HIMALAYAN WILD FLOWER JOURNAL

2012 SEPTEMBER 

Presently we undertook an expedition trip to Nandakot peak in Kopkot area of Bageswar district in Uttarakhand during the month of September. It is also a time of Nandadevi festival. In this corner of the nook it is performed with strong religious jest and fervor .

The rains were plentiful converting our short trek to the base camp a long drawn slushy affair.Not that we minded a trudge in the damp woods but the logistic nightmare of our transhipment process was a concern for the shoe string budget on which such  Bengali expedition teams from Kolkata operates. Motorable roads and bridges were washed away with flash flood,heavy rains and landslides which were unexpected at this season during which sky is expected to remain sprightly clear .To save cost we have to ferry loads in otherwise motorable roads till the mules took over our burden up to the base camp near the Pindari glacier .

 A bridge wipe out on our way to Song village  from Bharari in kopkot area

However this gave me and my buddy hiker Sumit da ample time to take a look at the vegitations around.  We forgot the  disappointment of an easy trek to base camp. DSLR and lenses are the least necessary items in such case where you wind in and wind out on steep climbs and serpentine trails through bushes, under a fallen trunk,over jagged rocks,slippery boulders ,river beds ,slushy mud so on and so forth. Clicking is not the priority as it is to make from point A to point B in say time = X . So botany beyond this math was not an exhilarating experience then.But it seems worth the effort of capturing the plants on our trail.I stowed away the pictures taken and simply forgot all about it. On a lazy sunday , going over those pictures again I found them very delightful long after the sense of awe of the humongous Himalayan peaks and inhumanities of a climb dusted off .At least to me it holds some journalistic value. So that I can recognize the little beauty and appreciate the landscape in my future expeditions.So I thought of summing up the flora I came across on those trails.I  and my buddy missed many little flowers on the rush .But still then i think we did get a rich booty of these tiny winy flowers.Now it is typical of me to never keep treasures alone I generally do share.And this time it will be no exception to my general disposition. I will be wrong on many identification ,which has its reason as I am not a Botanist far from it so if you I am wrong do please point me out.

Let me begin with a small description of our trail on a map ,red little arrows show the probable spots where the snaps might have been taken.

OUR LONGISH TRAIL FOR TRANSHIPMENT TO NANDAKOT BASE CAMP

A=DAKHURI

B= KHATI 

C=DWALI

D= FURKIA

E= BASECAMP

F= CAMP 1

G=CAMP 2

H= CAMP 3

I= Summit Camp

red arrows denotes the find of flowers 

unidentified flowers just off  Bharari  

Unidentified shrub with beautiful delicate white flowers at Song village

crossing lower lohar khet 

A DELIGHTFUL RASH OF "EAR LEAF PEARLY EVERLASTING" ON SLOPES OF LOHARKHET VILLAGE 

pink knotweed found on way to upper loharkhet

"Dalhouise Blue Bells" in ground cover of a jungle we passed on our way to dhakuri pass 

On reaching Dhakuri Bunglow through a steep pass 

 from dhakuri we crossed small challets where they cultivated "RAMDANA".We were on our way 

toward the last permanently inhabited village of the trail "Khati".

"Red grass pea" in Khati .

Beyond Khati on towards Dwali we found the following flowers.

                                                            "THOMSONS ASTER"

 UNKNOWN FLOWERS by side of some narrow flowered balsam

"Narrow Flowered Balsam"

"Violet Dandelion" (which is very similar to long leaved lettuce) 

another strange looking flowers i am not sure probably petals have weared off 

showy inula was found near a base of waterfall on the rock face and grassy knoll .Its on the opposite hill of Dwali.At Dwali the Kafni Nulla from Kafni glacier meets glacial streams from the Pindar nulla. "Showy Inula" has a philatelic representation.Since it appears on an Indian postage stamp .

Crossing of the grassy knoll , plenty of grasses here from Cheat grass,Garwal reed grass, Bulbous blue grass, Tiger grass to my favourite Pink fairy grass . After grassing through and crossing the stream we rested in DWLI bunglows for few hours to push on ahead to Furkia.

