Mahendra meets the Buddhist culture and the Transhimalayan landscape in Ladakh, the Indus Valley and walking in the mountains of the Stok Range.
My trip to Ladakh last summer reminded me of the communities around Osho, especially the Ranch. The remoteness of the area, the barren land, a country focussed on spiritual practice, people trying to create a sustainable and self-sufficient system in order to survive within their particular culture, independently from the main stream.
While from Rajneeshpuram we were forced to leave after less than five years, the people in the Himalayan altitudes managed to keep their place for a few centuries. Luckily, they are a part of India, and not China, or the US.
So come along with me on a little trip to Leh and the Stok mountain range! Juley, juley! (as the Ladhakis greet you everywhere.)
I’ve put a lot of work into this video, but I felt it would be worth the effort if the viewer can sense the tranquil, serene and mystical atmosphere of Ladakh.
I don’t know how representative the video is for the whole area, but according to our guides, there are two components to this country:
There is the Indus valley with the largest settlements, the biggest monasteries, with roads and modern technology on the one hand and on the other, the remote areas where there are no cars or telephones and you feel like living in medieval times. Both components can be seen in the film. For the Western traveller, the remote areas far away from civilisation are, of course, stunning. You immediately drop into a state of meditativeness with the wind, rivers and birds – the only sounds around.
But technology is catching on fast. You can see the TV in our guide’s family home. We were all excited about the beautiful traditional farmhouse and its ancient furniture, but the owners were more proud of their TV and wanted us to watch some kind of Ladhaki soap opera during lunch.
If you feel attracted go soon, don’t postpone for next life. I believe, visiting holy places like these may actually help us ‘finishing it all’ in this life.
Mahendra (aka Ananya) grew up in Munich; after school he travelled overland to India and took sannyas in Pune. He ran the Vihan Center in Berlin, was a guard in the ashram, a DJ around the world, and also worked on the Ranch, video recording and more. Since 1993 he has been working in IT, video production, as a DJ, event organizer and chanter – and loves mountain hikes. www.planetoflove.net – vimeo.com
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