Along the Ganga - From the source to the sea

Most of the Ganges is about quaint fishing boats

The Ganges is more than just a river. It is a symbol. The second longest river of India flowing over 2510km has been important in religion and life. Being a perennial water source providing fertile soil all around it, the Ganges has also been the source of major kingdoms and an agricultural hub. Cities like Pataliputra, Kannauj, Kara, Allahabad, Murshidabad, Behrampur, Kara and Kolkata had sprung up along its banks and the banks of its distributaries. A journey along this river provides for a fascinating glimpse into how important the river still is.

From the source to the sea, the Ganges is more of a unique entity than a physical river. The river has been made immortal by the legend that surrounds it and the role that it plays in the various legends. The river is also a part of daily life and life on the banks of the river starts with a prayer to it. The journey starts at Gomukh, believed to be the source of the river deep in the upper Himalayas. It winds through Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities in the world and ends at the Sunderbans, the world's largest delta. A part of the journey can be accomplished by rafting (in the upper reaches) and by sailing in fishermen's boats (from Allahabad to Varanasi, from Chandennagore to Kolkata and then in the Ganga Sagar). INDEBO (www.indebo.com) has been one of the pioneers in designing journeys along this river in fisherman boats or rafts.

The storm before the calm in the upper reaches

The upper reaches: Most of the upper reaches have to be walked or can be rafted in. You would trek to Gomukh, believed to be the true source of the Ganga. Here the river is crystal clear, cold and pristine. You can then move on to Gangotri. The ganga is believed to have come down from the heavens at Gangotri.Uttarkashi would be point of interest to you as well. This picturesque town has breathtaking views of valleys and natural skies. From here on, you can come to the twin towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh where the Ganges takes on a slightly milder state. The regions are great for rafting. The towns provide important facets of Hinduism as well as they are some of the holy points and pilgrimage centers for the Hindus.

Along the plains: The ancient and holy city of Varanasi draws pilgrims by the multitudes. On display are the innocence and religious fervour of the people. One of the oldest living cities of the world, Varanasi is an important site for Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. Buddha delivered his first sermon close to Varanasi. Many believe, that to die in Varanasi would guarantee salvation. On this journey, Allahabad would be very important as well. The Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati merge at Allahabad.The confluence is the site of the Kumbh Mela. Down the river lies the town of Sonepur – famous for Asia's largest cattle fair where horses, elephants, birds and cows are traded. Further down from Sonepur in the Northern reaches of West Bengal lie Murshidabad (the town of mysteries) and Chandennagore, the French town. Both feature prominently on the way to Kolkata.

The tiger gets more elusive in the Sunderbans

Meeting the sea: Where the river meets the sea lies the Sundarbans - the world's largest continuous mangrove forest. It hosts an amazing diversity of flora and fauna, including probably the largest remaining population of Royal Bengal tigers, the endangered estaurine crocodile, the Ganga river dolphins, as well as an astounding variety of birds. On one of the islands of the Sunderbans is held the annual Ganga Sagar Festival. The river is also famous for the Hilsa – a fish that lives in the sea but lays its eggs 1200km upstream in the river. Due to its anadromous nature, the Hilsa is famous for its taste, especially with the mustard.

Speaking with Hands – Documenting a fashionable journey of over 30 years

INDEBO (www.indebo.com), a Destination Management Company specialising on theme-based travel for over 30 years, is now proud to present a start version of Speaking With Hands (www.speakingwithhands.com) a repository of the journeys taken over the last 30 years to explore the various arts and crafts in India. Currently in the form of a website, Speaking With Hands comprises of stories and lessons experienced by guests of INDEBO in various journeys lead by the founder of the company, Mrs. Malathi Ramaswamy. The website is currently in its beta version and a few embelishments are still to be added.

As a travel specialist, INDEBO has been associated with tailormade and theme-based travel. Themes around travel were designed keeping in mind the traveller's hobbies or interests. They have also been designed so that travellers may be more involved with the people of India rather than merely gaze at monuments. Over the years, these themes have spanned religion, the Ganges, indigenous people, sustainable development – and the arts. Being a personal favourite of Mrs. Ramaswamy, she has lead more than 60 such journeys with guests who took more than just a passing interest in these arts. As a result, her guests have travelled with her on multiple journeys with the zeal to discover the arts in the different parts of India.

