”Don't underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.
– Pooh, "Pooh's Little Instruction Book"
I have always been a fan of doing nothing and this thought is a common refrain in my newsletter. Even when I travel, I ensure that there are days I do nothing, not even social media. I need that time to just empty my thoughts and just be.
As travellers, we always conditioned to focus on bucketlists and tick off sights and sounds. I started travelling in the same way. And now with social media taking over, we wear the hat of a content creator and we want every experience to be converted into a reel or a vlog. If we are not taking selfies, we are launching our drones. I am no exception.
But when I was at Ganyam a few weeks ago, I wondered for a moment if I have forgotten the essence of travelling. Our travels are now only seen and experienced through a pair of lenses. And in the pursuit of views and likes, we don’t realize that we are pawns in the invisible hands of an algorithm, which decides our popularity. Storytelling has become more of a template called trends. And saves and shares have become the deciding factor for “viral quotient” Ironically, we are all at the mercy of a code, which decides whether our content will get a million views or a few hundreds. And yet, we create content because that is what we are - creators. But in that milieu, I dont want us to lose the passion for travel.
And on that note, welcome to another edition of Journeys and Jottings. You have got , mail - a new series where travellers will send us a postcard evey issue and tell us a story around it. If any of you would like to contribute as well, please do mail me or comment here. In 100 Stories of India, I share from the blog, Why I love Western Ghats of India. And in People Make Places, we meet the beautiful and talented Halakkis.
You have got mail !
A new postcard series, where one from the community shares a picture or two from a place and tells us a bit about it. The first one has Karthik Murali, a travel blogger from Chennai. You can connect with him on instagram
Karthik writes in
As Chennai prepares itself to host the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad, the entire city is bustling with its promotions. A key highlight was the Napiers bridge that was illuminated and repainted like a chessboard on one side with a glowing effect. Has now become a super hit with the Chennai people , becoming the #1 Selfie spot in Chennai now.
100 Stories of India
I love the Western Ghats. Period. I was introduced to it as a three year old when we used to drive from Chennai to visit Sringeri and then we stayed in my grandfather’s coffee estates in Chikmagalur. And the fascination stays even today. There is an element of nostalgia every time you think of it irrespective of whether it was a road trip or a train journey.
I have traversed the Western Ghats several times and it has almost become an annual pilgrimage.Some statistics from the Wikipedia – the 1600 kms long unbroken chain of mountains occupies an area of 160000 sq kms. There are about 39 individual sites that make up this World Heritage Site including reserve forests and national parks. But then there are mountains and mountains and there is the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And personally I think there is more to it as, than just hills stitched together forming ranges, peaks and valleys.
Why is the Western Ghats so special ?
People Make Places
Have you heard of the Halakkis ?
The indigenous tribes who live in the Uttara Kannada coastal districts of Karnataka are one of the last singing tribes who have a treasure trove of over 500 folk songs that are meant for different occasions from marriages to festivals . The songs are usually sung in groups with chorus as they explain to me in their Kannada dialect called Achchagannada.
Referred to as the Halakki Vokkalu or Halakki Vokkaliga, they became famous when the “Nightingale of Halakkis” Sukri Bommagowda was awarded the Padma Shri for her singing . Another Padma Shri winner is Tulsi Gowda for her contribution to tree planting and environment .
Most of them are scattered between Ankola and Kumta and during my last visit to Kumta , the good folks at @gamyam_retreat took me to a village near Kumta to meet them and to listen to their singing .
Besides their music, I was fascinated with their drape and the traditional beads . Sadly, they say that the younger generation does not dress up like them and wants to merge with the local villagers.
There is always something to learn and appreciate when you meet people during travels . And even a short conversation gives you a glimpse of the rich culture and traditions of the people around us.
To listen to them singing, visit my instagram profile here.
#AMwriting
I am slowly beginning to write for publications and here are a few stories, a couple published in Lonely Planet and three of them in Deccan Herald.
Lonely Planet
The best things to do in India
Deccan Herald
Gotipua- Traditional Dance of Odisha
Feedback
I do hope that you enjoyed reading this issue. Looking forward to your feedback as always. We are going to keep the flow of conversations going and I would really appreciate it if you will share my newsletter with your friends and family.
See you soon! You can also read my travel stories on my blog and follow me on my social media.
Blog - www.lakshmisharath.com
Twitter - www.twitter.com/lakshmisharath
Facebook - www.facebook.com/travelwithlakshmi
Instagram - www.instagram.com/lakshmisharath
I always await your newsletters. Yes, I’ve also felt this. Instead of enjoying the places, people take photos and videos of them to get appreciation/likes from others. The real joy of travel is changed from sight-seeing to just getting likes on the social media. Photos or videos are just the reminders of our experiences stored in our own memory rather than stored in the memories of computers and phones.