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When the Gods descend in Puri, India

Once a year in the holy town of Puri on the east coast of India, the Gods enter the fray of the common man to mingle with the mob. Attracting thousands of pilgrims, the annual Rath Yatra (or Chariot Festival) is an orchestrated riot of colour, spectacle and sweat.

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Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Conservation Guidelines

Every year Coastal Orissa is graced with the arrival, nesting and hatching of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. A remarkable natural phenomenon of breathtaking proportions.

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Travels in a troubled nation

Wagah border guard / Photo by appaji

We proceeded by train to Lhasa and worked our way south via Mt Everest to Kathmandu. I don’t wish to analyse or over simplify the social and political situation of either country here, rather put forward my own humble impressions.

India to Pakistan

Crossing the Wagah border into Pakistan the warmth and genuine hospitality is immediately palpable. It is easy to be lulled into a sense of security, nonetheless we decide to forego Swat in favour of more time in the Hunza Valley.  On our way up from Lahore we bump into a television crew filming a travel segment and a newly outfitted army convey stoically making their way to the battlefield.

Pakistan to China

Braving the 45 degree steep hairpins & pencil thin roads of the Karakoram, we inch past landslides & vicarious road construction into China. The day we reach Kashgar we hear of heavy altercations in the Swat Valley resulting in thousands of refugees. Our journey in Pakistan abounds in fond personal memories, but persistent headlines remind us of the increasingly fragile security situation in the face of the Taliban.

But China doesn’t have any security issues. That it wants to talk about.

Tibet

Swept along by Tibetan pilgrims we circumambulate the Jorkhang Temple located at the core of Lhasa and at the very heart of Tibetan culture. The security personal appointed by the government to protect the temple march in groups of six in the opposite direction, counter to local customs.  Security cameras bare down on the public square and rooftops are dotted with armed guards.  Monestary complexes echo ghost towns as monks sit in jail awaiting liberation.

My heart swells to think of the open friendliness of the common men and women in Pakistan, despite terrorism being a very real part of the everyday. In stark contrast I was affronted by communism and capitalism in China. We met friendly people but never came close to the heart of matters in China.

The landscape in Tibet is simply stunning and like nothing else on this earth, however the dullness in the eyes of its people will overshadow and haunt me.  In the end its clear what matters most to me when I travel; the people make the place. I’ll hold onto moments of spontaneous happiness shared with strangers along the road and cherish open approaches to difference. Travelling is after all a privileged opportunity to draw strength from our incredible diversity.

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Lessons in Turmeric From India

Turmeric in various forms / Photos by Claire Prest

Most often it is the simple things in life that are taken for granted. I have been cooking with turmeric for years now tossing it into nearly every dish. Turmeric is used liberally in Indian cooking and forms the base of most curries. I’ve had vague notions about its antiseptic properties. I’ve watched fishing communities throughout the country dress fresh fish with salt and turmeric to preserve it in absence of refrigeration. Even families with access to refrigeration persist with this process. And I’ve witnessed Tamil ladies apply turmeric paste to their faces to achieve not only a warm glow but to keep the skin cool and clear from blemishes. I have personally been privy to a turmeric ‘mud-pack’ and can confirm a resultant smoothness of the skin.

turmeric cultivators

Visiting a sustainable development project from one of our affiliates PREM (Peoples Rural Education Movement) I had the opportunity to learn more about this extraordinary everyday spice. Our visit took us to Kandhamal district where 50% of the population (some 300,000 people) are turmeric cultivators. The cultivation begins in the summer months of May and June and is harvested in December through to February. We joined in the harvest that would collectively reap no less than 9,000 tonnes and is worth more than 300 million. Many of the turmeric cultivators here belong to indigenous communities who have practiced traditional farming techniques from time immemorial. This means no synthetic chemical fertilizers have ever touched the soil and ensures the plant is wholly organic. The result is the finest turmeric in the world, not only because of its organic certification but because it has the highest concentrate of curcumin the active ingredient that produces therapeutic benefits. Curcumin is well known for its anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-amyloid and anti-inflammatory properties.

In the mid 1990’s the US patented turmeric raising global concerns of intellectual property rights and indigenous knowledge. The patent was eventually revoked in the face of indisputable evidence that turmeric has been used in India as early as 3000 B.C. The Harappan civilization is believed to be the earliest cultivators of turmeric and Sanskrit texts recount the numerous uses turmeric has found throughout the ages.  Indeed turmeric permeates everyday life in India and aided by some cultivators I have come up with some further examples of how this golden spice has become part of life throughout the subcontinent:

• Aid to digestion and immunity.
• Drunk with warm milk, turmeric stems coughs, cures colds and comforts throats.
• Turmeric powder heals open wounds, detoxifies the liver and balances cholesterol levels.
• Its decoction is a stubborn dye used to produce natural textiles.
• Some indigenous communities in Orissa paint their doorways with turmeric paste as an insecticide.
• The women of South India use turmeric to enhance complexion and make a depilatory cream.
• Turmeric forms the base of the vermilion used to mark married Hindu women and throughout temples in India.

