Assam, Meghalaya- bowled over by the cuisine and generosity- Part I

I remember learning the capitals of countries and states for a scholarship exam during my school days, and then Shillong was the capital of Assam. I liked the name ‘Shillong’; it had something musical to it. With my vivid imagination, I used to get lost in its beauty and the torrential rains of Cherrapunji. In 1972 when Meghalaya formed a separate state, I was captivated by this name too, it had an ethereal tone.

Home coming feeling

When we reached the forest guest house in Kaziranga after a strenuous journey from Bomdila (the roads were really bad and it took 3 hours to cover 80 kms), I felt like having reached home. 

We took some rest in the room and went out in the evening , had tea and took a look at the local shops. I found black rice which is used for making sweet interesting and bought a packet. We asked the girl in the shop to suggest a good place for the next day's lunch and she told us to go to Pelican dhaba. Then she asked us whether we would like to have some white tea. We told yes, really surprised at her generosity.

White tea is known to be one of the most delicate tea varieties because it is so minimally processed. It is harvested before the tea plant’s leaves open fully, when the young buds are still covered by fine white hairs, hence the name “white” tea.

                                                                                  White tea leaves
These buds and unfurled leaves from the newest growth on the tea plant are handpicked and then quickly and meticulously dried. The leaves are not allowed to oxidize as long as leaves plucked for green or black tea production. This minimal processing and low oxidation results in some of the most delicate and freshest tea available.  Studies have linked white tea with many health benefits, like it reduces the risk of heart disease, combats skin aging and helps with weight loss. I have to admit that the white tea had a certain vibration in it while drinking.

There was cultural show at 7 pm and we decided to see that. There were two dance shows, the first one was Bihu and the second was Zhumoir, which is folk dance of the tea tribe community. The local people were celebrating their Bihu festival. It is interesting how we get to see the local festival celebrations, even though  we just plan our trips according to our convenience.

Heart and soul in their performance

The Bihu dance had body movements and hand gestures similar to Cambodian dance that we had witnessed during Cambodia visit. It was a real joy watching them perform with full involvement and joy.

                                                                          Bihu dance

Zhumoir dance was performed by people who were working in the tea plantation during the day. 

                                                                     Zhumoir dance

What energy they exuded! When the performance was over, they came down the stage to the empty space in front of the audience and invited us to join them. I love dancing, so went ahead, along with my daughter and some others.  The dancers were so happy that we picked up the footsteps and hand gestures.

In both the dance performances, the dancers only were singing. As a dancer, I know how much energy is needed to do that. My heart filled with reverence for them.

Where all inhabitants are at peace and happy

Next day morning elephant ride was fixed for us in the Kaziranga forest. 

I had misconceptions regarding this, because I thought it was cruel to the elephants. But my attitude changed after the ride. The animals are so well taken care of in Kaziranga, it was a joy to see the rapport between the care takers and the animals.

We were three of us, plus the person taking us on one elephant. 

I think all of them were female elephants, and the baby elephants were also walking along. 

They were all having their breakfast on the way, uprooting and eating grass. Our mahout was very good in spotting birds and animals and we got to see rhinos, two types of deer, and many types of birds at close quarters. 

The energy around was so great that we were so refreshed by the time we completed the ride.

Bowled over by Assamese cuisine

Though only one day stay was planned at Kaziranga, we decided to stay for another day as the peace we felt there was beyond imagination.

After the elephant ride we had breakfast and then rested in the room.  For lunch we went to the Pelican dhaba and ordered Assamese thali for lunch. Oh my! What a delicious lunch it was. Each and every item was good and I was totally bowled over by their cuisine.

An afternoon of festivities

We were invited to join the Bihu celebrations by the employees of the Kaziranga forest department. It started at 2 pm and continued late into the evening. It was a joy to watch many performances by small kids, ladies and boys. They were all so happy and full of energy, totally enjoying what they were doing.

In between they invited us to have light refreshments with them. We had some nice local preparations, and they were serving with so much love, forcing us to have more.

Continued... For Part II - Click Here

Arunachal Pradesh- Better than Switzerland- Part II

For part I , click here

Towards Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh

After having just a cup of tea, we were on our way to Tawang on 14th morning.  It is located 10000 feet above Mean Sea Level, and has beautiful lakes around it.

                                                                                    Sela pass

After two hours we reached Sela Pass and stopped at a small teashop for breakfast. The whole area was covered with snow and we had to walk through it.

The mountain roads were cleared of the snow by army people. The drive was strenuous.  

                                                       Winding roads through snow

But the scenes on either side were breath taking; the misty mountains and cloudy weather had a romantic touch:

On reaching a hotel in Tawang, we were offered a room on the fourth floor and the hotel had no lift.

We went to see the room any way and it felt very gloomy in there. We had a local contact person for arranging the trip to Bum La pass. When we came down, thinking what to do, he came to meet us. He took us to hotel Dekyi Pelbar and we got a beautiful room on second floor with a small balcony overlooking the city with the backdrop of mountains.

'Taste of Tawang'

It was lunch time and we went down to the nearby restaurant, 'Taste of Tawang'. The food was so spicy and greasy, leaving an awful feeling in the stomach. 

