Tirthan

five days by the river tirthan. where the himalayan foothills are a large dog whose patient belly one rests one's head on every night. as i have at every given opportunity in the mountains for the last seven years - i imagine the slow march of the five pandavas and their mother across the horizon, past the treeline - there, now there, now there. obedient file of five brothers, each of different mettle and different pater. the sixth brother - tormented child of the sun - denied.

1) river tirthan 2) stickerless apples 3) waking with the mountains
photos: amruta patil

slept alone at night in a flimsy shelter with wet ferns by my ear and overcast skies abovehead. which leaves me with the inevitable feeling that vanvaas was hardly a punishment. only an idiot city dweller could see it as that. Vanvaas, exile into the forest, was the ultimate relief, indulgence, a chance to mull and meditate, plot and bond, relax outside of curious prole gazes and be absolved of statesmanly and householders' duty. matt one's hair and drink of the river, emerge only with indra's weapon in hand!