Needless to say I will never take this humble spice for granted again!

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Context Is Everything

Photo by Nick Russam

Travellers to India are often overwhelmed by the curiosity of the locals here. You only have to sit down for a cup of chai (tea) before being bowled over with questions that in a western context would be considered too personal to ask straight off the bat.

After the customary “which country do you belong?” some typical questions are:

• “Are you alone?” – Indians are no strangers to travel, they often embark on pilgrimages to religious places usually with family or religious groups. Indian culture places great emphasis on the collective and the idea of travelling solo strikes most as incredibly bold!
• “Are you married?” – And if not why not?! Family is an important part of Indian culture and the idea of travelling without first settling your family life indicates different life values and something most locals struggle to comprehend.
• “How many children?” – And if you’ve not got around to thinking of family, they will be quick to encourage you don’t waste time on travel and concentrate on building a family. Living without social security, Indians draw much strength from the family unit and part of the idea of having kids is so they at least (because they can be sure the system won’t) will look after them in their old age.

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Kandhamal: Tourism’s Response To Communal Clashes

Drying berries, Orissa, India / Photo by Claire Prest

The southern district of Kandhamal in Orissa is still in the throws of communal violence. The brutalities tap into more socio-economic issues than religion alone and highlight the State Government’s failure to address deep-rooted development and security concerns. For more information about the issues behind the recent events in Kandhamal I suggest the following links:

• Battling over Faith
• Project Orissa
• Kandhamal, terrorism and national integration

Without taking away from the seriousness of the continuing violence in Kandhamal I would like to focus on how these events have affected tourism in Orissa and the reaction of the travel industry.  Naturally reports of communal violence in Kandhamal have a negative impact on the entire state. Travellers planning to visit Orissa are thinking twice. Some delay their plans in the hope the situation will regain control, while others reach out for advice.

Many travellers and travel companies outside the state rely on the information provided to them by local operators and it is the inherent responsibility of these operators to provide true and honest answers. Unfortunately fear of losing business has clouded the judgment of many operators here.  Local travel companies choosing to turn a blind eye to the events in Kandhamal are putting their own clients and themselves at risk. Not only is it highly irresponsible, but unnecessary. There are other alternatives and different approach routes; Kandhamal is one of 30 districts in Orissa. Why push into a region in the grip of such insecurity?  The simple reason: most of these tour operators do not travel. They are not capable of changing an itinerary in the face of political instability because they are unfamiliar with any other route that deviates from the route they have been travelling for the last 20 odd years.

My only hope is that the unfortunate situation in Kandhamal forces some of the tour operators in Orissa to look outside the box, learn more about the region they wish to promote and diversify their products.

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Grass Routes Journeys: Allowing The Soul To Breathe

Time to reflect

Camping outdoors, getting ‘back to basics’ and enjoying the raw purity of natural surroundings is one of the best ways to travel. It connects us to nature and allows us to reconnect to the natural cycle of life.

I was introduced to camping by my parents. They would take my sister and I during school holidays to National Parks Reserves throughout Australia. My father coordinating camping equipment, my mother making provisions for food. It wasn’t long before we operated as a smooth team; pitching the tent and organizing the site in record time. We would go for walks during the day. Swim in the river or ocean and return to camp at dusk to build a fire, cook diner and share stories until our eyelids drooped. It was during these times that I also learnt something of basic bush survival. Learning to read and understand the environment and respond accordingly.

There was a lapse of camping days during adolescence when camping with my parents wasn’t so cool. I began to camp again in India, when traveling to remote regions. Initially out of necessity as a lack of basic infrastructure calls for you to come prepared. But finally I chose to camp from preference. I enjoy being close to nature and furthermore enjoy the company of people who live close to nature. As much as I like the vibrancy of India’s urban centers, it is in the rural villages and remote regions that I feel a greater sense of calm and connectivity. To nature, her peoples and to myself.

Nature and Wildlife enthusiasts would sympathize with this and are themselves not strangers to camping. Neither are social anthropologists and ethnographers who often camp in remote regions to study ancient cultures. Our oldest cultures and indigenous peoples inhabit the most remote geographical regions. I am always amazed at the ability of Orissa’s indigenous communities to transform hostile landscapes into fertile settlements. I often camp in these regions to appreciate where and how these communities live, as much as to connect with the people.

The indigenous communities in Orissa are in step with nature’s cycle and the seasons of harvest. Giving in the to the rhythms of nature can be humbling and challenging. It is this spirit of cooperation that I most admire about Orissa’s indigenous peoples. And what I enjoy most about camping.

Camping is a great leveler. It strips people of their pretenses and allows their soul to breathe. In groups camping becomes about building teams. Living in close quarters with basic amenities cuts through the formalities of contrived social occasions and hits at the core of who we are. There is nothing like a campfire to unleash the storyteller amongst us!