearing converse canvas shoes. His feet was totally wet and numb inside. At one place Akhil slipped and nearly fell off a gorge. He was pretty much shaken after the encounter. At this point it was literally more like hiking than trekking for we had to use our hands and legs and body. After we had crossed this steep and narrow area, we say before us more snow and much thicker too. We had made good progress down on hard ground but here on the snow it took us double the time to cover half that distance.
It was all white here and our eyes started aching. Thankfully, me and Joyjeet had brought our glasses but poor Akhil had forgotten his at home. For the first time in my life I say rain, hail and snow all falling together at the same time.
 Atlast we reached Gauri Kund. Manimahesh was just 1.5 kms away. We had our lunch here. Two hours later we had reached Manimahesh Kailash. I had never seen a more beautiful mountain. There was something of its shape which gave you the feeling of holiness. The lake was frozen. On the sides of the lake was lined with thick white snow knee deep. It is said that pilgrims made a parikrama around the mountain. After offering our prayers we made our way back and decided to pass our night at Gauri Kund. There were a few tents here which offered lodging. I had never experienced a more cold night. We had a hard time getting asleep.
The next morning by 10:30 we were back at Bharmour. We had become celebrities. In the past one week dozens had made the trek only to return back midway. And we had done it in record time.

The Country of the Blind by H.G.Wells

Nunez is a mountaineering guide from Bogota who has taken a group of English mountaineers to climb the fictious Parascotopetl crest in the Andes. Accident strucks as he falls down a precipice. Luckily for him, he falls on a thick bed of soft snow. He starts to explore to find a  way to get back to histown.

On reaching the valley, he discovers a land very unfamiliar. The land is covered with lush meadows. On walking further down he finds three men working in a field. Nunez gestures that he has come down from the mountains, but the men don't seem to notice him. He realises these men are blind. After much shouting he approaches towards them and becomes sure this is the much fabled "The Country of the Blind". A proverb strucks his mind,"In the Country of the Blind, the One-eyed Man is King."

Nunez explains to the blind men that he has come from a land where there are thousands and thousands of people and where men can see. But the blind men don't seem to understand. The valley was once flooded by people who wanted to escape from the tyranny of the Spanish rulers. A series of earthquakes completely isolates the valley from the outside world. Another disaster strucks as a peculiar disease starts making all new born babies blind. By the time the last sighted man dies, the valley had completely learned to live without sight. Over the years the word 'sight' did not have any meaning to them. But the land is gentle and fertile. Also there are no thorns, deadly insects or any beasts except for the gentle llamas.

The three men lead him to their village and to the village elders. People start putting their hands and nose to feel and smell him. The elders dismissed him as totally uncivilized with words such as 'see', 'sight' and 'blind'. Such words did not exist in their language. Frustrated, Nunez becomes angry but they calm him and he reluctantly submits to their way of lif because returning to the outside world is impossible. He is surprised that the houses did not have windows and the people worked at night and slept at sunrise. Despite trying his best he is not able to make them understand. Utimately he gives up and tells them that he is mad. The villagers are much happier at listening this.

Nunez is assigned to work for a villager named Yacob, and he becomes attracted to Yacob's youngest daughter, Medina-sarote. To Nunez, she is one of the most beautiful women she has seen. But the blind folk consider her to be ugly because her skin was too smooth. To them a beautiful women was one with more cuts and features.
Nunez explains to Medina-sarote about his world and what sight actually means, but she politely dismisses him.

The village doctor suggests that Nunez is acting stupid because of the organs he calls "eyes" is diseased and is affecting his brain. If this organ is removed he will he will become normal. Nunez consents to his operation merely because he loves Medina-sarote. But at sunrise, on the day of the operation, he changes his mind and decides to escape the valley. He would have to leave his love. He makes his way towards the mountains and succeeds in crossing it. He turns back to have one last look at the country he had thought to be king.