"Himalayan Knotweed" bushes thronging around streams on way to Furkia

 grazing ground of sheep on way to furkia with lot of vegitations around

"Red mountain fleece flower" was spotted on closure inspection of the grazing ground

Near our base camp .Our porters took a puff  before we passed pilot Babas ashram.It is a show of respect to Indian elders by younger people. We simply don't smoke or drink in front of seniors.Having said that it is not that Pilot baba is any older then us , but a man living a divine life of austerity alone in such great height needs to be respected.
Trails pass is right ahead beyond pilot babas house on the Pindari glacier .Changuch peak is on the right side of the frame and further on to the right of Changuch is Nandakot hidden from view. Here we pass a charming field of small herbs and ground cover with tiny beautiful yellow ,blue and white flowers I could not identify .We  set up a base camp 3 -5 km from here for the ascent of Nandakot.

THE RELEVANT PROBLEM OF RAPE IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA...

Prostitution is legal in INDIA.........but problem is other related activities like running whore house , agent ,mashigiri , pimps  are illegal hence the dilemma........in absence of an institution or legal acceptance of an institution ..........you can’t have labor ....so in India we don’t have sex worker........because they can’t act under any one individual or any roof........so everyone related to it suffers ............hence the problem of rapist........."Bechara" have no honorable option of releasing his sexual tension in society.....I would say this put Indian man at a great disadvantage..he is in a tremendous dilemma always......he gets mad when sex bug bites...he looks for a prostitute...but he has nowhere to go with honor.....because whorehouse are illegal.....everyone can relate to the war like urgency of such hours ...it is insufferable date with destiny .....It is a physiological inevitability...hence a true situation...but look what an absurdity our rapist finds himself to be in....he is told the prohibited heavenly fruit can be had and he wants it truly but at the same he is told the tree that bears it can’t exist in the worldly world ...if by the whims of God  haven smiles on him and drop a peach of a prostitute in his lap... he can have her in all social sanction...so he waits and waits and waits……he waits every hour of the day in a bus while commuting , in his office while computing , even while sick in bed with the nurse  commoding……..but prostitute fairies seldom drops….after all most  people’s lives are not fairy tale……..so he gets mad at god ,at society at everyone and starts to think every pinky/ pansy and  mini/ tinni....around to be those heavenly prostitute drops.....especially when the crowds get thin or the light gets dim or when the skirt gets trim. So that is that an Indian male.

But on the flipside another problem rises in our system where we don’t have sex worker .........but sex entrepreneur......so any gal can sex her way up to promotion.........and it’s not a crime for the girl or the one promoting the girl..........like Mumbai producers ........ Sex entrepreneur a prGGY chopra for an example...........but think of a poor boy who can’t promote a divine feminine carrier .........and don’t have a legal sex shop to go ..........nor a helpful god above pulling the strings for him.
For god’s sake don’t hang him yet.........let the learned justice get deep into contemplation about the boys dilemma......I tell you what the justice thinks all day when ever such things comes up …

"Was the boy convicted who committed the crime really protected from the crime he apparently committed"...........

That’s why he is a lord......and me a pundit…….

I don’t know what a JAYA BACHHAN IS? Crying in the parliament at the same his couth hubby shouting JHUMMMA CHUMMA DE DE ……and her BAHU doing a CHAMMOKCHALLO…

I guess a FUCKING MUMBAI SLEAZE ARTIST……..NOW THAT IS ILLEGAL ……….SOMETHING PROPER FOR HANGMANS NOOSE

DON’T LIKE ME PROBALY YOU ARE A BOLLYWOOD FAN………WHICH I AM NOT

LIKE SO MANY PARLIAMENTERIAN WHO CAME OUT BLAZING TO DEFEND  BOLLYWOOD ITEM BOMBS 

AND BOMBS LIKE PIGGY BLASTING OUR OLD FASHIONED CONCEPTS OF DRESS SENCE 

LIKE SO MANY FEMINIST CAME FORTHING IN MOUTH ABOUT THERE RIGHT TO DISPLAY THERE ASSETS WITH GLORIFYING TOUCHES OF MODERN MINIMALIST APPARELS..........

BUT NONE  WAS SURPRISINGLY SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT RAPE ITSELF

SO "THE TABOO" IS KEPT ALIVE NOT BY MERE FORGETFULNESS

BUT BY DESIGN

 SO WHAT IT IS......"THE TABOO"  

NO IT IS NOT ABOUT ITEM NUMBER OR MICROMINI RAKI SWAN AVATAR …….