                                                                       Biriyani and kadhai vegetable

We did not have any food for the rest of the day. The temperature was around 0 degree and I had tough time sleeping as the head ache from high altitude was also troubling.

In the evening we went to the Tawang Monastery. 

It was very disappointing to feel the energy level there, especially since I had amazing experiences in the monasteries of Vietnam, Bhutan and Karnataka.

On 15th morning we had breakfast and started for Bum La pass in a local vehicle with driver. There was lot of snow around, many pot holes and pools of water. I could feel the gratitude exuding from our car for not subjecting it to that drive. On reaching the Bum La pass we got down from our vehicle. There were other vehicles too; about a hundred people were visiting on that day.

The views we got during this drive were heavenly:

Indo China border

In small batches we were taken by walk for about ten minutes through the snow, by army men. Then they explained about the importance of the region and the meetings that happen there. There were many old people also in the group, and one lady fell down and slipped twice while trying to get up. It was because she left the hardened snow path and tried to walk on the side, which had very soft snow.

I couldn't understand the need to make the army area a tourist spot.

No food or drink was available throughout the journey, except the warm water provided at Bum La pass. During the return journey, the mist had cleared and the sun was shining. The scenes around looked so different, we saw many beautiful lakes, with half their area frozen. We reached back the hotel by 4pm. It was surprising that we didn't feel like eating at all. After having tea we went under the blanket. I just couldn’t do anything in that freezing temperature. 

Frozen stomach

On 16th morning we took a nice hot water bath, and started our journey back after just a cup of coffee, as we didn't feel like eating anything. While we were nearing Sela Pass, I could feel my frozen stomach getting thawed out and the appetite returning. This time there was much less snow and it was very sunny, so we got to see a different kind of beauty all around.

We stopped at the same tea shop in Sela pass and had delicious noodles. Then it struck me that from 14th afternoon to 16th morning, we just had two meals, a lunch on 14th and breakfast on 15th!  Along with the thawing stomach, I could also feel the dull energy of Tawang leaving us.

Arunachal rivals Switzerland in beauty

We had visited Switzerland a few years back and I was bowled over by its beauty. After seeing Arunachal I realised that it surpasses Switzerland in natural beauty and the diversity in it.

However it must be mentioned that the infrastructure in Switzerland makes the travel and stay much more comfortable.

Arunachal Pradesh- Better than Switzerland- Part I

                                                  Breathtaking beauty of Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh

                                                       

After conducting the Endodontic workshop in Kanpur on 7th of April 2018, we drove to Lucknow and stayed with relatives for two days. I got the best 'meetha pan' that I ever had in my life there.

On 10th morning we started for Darbanga. It was 'Bharat bandh' that day and we had to face many delays on the way. At one time when we were behind several kilometers of static trucks, two local cars took a detour and we followed them.

After sometime we saw another long line of vehicles. It was due to some accident that had happened and there was no way to go beyond. As if Godsend, two police vehicles appeared from nowhere. When they saw they also couldn't go ahead, they turned around and took a different route along very narrow roads through villages. 

                                                          Driving through thickly populated village

 Immediately we followed them. When vehicles came from the opposite direction, a police officer would get down, stop them and make way for their vehicles to pass. Then we also got to move ahead.

Kushinagar on the way

We visited the Buddha temple in Kushinagar on the way. Kushinagar ia a principal center of Buddhism, where Lord Buddha passed away near the Hiranayavati river and was cremated at the Ramabhar stupa.

There is a reclining statue of Buddha, which is more than 6 meters long in the Mahaparinirvana temple. The image, which represents the dying Buddha reclining on his right side, was unearthed during the excavations of 1876

The powerful mantra

Before we started our journey I had come across a very powerful mantra, which I by hearted. Throughout the journey I was chanting it and experienced many miracles that made our trip smooth. Apart from the above two incidents, whenever we were in doubt of the road, the roads looked too deserted to be comfortable, or the condition of the road was too bad with stagnant water, two local cars would appear in front. Then it was easy to just follow them.

We were looking around for a hotel to stay at night, around eight o'clock we reached Darbanga and spotted a hotel. Luckily we got a reasonable room and called it a day.

Invisible road

Next day morning (11th) after breakfast we were on the road again. The traffic was more and for quite a stretch the road was hardly visible due to fog. 

One white broken line on the center of the road just in front of the car was all that could be seen. We had informed our friend in Bongaigaon that we would reach and he gave us his address. He told that the drive would take about eight hours, for us to reach around five pm. Due to the traffic conditions it didn't seem possible and we thought of halting somewhere as it was getting dark.

Ultimately we had to drive up to Bongaigaon as no hotels were in sight. Since we didn't want to get inside the city to find our friend and as we found a good hotel to stay, we ended that day's journey at eight o'clock.

Reaching Bomdila

On 12th morning we started towards Bomdila. 

                                                                                    Bomdila

                                                                        Monastery in Bomdila

Now the temperature was going down and I don't like the cold weather at all. It was drizzling in between and by the time we reached Bomdila it was dark. After a little search we got a room in Hotel La.