Speaking With Hands talks about these journeys. 60+ journeys would lead to numerous stories and experiences. These experiences are shared on the current website. The anecdotes are written by the guests themselves with minimal editing done to preserve the authenticity of the experience. As a result, while some articles may be academic in nature others may relate some humorous incident that occurred on the journey. Moreover, having travelled to different parts, each article conveys a different mood that depends on the art being explored.

The geographical regions covered in the various journeys (and thus in this repository) include Gujarat, Bengal, Orissa and Southern India among others. The topics covered range from turbans to terracotta and through the stories you can also learn of the various processes. For the layman, it acts as a good and interesting guide to some of the art forms in India. For the more seasoned reader, details of craft persons are also included.

As of now, the main focus is on the completion of the website and the cataloging of the various articles. Once complete, work on a coffee-table book based on the same theme and articles would commence. The book would be a ready reference and an interesting read into the diverse world of arts and textiles in India.

There are cats and there are cats.

To be honest, I had never been to a jungle....except the one made from concrete, the one that I  have lived all my life.My brief encounters with the wild life were limited to my biannual visits to the zoo logical park, where the  caged animals were bored enough to act wild.

Well a week before I had a chance to go to a forest, I mean a real forest.Ranthambore national park ,one of the best places to see the tigers in the wild.The first thought that crossed my mind was...what would I do if a tiger takes a fancy for my flesh.Then I thought...its useless to think what I would do...I  could perhaps coax the tiger into believing what a bad choice of dish I  would be.

Well not long before I was at Ranthambore.Though it was in the midst of the sweltering heat of summer ,the serenity and greenery didnt fail to charm a city lad like me. The hotels was built beside the perimeter wall of the forest.As the darkness set in,I , along with a colleague went out to take a stroll in the road along the forest perimeter.Darkness, punctuated with calls of cicadas , chirpings of birds in the comfort of their nests and an occassional firefly made the atmosphere enchanting. Walking down the  dark ,almost desolate road, an unusual strengh filled my heart...a belief that I was a part of the creations of nature .That night I  had the most amazing sleep I had in quite sometime.

Next morning we were ready by the break of dawn.A open hooded vehicle was to ferry to the heart of the forest , to catch a glimpse of the elusive feline beauty. Catching  a glimpse of the tiger was acording to many...a matter of luck.Well we boared the car along with several other tourists and not long before have entered Ranthambore National Park.No sooner have I entered the forest, we started sighting the wild life. Some inquisitive langoors , a patridge leading her chicks along the lake and some spotted deer busy grazing..

Well I dont know , if lady luck was in one of her better moods . Suddenly the vehicle came to a halt and the naturalist hushed us  to silence.There was a typical call of monkeys and cries of peacocks.We all knew what it meant. The eleusive tiger was nearby. Everyone became silent and waited in anticipation. Every sound of cracking of twigs and a roll of dried leave felt that an hidden pair of eyes were watching our every move. We were in his territory after all, at his mercy.
Every moment felt like an age.And then suddenly a movement in the bush on my left and there he was, in full glory , his majesty himself .Everone started clicking away, but  the tiger didn seem much interested in us.He came out of the bush , crossed our path and started walking straight, just like a royal of the yore who took to the streets on his elephants riding amongst his awed and bewildered subjects.Well one thing for sure, he didnt care about our existence. The mark of a true blue blooded royal.

We continued into the forest, small groups of spotted deers and Indian elks sat huddle togather. Favourite food of tigers , we were informed,by the naturalist.A group of wild boars roamed the dried up wetland. A crocodile lay , basking in the summer sun, with his jaw wide open.
The whole forest was thriving with life . Life , unbridled , unchained and free ,just the way it should be. The way it has been for millions of years. The way it should be for the coming years .

As I rode out of the Park, I could feel how beautiful the animals looked .So free , So wild and nothing to worry about except food.