Kumaon — literature not man-eaters

Published November 22, 2015
A view of the lake in Nainital with a mosque and houses on the shore / Photos by the writer
A view of the lake in Nainital with a mosque and houses on the shore / Photos by the writer
Colourful boats add to the beauty of the lake in      Nainital. ─ Photo by author
Colourful boats add to the beauty of the lake in Nainital. ─ Photo by author
The late 19th century building of Governor House in Nainital. ─ Photo by author
The late 19th century building of Governor House in Nainital. ─ Photo by author
Kinza Javed's book launch through Skype. ─ Photo by author
Kinza Javed's book launch through Skype. ─ Photo by author

An invitation to participate in the first edition of the Kumaon Literary Festival (KLF) is exciting in more ways than one. The name of the lit fest takes me back to the late ’50s when I read (and re-read) the thriller Man-eaters of Kumaon by the well-known hunter turned naturalist, Jim Corbett. Then, of course, it provides the opportunity of exchanging views with intellectuals in India. To say that I accept the offer readily is to state the very obvious.

Another invitee from Karachi is Ameena Saiyid, the head of Oxford University Press. Together we cross the Wagah border, take a taxi to Amritsar, fly to Delhi, from where we board the early morning Shatabdi Express for Kath Godam, the last railway station in Uttarakhand, but not before halting at stations with familiar names such as Muradabad and Rampur.

Our four-wheeler zigzags its way up the hills on the way to Te Aroha, the lovely resort in the tiny but picturesque village of Dhanachuli. Its population of less than 2,000 has more women than men. The literacy rate in the idyllic village is quite high, I learn.

On the way we stop for a while as we soak in the beauty of Bhimtal. The word ‘tal’ comes from ‘talaab’, the Hindi word for ‘lake’. Bhimtal, we are told by the cabbie, is larger and more picturesque than Nainital, the lake that lends its name to the hill station, which is to be our second destination. A restaurant on the island in Bhimtal, we are told, serves delicious food. Tasting is believing, they say, but we have no time for that.

Back to the enchanting Dhanachuli, we are welcomed with a refreshing glass of alpine rose juice. The following day we trek down a difficult trail that leads to a mandir, where the festival of Dussehra is being celebrated. It is simply effortless for the locals, even when carrying load, to go down or climb up what is just a semblance of stairs. It is too difficult for us the city dwellers because a missed step would mean tumbling down several hundred feet. Life in Dhunachuli is too enjoyable to be lost so easily.


Both are worth remembering — the literature festival and the loveliness around it


The jungle trail that some of the participants of the lit fest attempt is no better, except that there are no over-loaded donkeys, who like the motor cyclists in Karachi, simply refuse to give space to others. We return to the resort gasping for breath.

Te Aroha has been developed by Sumant Batra, a man of many facets. He is an eminent corporate and policy lawyer, writer, founder of the KLF and a museum curator. Chitrashala, with its jaw-dropping collection, is housed in the resort. One feels that many more people would benefit from seeing the rare pieces on display if the museum would be located somewhere in a large city.

An enchanting view of the Himalayan range (background) photographed from the writer’s balcony in the resort
An enchanting view of the Himalayan range (background) photographed from the writer’s balcony in the resort

It is a calming and yet thrilling experience to watch the scenic beauty in and around Dhanachuli. The sight of the Himalayan range, in particular, is spellbinding. One can see it clearly early in the morning, before the clouds, playing spoil sport, cover it. That is also the time when you watch some rare birds moving from one tree to another before flying out of sight.

Inaugurating the KLF, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, Mr Harish Rawat offers all kinds of help to the organisers. “You just have to ask. We shall do the needful but we shall stay in the background,” he says. When given a bouquet to hand over to the Pakistanis, he proves chivalrous enough to come down the stage to present the bunch of flowers to Ameena Saiyid.

Village children carrying firewood down the trail to the mandir below
Village children carrying firewood down the trail to the mandir below

As bad luck would have it, the Lahore-based 21-year-old Kanza Javed, whose debut novel Ashes, Wine and Dust was to be launched at the KLF cannot make it for she doesn’t get the visa. Later, we learn that the concerned ministry did not give a clearance to the Indian High Commission. Not the one to give up, Sumant Batra gets her on Skype. She makes a speech, answers questions and the book is launched.

The session on Partition sees the hall and the balcony packed with people. Maya Mirchandani, the Foreign Affairs Editor of NDTV, moderates the session, while myself, poet Menka Shivdisani and young Aanchal Malhotra speak enthusiastically on forgetting the past and working zealously to bring the people of the two countries together. At the end of the session I suggest that the jingoistic exercise of feet stamping at the time of the flag lowering at Wagah should be stopped. It is heart-warming to see that almost all people support the suggestion by raising their hands. Ameena Saiyid wins their approval too when she says that the so-called national songs should be replaced by cultural presentations.

On day four the action and the participants are shifted to Nainital. We are accommodated in the comfortable Shervani resort and the proceedings take place in the spacious premises of a large 145-year-old house owned by Janhavi Prasada’s family.

A rooftop picture of the resort and the ‘invasive’ mist
A rooftop picture of the resort and the ‘invasive’ mist

Twelve participants, including two Pakistanis, are invited to meet the Uttarakhand Governor at the imposing colonial building, which is where the highly cultured Dr Krishan Kant Paul stays when he is visiting Nainital, from the state capital Dehra Dun. The Amritsar-born Dr Paul speaks impeccable English and chaste Urdu with equal ease.

The organisers have brought a local touch to a wide variety of sessions, from folktales to local literature and from folk music to the culinary delights of the region.

It is also a great opportunity to make new friends. There is Jerry Pinto who enlivens all sessions whether he is sitting on the stage or among the audience. The young man who recites Urdu couplets at the drop of a hat is Dr Saif Mahmood, who is by profession a constitutional lawyer. Another highly eloquent person is Vikram Sampath, who has authored an invaluable book on the famous courtesan-cum-singer Gauhar Jaan. There are quite a few others, one of whom is the ever-smiling hostess Asha Batra.

Will we meet again and will I get another chance to feast on the lovely landscapes of Uttarakhand are questions to which, sadly, I have no answer.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine November 22nd, 2015

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