BUT "REAL INDIAN TABOO" 

 THE GRAND BAAAAAAAAAAP OF ALL TABOO 

IS  THE FACT THAT “THERE IS A NEED FOR SEX OF AN INDIAN RAGING MALE”

 And it has been a taboo subject not meant to be discussed in social circles. When the reality is ,it is a real issue , that needs discussion in wider social arena not in shady theks under the shadow of immorality. 

Everyone looks the other way from our mothers to the society............

is this a decoy by the male dominated society??

With which it buys peace with its other half ............

whom the dominant upper class has long suppressed for economic, political, and dynastic reasons??

For these privileged few in the rotten system of hierarchy  our loners in TRUCK DRIVERS , JAWANS, ROAD LABOR,OUTPOST POLICE AND EVEN THE family SON Suffers the humiliation and injustice of not only economic and social rights........but also of the basic instinct of existence.....

...that is "NEED FOR SEX".............

YOU CAN SUPPRESS SEXUAL URGE FOR A LONGISH PERIOD .

 BUT WHEN IT ERUPTS IN A FRENZIED STATE OF BEING, THE  VIOLENCE IS SO HUGE , THAT IT LEAVES THE RAPIST  AS TRAUMATISED AS VICTIM OF RAPE .

Hence the accused expressed an immediate desire to die after admitting to the guilt which is intolerable in normal state of being.

It also explains the strange confession by the CM Shiela Dixit that she don’t have the guts to FACE the victim .....Yes she is helpless because the society has not given  her the wisdom  to act  in such eventuality........as sex was not discussed openly with all earnestness and bold morality........

hence the leader has no answer........

when the leader fumbles........

anarchy descends

that is what is happening in the streets of DELHI today. 

PEACE

(dedicated to the December Delhi Rapist, 2012)

I AM DISTRAUGHT 
BUT NOT A RAPIST
OR SOME DREADED HANGMAN
COS I WILL MAKE MY PEACE IN MOLLY'S ARM 
DONT LOOK AT ME 
AS IF I DON'T BELONG
YES I DO, I DO, I DO..........
IN THOSE LOVING ARMS

IT IS AGAIN DECEMBER

yes it is again december.............
my lovely red sweater .........
i remember ...........
with a lil yellow flower.........
purple sun ....
and a haughty cock
knit by my aunties, nieces and mother.........
all together 

long long back
from infinite lazy evenings...
in an orange country
midst a jungle of skeleton trees
under diamond peaks
and mellow beams

like a humming lullaby
of a far off stream
the old sweater
to make for me a warm warm december.........
wrapped in luv and thousand joys
oh ...yes how i remember

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NANADAKOT EXPEDITION SUMMITERS 2012

                                  WAY TO SONG...SARJUNALA

                                     ROCK FORMATION 

                                  REACHING UPPER LOHARKHET

                              PUSHING TOWARDS DHAKURI

                    WEARY UPWARD CLIMB TO DHAKURI PASS  

DHAKURI  "UBAC"

KHATI VILLAGE LAST PERMANENT HUMAN SETTLEMENT

                                       KHATI FROM TOP

                                        SUVO AND I

..............................................................
                                  THE DIVINE INTERVENTION
..............................................................

NANAD DEVI COMES DOWN THIS TIME OF THE YEAR TO EARTHLY BEINGS ........"NANADADEVI FESTIVAL"........ WE TRIED TO REACH HER .....SHE DIDNT LIKE IT ......BCOS MYSTERIOUSLY I LOST MY BEST SHOT OF UPPER CLIMES ..........I CANT EXPLAIN WHY..........I HAVE SEEN THEM ALRIGHT..........YEAH I HAVE BEEN GREEDY ....AND PHAPS PILOT BABA WISHED ME TO BE THERE AGAIN ...AND LOOK AT HIS SPRAINED ANKLE...AND TASTE HIS HOME GROWN POTATAO MESH...WHICH I COULDNT DO  COS IN THE HURRY TO GET BACK TO DWALI..I TOOK A WRONG TURN AND RAN PAST HIS ....TEMPLE .......IT WAS ONLY WHEN I WAS 1-2 KM AWAY I LOOKED BACK AND REALIZED THAT I MISSED BABA ON RETURN .....ALSO HE DIDNT LIKE ME TO RUSH UP THERE AND NOT ATTEMPT THE SIMPLE FEAT OF CLIMBING THE PEAK.........HE MILDLY  CHIDED ME ...FOR THE HURRY TO GET BACK....HE SEEMED TO BE THE JANITOR OF THE FORT AND OFFER ME THE KEYS TO IT.......(NANDAKOT = NANDA DEVI'S FORTRESS ) .........IN MOUNTAIN YOU CANT BE GREEDY ...THERE CANT BE ANY HURRY......AND WISHES ARE TO BE KEPT ...SO NEXT TIME ...I WILL BE MORE PERFECT.........HOPE FULLY PILOT BABA HAND ME OVER THE KEYS OF FORTRESS AS HE WAS SO INSISTENT THIS TIME AROUND 