Throwing a tantrum
 

Since the three days drive had gotten into my nerves, I asked my husband what the next day's plan was. When he told that Tawang was the next destination (again full day drive), it blew my fuse off. More than the distance, something about the future experiences came on my mental screen and I threw a big tantrum, though later I realised that a discussion would have been sufficient.

Due to my reaction he made two changes in the plan. On the next day we were to drive just for an hour and halt at Dirang and stay at Sangti valley, which is considered a magical place. Second, he would hire a vehicle for the Bum La pass visit, instead of taking our car.

Magical mountains

We reached Sangti valley and started looking around for the 'magical experience'. 

                                                                           Sangti valley

It was a bit of disappointment and so we drove to the popular Pema Ling hotel. They didn't have any rooms and when we were about to drive ahead, a man rushed towards us and said, 'If you are looking for a room, we have in our Tourist Lodge'. And it shared the wall with Pema Ling hotel.

And what a room we got! It had four big windows that showed snow clad mountains. Look at the views from our room:

After the lunch we took a walk around and saw some beautiful birds. At dusk time I meditated looking at the mountains and saw the silhouette of Rishi Vashishta, got his message and witnessed the expanding, dancing aura of the mountains.

Continues.. Part II Click here

Aura – the invisible Halo

Auras are electromagnetic energy fields that surround every living being. Physical condition, emotions, level of consciousness, thoughts, and physical surroundings influence the color of an aura. Spiritual awakening alters one's state of being, which naturally changes colors of the aura.

Aura readings have become popular in the recent years. The scientific name for aura is ‘Bio-plasma field’, and it is the electromagnetic field, or energy body, emitted by all living things. An individual’s habitual thoughts, emotions, and health conditions radiate as energy into the bio-plasma field. Over time, the energy forms colors, patterns, and vibrations that are very individualistic. An experienced aura reader can literally see extremely detailed information, such as emotions, fatigue, thinking patterns, personality traits, character traits, and health states.

Kirlian Photography

Kirlian photography has proven the existence of bio-plasma fields, or auras. Semyon Davidovich Kirlian and his wife Valentina are credited with inventing the first photographs of auras in Krasnodar, Russia in 1939.

                                                       Kirlian photography of the hand

                                                    Kirlian photography while meditating

The accuracy of the Kirlian photos depends upon the quality of the Kirlian camera, which is very expensive.

Clairvoyants can see the aura

People have sensed auras around other people since ancient times. The concept is reflected in the halos seen in artistic representations of Buddha, Jesus and great sages, in Indian concept of Prana( a person’s life energy), and “Chi” in Chinese philosophy. 

                                                                           

                                                                       The Halo     

              

Auras represent our current state of mind, and they constantly change. Only certain people have the ability to see them with naked eye.

How can anyone see (sense) the aura?

The ability to see auras is considered a psychic skill. Rather than being weird or mystical, it is now a recognised neuropsychological phenomenon which is thought to affect about 4% of the population. Some argue that synesthesia may help to explain the claim that people have auras–a subtle field of energy around them which can be read.

Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.  A sensation is produced in one modality when a stimulus is applied to another modality, as when the hearing of a certain sound induces the visualization of a certain color.

How is the aura seen?

In the beginning I could see aura as a transparent moving part, something like how you see a mirage. 

Aura has a combination of vibrating colors. Depending on the person’s energy at that moment, certain areas will appear brighter or darker than others. An energetic block or sadness can show up as a dark spot in the aura.

All healers tend to think they have superb auras and to get confirmation of this, they keep getting their Kirlian photography done. One healer recently told that he got himself one. I didn’t ask any further question, but he continued, ‘But that day I was so much stressed beforehand.’ That explained he was not happy with the picture he got.  

Ethics in reading auras

Many clients ask me to read their auras because they want to hear that their auras are looking good, a confirmation that they are progressing spiritually. I always tell them to assess their mental status. Are they happy inside? Can they remain stable and think clearly in stressful situations? That is a more realistic assessment of one’s spiritual progress.

Seeing/sensing aura is one thing and interpreting it is another.  When you see another person’s aura, you are seeing it through your own aura. You are seeing it through your own perceptions, your knowledge, and your beliefs. So there are chances of misinterpretation and one has to be very cautious of this fact.

The aura seen in the moment is just that, in that moment. One needs to be careful about interpreting aura colors of other people. Providing the information is in my hands, but once given, it is difficult to remove from the receiver’s brain.

I have seen clients who got fixated over the statement from their healer, who said, ‘You have dark energy’ years back and even now they are stressed about that.

Seeing somebody's aura is like looking into someone's bedroom and intruding on their privacy. So unless I think it is important to provide some information which can definitely be of help, I never give any information on anybody’s aura.

If I happen to see auras without consciously focusing on it, I treat what I see with highest regard for the person. I have learned many years ago to extricate myself, shift my focus away, and let go of what I have seen.   

References:

http://aurareadings.com/aura-facts--questions.html

https://www.refinery29.com/aura-reading

https://www.refinery29.com/aura-reading