Leaving Munsyari – The long drawn route

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So with full gusto, I rev-ed the engine and started back amid beautiful landscapes, away from the thoughtful and calm gaze of Panchachuli, the peak which was in the back yard of our stay. The journey from Munsyari to Birthi was spent gazing at mountains, standing tall and quite, looking at the occasional habitat along side the road with Pahadi folk wearing black topis, half jacket over long shirts and pajamas and throwing infectious smiles as they go through with their daily chores. Because of rains, the road was not in its prime so we were a tad cautious; but there was an natural desire to drive a little faster and be able to reach Sattal, which as per our friends from Pahad was not a realistic goal.

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Presenting Nikhil Chandra, “Ghumakkar Featured Author” for February 2012

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I also apply the usual tricks of showing interest in those things that has been mentioned in the Bio, and try to put up a fake face of being someone who is so passionate about those interests as no body’s business. I know it sounds so stupid and average but then you have to do full justice for any job you take on. To appreciate and understand this better, I would encourage you to read his profile at Ghumakkar. For February 2012 ‘Ghumakkar Featured Author’, I did all of this but realized that I am as ill-prepared and un-equipped as I was a fortnight back. There is hardly anything (Ok, may be 3-D modeling is not listed) which is not there.

To make things worse, there was a scheduling gap so the interview didn’t happen at the identified time. The few hours delay, didn’t make the things any easier for me and I braced myself for a eventful and adventurous talk with Nikhil Chandra, the ‘Ghumakkar Featured Author’ for Feb 2012.

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Ghumakkars of the year – 2011

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Thank you Ram, Nisha, Manish and Jaishree for readily agreeing and for your detailed write-up on your selections. Thank you.

Yet, as expected, we did not get the same names so we did a little bit of union and intersection and arrived at top 6 Ghumakkars. Each of these 6 had at least one vote on each parameter and most of them had more than one vote while one person had all three. I will hold the excitement here.

So we did some slice-n-dice of data, looked at relative rankings from the jury and in the end fell back on our own judgment to arrive at the final 3. So far so good. After we arrived on final 3, we incubated the decision for some more time. This was to ensure that we are indeed fully convinced or not and once that went past, it was time to raise the curtain.

So with much ado, I take pride in announcing the winners of ‘Ghumakkar of the Year 2011’ award and the names are (in no particular order)

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Featured Author Interview – In a tete-a-tete with Devasmita

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Ghumakkar: Besides being a Ghumakkar, what else does DC dabble in?
DC: I love to dabble in photography. A good picture opens the gateway for many a stories to unfurl without a single word spoken. Such is the power of photography. I am also an ardent believer in the power of the pen. I love to write about anything I see: about places, about people, about relationships, about families. Over the years, I have made a little niche for myself in photography and writing. I have done a little bit of script writing and stage performances in Seattle. I have also participated in a couple of dance shows. Between academics, writing, photography, and traveling, I manage to keep myself happy.

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Chakori To Munsyari via Mighty Birthi Falls

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The break at Nachni gave a lot of calm to cabin crew and the drive thereafter was spent gazing at might Himalayan views, almost a sombre drive with not much of chit-chat followed. Kids found time to catch on some sleep and I quietly moved on from one Himalayan village to another till someone asked on a white line, visible from afar. As we continued to drive, we could witness the Himalayan beauty in full glory, the tall blue mountains, the green carpet of flora and the thick white line. After about 30 minute of drive, it was getting clear that this white line is the famous ‘Birthi Falls’.

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Meet Aurojit, Featured Author for October-2011 – Interview

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And then ensued a high energy interaction, anecdotes, life experiences, general gyaan and how Sharmi and Auro are more of Sanki travelers hunting for special plans and scouring local stone shops for the special gems.

Thank you Auro and Sharmi for the lovable and warm conversation, your thoughtful insights and the frank admissions.

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