Skip to main content

Soul Searching


The land of gods Dev Bhoomi (Himachal Pradesh). My connection with the place goes back to my birth. I never really got a chance to know about my roots as I was living in a concrete jungle and was happy with the fast pace life there. During summer holidays our destination had always been.. yes...Himachal. As a kid I never really enjoyed my summer vacations here as I had no friends to spend time with but the only relief was the escape from the Delhi heat which made me escape to this paradise. To pass 2 months in solitude was really hard. The silence of the jungles near my Grandmother's place made me even more reluctant to go there every summer. But I did. kids don't have a choice.. Do they? During my childhood days my friends used to envy me when they heard that I am from Shimla as for everyone it was a tourist paradise. I never really felt connected to the place what so ever. They used to ask me all sort of questions related to the place which I managed to answer most of the times but somehow could never answer them properly. 

It was when I came to Himachal around this time last year which made me think about this beautiful abode differently from what I have thought of it as earlier. Initially it was a little difficult for me to understand the people and the place but as time progressed I got to understand my surroundings much better. My experience with the culture here made me aware of my roots which I had missed during my growing years. The songs, dance, the dresses the jewellery be it Linnauri, Lahauli, Ladakhi, all made me very inquisitive to know about the culture more.


The people in this part of the country are very soft spoken, humble and very down to earth. I met quite a few people who I can say I share a deep bond with and will always remain a part of my life no matter what happens. During the Apple Season one of the most shocking periods of my life I saw heaps of rotten apples thrown in and around the place which I visited. I can never forget that sight. I experienced the chill blazes-the extreme conditions during the winter season here which made me realize that my body has adapted itself to the extreme temperatures of summer's in Delhi which made it adverse to the weather  which prevailed here.

My experience in Himachal taught me a lot about myself and the culture which I was always a part of but didn’t know how. I feel blessed to have spent whole 10 months among relatives who I had jus known formally and know known them deeply. Today I can  say I am a proud Himachali.

Himachal will always be a part of me……!








Labels:
Location: Punjab, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guilt

I was in 2nd year of college , had just given my final exams and was enjoying my summer break. Sitting at home after a while becomes difficult for everyone leave teenagers. To overcome my boredom I planned to do a summer job. With some help from my sisters friend I got one as a Counselor in an Institute where English and Computers were taught. I was determined to do this job as before this I had tried my hand in many other odd jobs and was unsuccessful . I was all prepared and strong willed not to give up this one before a month.  My first day at the job went knowing my work and getting familiar with the working of the Institute. Initially I found the place good, but as an when things progressed I saw the ugly side of it. The Institute was charging way too much money for the English speaking course and there were no qualified teachers to teach the students. I interacted with a few students on a personal front and got to know that what all was promised to the students was not deliv
Post a Comment
Read more

Then and Now

This was the time when cell phone technology was comparatively new than the bulky land-line phone. I am talking about 2001, I had just got over with my school and that too with exceptionally good marks. Much better marks than I or anyone ever expected out of me and on exceeding everyone's expectations I got a cell phone which I always wanted but never got until now as a reward. I was all set to enter a new phase in my life-"The College Life" and was looking forward to it anxiously. Those days the call tariffs were very high especially high for a fresh college going student like me. My craze for cell phones was at peak during those days as one would never have found me without my cell phone..that too in my hands at all times. My cellphone bared the brunt of falling from my hands many a times due to this. I Got scolded from my elders, My friends made funny and silly jokes about me and my cell phone addiction. which I never paid heed to.  It was like my soul mate...  At
Post a Comment
Read more