Folk Musical Instruments of the Bastar Tribes

Ever since I chose to do ‘Slow travel, it has given me ample opportunities to understand newer cultures and traditions. Since slow travel allows me to interact with more local people, I also get exposed to a lot of local music and art. One such knowledge gained during my interactions with the various tribes of […]

Folk Musical Instruments of the Bastar Tribes

A roadtrip into the Naxal heartland- Bastar

Our trip of the year 2020.!

The Lost Lander

There were many iterations in the initial plan and the destination was changed multiple times, but my family and I finally decided to visit and explore Bastar. Holistically, Bastar is a region spread across multiple states and was primarily ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty. But with changing administrations and new state formations, the Bastar region is now split into seven districts in the state of Chhattisgarh with Bastar itself being the name of a district. The region is one of the richest in India in terms of tribal culture and reserves of natural resources. Taking Covid safety precautions into consideration, we decided to drive our own vehicle instead of taking a flight or public transportation to avoid coming in touch with random people.

When people in our immediate acquaintance got to know about our choice of destination, a few thought that we were crazy. And then, a few concluded…

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Babe, feeling down.?

Things to do when you’re feeling down

  • Draw, paint, create
    Everyone has attended drawing or some sort of art classes when they were younger. It taught us how to concentrate in order to get a beautiful piece of art. For a few, drawing or doodling is a way of expressing one’s personality or emotion. For most, it’s just a way to kill time because they were bored. Drawing is a major stress buster after a hectic task or during times of lockdowns such as the pandemic situation, worldwide. Everyone is an artist in his own right. Scribble, sketch, draw, trace, fill colours, whatever you fancy. Create a masterpiece with your imagination. You are your only critic when it comes to art.
    Enjoy what you create while you create, let your thoughts flow on the canvas and let your brain get rid of the unwanted shit.
  • Write down your thoughts:
    Whenever you get disturbing thoughts, grab a pen and paper or make use of the digital accessories to note down what’s bugging you so much. Writing stuff down helps in letting go of thoughts which may burden you down unnecessarily. Eventually, your thoughts are less and you would start feeling better. Just scribble away your thoughts.
    In school, we have written down enough shit. When we have done that, this should not be much of a trouble. After all, it’s your own problem you’re dealing with.
  • Music:
    Listen to music. Listen to your favourite tracks. Create a playlist for the next house party from your music library. Sing along to the songs you know. Explore new music and discover the various genres. Music is a vast galaxy with enough music for every kind of person, emotions, personalities, etc. whatever they want music for. Music soothes your senses and calms your nerves. So
    be laidback and let it playback.
  • Read a book:
    Read the book you always wanted to, be it a magazine, a comic book, a biography, etc. Knowledge is limitless, so is imagination. Read the book, immerse yourself in the world of the author and let it guide your imagination. Be warned, Books are addictive.
  • Step outside and play something:
    Just step the fuck out of your zone and start playing some sport. Today’s world is a busy place, but yeah make some time for your favourite game. Take a break from your usual couch potato routine. Keep yourself active. The couch is a very comfortable place and guess what, too much comfort brings too much ‘down’time. So be comfortable, but not too much.
  • Just STFU and sleep properly:
    A tired brain is probably playing around with you because you pushed it too hard for too long. Take a proper sleep.
    Sleeping is good for health.
    Well, these are a few things I do when I’m down. You too should probably try it the next time you’re feeling a bit low.

Always remember, an idle mind is a Devil’s workshop. (•not a happy place•)

Never mind, I’m tired and need to sleep now. You should too.

Every stroke is a Master Stroke

Love.! Was it.?

Love.! Was it.?For we will be.

Love to me, is the feeling that attaches you to things. The feeling of oneness with that object. What happens when such attachments are ultimately taken for a ride.?

The rider takes control of the situation till his purpose  is served. More like a dummy being made subject to all tests but somehow does not up end up in the markets. There will be many and many who’ve been taken for a ride. First it it is the promise, then is it the actions which will make the ridden get more and more attached to the rider unknowingly. Every ride takes its toll and rider will not give a damn as it serves his purpose. But here, the ridden is so much attached to the rider that the moment the ride stops he starts crumbling from the inside because he was so attached to the rider and considered him as one with the rider.
So similarly love is one such attachment that can be taken for longest ride. In today’s society or the fast moving consumeristic world, attachments mean little when it comes to long term relationships. People mistake attraction for attachments. For ones who were truly attached with each other no difficult times can break the attachment. However for those who call themselves attached wherein they were just attracted to each other for various reasons, such attachments are often called off or in cooler terms “ taking a break” whenever either of senses a diminished attraction towards the other for various reasons. Does love really wear off overtime, or is it just a screenplay to fit into the dynamics of cool society.?
I’ve seen people be in love even though they might end up arguing over petty issues, but always somehow the feel of oneness keeps them together, knowing that they cannot do it without each other.
How does the concept of taking a break work.? Is being attached, like an addiction that needs to be taken care so that it does not ruin your health or is it just there was no love or commitment towards being one at all.? Just that because it looked cool or they were under influence of raging hormones that they got attracted.? When one becomes one with another everything else becomes irrelevant. They would know each other inside out. All of a sudden things will not become “ its not working out, we need a break”. Attraction wears off overtime, attachments do not.
Attractions are temporary and will not leave any evident mark. However when things become attached and one decides to call it off, such breaks tend to leave very disturbing scars. These scars are often irreparable and end up creating a nuisance down the line. Scars can always be polished however they are temporary as such scars are deeply embedded and until and unless there is another attachment such scars cannot be covered completely.

Is it really worth scarring or do you enjoy looking at the scar.?

Fuck it,  nothing above made sense. Nothing above was meant to be. Never mind, it was just an expression.

Smitten by the Ajanta of the Himalayas- Tabo

This is nice

The Lost Lander

So, have you read the story from my previous stop? (Click here to read) If yes, then this post is starting from Hurling, where I had alighted last. It was cold and I was the only non-localite at a small dhaba from where I was hoping to get a ride uphill to Tabo. The person making parathas at the dhaba instantly recognized me telling he had seen me at the wedding last evening. Although I found it very sweet of him, I felt embarrassed about not recognizing him and apologized to him telling that everyone looked same to me with their caps and mufflers. Not only did he refuse to take money from me for the cup of chai I had there, he ensured he got me a ride in the car of a fellow customer at his dhaba. This drive is indeed close to my heart, even today… So…

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Natural wonders of South India – My favourites

The Lost Lander

India has intrigued the world with its history, geography and culture- each individually dating back to several ages ago. I have been no different from the rest of the world. The LostLander has begun to embrace her landings after getting lost at random places in her incredible country. The more she is exploring her country, the more she has been discovering about its descendance and getting mind blown with new discoveries each time. Author Sanjeev Sanyal writes, “The history of India’s physical geography is older than that of its civilization or even that of the human race. The subcontinent has been a distinct geological entity for millions of years. Therefore, to understand India, we must go back to the very beginning.”

The fact that it is called as a subcontinent is associated to a larger theory of it being separated out of a supercontinent called ‘Rodinia’ and drifting apart from…

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