hope our team peak nanadkot 6,861 m ......esp buddy shuvo he should have a 6500 m peak under his belt ........hope he is done camp 3 or 4 by now if not summited 

......................................................................................
                                         TRAVELLOUGE OF  A COMMON INDIAN
.......................................................................................

HERE YOU DONT ARRIVE IN STYLE , YOU SKIP TRAINS AT MIDNIGHT AND CARRY YOUR OWN TENT SLEEPING BAG ,DAL CHAWL ,KEROSINE, STOVE ,MESTINE AND MUG ALONG UNDULATING PATH ..........YEAH YOU DO IT ON SECOND CLASS TRAINS ON SHOESTRING BUDGET .....YOU SLEEP UNDER OPEN SKY WITH SHEPHARDS , THEIR FOLK WITH SUSPICIOUS SHEEP DOGS,SOMETIME WITH LONE HEARDER WITH HIS COWS IN SHED........AND SHARE STORIES OF PAIN HAPPINESS LOSS AND UNION..AMIDST OCASIONAL SCORPION AND CENTEPEDE BITES...YOU REALLY DONT MIND THOSE EXISTENTIAL BITS ...COS BY NOW THE MOON HAS CASTE ITS SPELL ON ALL YOU SURVEY IT IS NOT ANY MORE HARSH AND HURTING....AND THE ICY NORTH WINDS THAT PICKS UP ....HAVE KINDA  NUMBNESS TO  IT.......IT LULLS YOU TO FAIRLY TALE ,SLUMBER AND THE SLITHERING FEELING OF END..WHERE TRIVIALITIES OF DAY ARE A PAST COURSE...EVERY CONTRAST AND SHARP FEELING ARE DOUSED BY FEW STOPS SO IT DONT HURT...IT GIVES A SENSE OF PATHOS....AS YOU GAZE AT THE ORION , THE BIG DIPPER (URSA MAJORE ), THE CASIOPIA ALL RISE ACROSS THE HORIZON AND DRIFT PASS YOU.......THEN YOU KNOW NOTHING MATTERS ...YEAH NOT EVEN YOUR BLOATED CITY LIFE...YOU KNOW WHY THE POOR SHEPHARD IS SLEEPING AS IF THE WORLD DONT EXIST......COS IT DONT.....EVERY THING HAS PASSED YOU BY AND YOU DONT MATTER....NEITHER THE STINK OF FROM YOUR FRIENDS FEET, NOR THE POISONOUS CENTIPEDES AS NOTHING STAYS........AND YOU LOOSE YOUR SELVES IN THICK OBLIVION OF SLUMBER ....UNDER THE MILKY WAY......AND LET THE SUN BOTHER AND BURN PREPARING TO MAKE ANOTHER DAY OF SHARPNESS, ACUITY AND CONTRAST...............................IN MORNING YOU DO YOUR STUFF OUT IN THE OPEN AND RINSE YOUR MATTED TEETH WITH WATER FROM EMERALD GLACIAL STREAM...AND OFF YOU BID GOODBYE TO YOUR NIGHTS KEEP.....FOR A DAY LONG TRUDGE..TO BE BAKED IN SUN ..AND TO BE DRENCHED IN POST NOON SHOWER .. TILL YOU ARE DRY AGAIN AS THE EVENING WIND PICKS UP , AND YOU FASTEN YOUR PACE TO FIND A GOOD SHELTER FOR THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SUN DOWN......WHICH INVARIABLE WARMS YOU UP...AND WHEN YOU PITCH FOR NIGHT CAMP ON SAFE GROUND YOU FIND THE RAIN HAS STOPPED LONG SINCE AND ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES HAVE MADE YOU DRY DOWN UPTO THE SOCKS. YOU FEEL HOMEY AND THINK OF HOME....THEN SATISFIED YOU SIT DOWN...TO ENJOY THE COOL NORTH WIND PICKING UP AT SUN DOWN...WHEN TENTS ARE LAID AND A STONE HEARTH FASHIONED FOR THE FIRE TO BE MADE FOR DINNER YOU KNOW YOU HAVE DONE WHAT IS TO BE DONE FOR DAY . YOU REALIZE WHEN YOU ADD UP DAYS IT MAKES A LIFE........AND THE DAYS TRUDGE HAS SHOWN YOU WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT..A SWEETNESS STRUCKS YOUR MOUTH AND YOU REMEMBER THE WILD STRAWBERRIES YOU HAVE PICKED AND RELISHED FROM THE BUSHES ON THE WAY AND LIKE A BALLAD OF THE SONG BIRDS YOU HEARD IN THE JUNGLE LIFE BECOMES SUCH A SIMPLE AFFAIR OF SWEET PAIN AND PASSING.....AND HOME A PLACE OF FORGETTING THE DAY............
YOU REALIZE WHY PEOPLE TRAVEL......
COS BOOKS CAN NEVER TEACH THIS........
"LIFE IS DAY AND EVENING THAT WE LIVE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MAN MADE WORDS AND LAWS"...........


THAT IS THE WAY OF A COMMON INDIAN TRAVELLER..... FOR CENTURIES IT IS THE SAME......IT WILL REMAIN SO......
AND WHEN ONE FINDS OUT THIS CONSTANT ....THAT IS WHEN THE WILD INDIAN ANTHOLOGY UNFOLDS ..............
YOU, NATURE AND THE BARE INDIAN BEAUTIFUL MINIMUM..ARE THE SUBSTARTES ..REQUIRED FOR REALIZING LIFE .....
WE TRIED IT OUT ........
AND I AM NOT GOING TO FIVESTAR TRAVEL AGENT ANY MORE FOR TRAVEL....
PERHAPS FOR SHARPNESS , ORGY AND PAIN AND DISSATISFACTION YES BUT NOT TO TRAVEL OR SEARCH OF LIFE....
COS
"TRAVEL IS ABOUT REALIZING THE MILES FROM HOME...
AND MAKING A HOME OUT IN THE WILDERNESS...........
IT IS ABOUT SWEETNESS OF SURRENDER 

AND WARMTH OF MEETING OUR FELLOW BEINGS...........
AND FEELING THE SHARP PANGS OF TRANSITORY NATURE 
WHERE WE ARE PAST OURSELVES  AT THE MOMENT OF REALIZATION 

THAT REALITY IS ALWAYS IN THE PAST

PRESENT CANT BE PERCEIVED BY US 

FIVE STAR AND SO CALLED DEVELOPED TOURIST SPOTS ARE JUST THE ANTITHESIS OF IT.......
AN ANTI LIFE...........FOR THAT A CITY LIFE IS ENOUGH PHAPS SOJOURNS TO A LOCAL CITY HAUNT IS OKEY..........FOR  THAT ONE NEED NOT FLY FAR AND KEEP UP THE PRETENSION OF TRAVELLING IN STYLE ........IT KINDA LEAVES YOU BLOATED AND STRANGELY EMPTY . 

HUNGRY GENERATION ER KOBITA

ei adhom dara rochito



SAKTI SUNIL DUI BHAI..........
WHISKY CHARAO ALU CHAI
SKONDO KATA GONDO "DESHE".......

JOUNO TONIK POKKO KESHE ........
KHUDAI JOLE LOL CHORMO.........
KOBIR NAKI ETAI DHOMMO
.
.
SUNIL HOCHEE ...(BRITISH ANTI LEWISITE ) = BAL
AR SAKTI HOCHEE ALDEHIDE DNA =(CHO-DNA)
MANE EKTA KHOSHA CHARA ALU AR EKTA KHOSAR BHITOR ALU
THURI KOBITA ............DADA APNR KONTA CHOLE.....KOI DEKHI ????DEKI???
BALISH ER TOLAI KI SAKTI NA CHU-NIL 

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