Healing Hideaway by Bindiya Murgai: Outer Journeys

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Sunday 6 April 2014

Picture Guide to Ooty Market

16:59:00 by Healing Hideaway

The most amazing discoveries, vibrant colors and pulsating energy, often lies in the local bazaars or markets of different places. The local market at Ooty is a perfect example. Just a little off Commercial Road, is this maze of bustling lanes that you simply must explore when you are in Ooty. Soak in its sights, sounds, aromas and colors. Discover. Enjoy. Smile. Let the place unravel through its bazaar.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Bylane, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: If you are a woman, buy some flowers for your hair. It's a nice, feminine local tradition to embrace while you're here

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Bylane, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: Make some fresh chili flakes with these chilies. They have a tasty, sharp sting

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Bylane, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: Keep your eyes open for some indigenous public art and graffiti, like the Indian Flag on the wall in the pic.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Bananas, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: There is a huge variety of bananas available here. Take one of each type and enjoy the subtle differences in the texture and flavor. Once you are done, take the peel and run it on your teeth. It's a great whitener. Then use the non-stringy inside part to shine up your leather shoes. And finally, bury the peel an inch or two inside a plant's base. It provides high nutrients to plants.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Nazarpattoos (Evil Eye Masks), Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: These colorful masks are put outside the house to ward off the evil eye.

Pick one or a few in different colors and use them to make a funky mask wall.
These also make great kitsch gifts to carry home.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai
Lime and Coconuts, Ooty Market
Soul Sherpa Tip: Drink lime in tea or warm water. It's great for your metabolism, cures hangovers and regular consumptions improves your overall health. You can also rub the juice on your armpits as it works as a good , natural deodorant.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Lady selling greens, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: The freshest and most delicious greens for a nice soup, stir fry or salad.
This lady vendor is very friendly. Just smile at her and even if you don't speak Tamil, she'll give you the best stuff at bargain prices.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Coconuts, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: Add an extra punch to your smoothies by blending in some grated coconut. Or sprinkle it on cereals, salads, sprouts or boiled gram.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Banana Leaves , Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: Steam your fish in these to retain moisture and add a subtle. You can also use these as plates or pack your picnic food in them. Cool. Eco friendly. And very hygienic.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Veggie Shop, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: There are 2 common varieties. One for cooking and the other for salads.
Chop a few and serve raw with fresh Oregano, a sprinkling of celery salt and roasted garlic flakes.
Or make a delicious fruit salad with chunks of tomatoes, watermelon, papayas and mint.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Carrots, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: The Nilgiris has some of the country's most delicious carrots.

Eat them raw or make a bucket of thin, crunchy carrot chips. Serve with a yogurt dip. Totally yummy!

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Rope Shop, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: Take your favorite neon colored rope and use vertical strands to create a funky curtain or partition in a room. Or wrap neatly around flower pots to make a colorful statement.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Cattle Ornaments, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: Wrap these in your hair to create a super cool, bohemian look. Tie two together to create a waist belt. Or use them as add-on accessories on a large bag. Simply love the shells and pompoms. You also get a version with small tinkling bells.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Sleepy Dog Square, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: Let sleeping dogs lie :)

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Mounted posters of Hindu Gods & Goddesses, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: Buy the square tiles and use them to break the monotony of a plain wall.
If you love kitsch, you could cover an entire wall with these, and keep the others completely plain.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Artificial Flowers, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: Take a few meters of the blindingly colorful flower strands and string them around the house when you're having a party. Throw in some Chinese Lanterns and candles, play some Jazz and Voila! You have totally stunning, whimsy decor for your do!

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Banana & Palm Tree Decorations, Ooty Market

Soul Sherpa Tip: These are used on auspicious events like festivals, pujas (prayer ceremonies) and weddings. They are meant to ward of the evil and usher in the good. Take a few. Put them at your entrance and let the good vibes flow!

Monday 24 March 2014

Picture Guide to Coonoor Market

17:39:00 by Healing Hideaway

Coonoor is a sweet little planter's town in the Blue Mountains, also known as the Nilgiris. The bazaar or market here is a 3 minute walk from the train station and is most definitely worth a stroll when you're in the vicinity. If you are a tourist, please don't go hoping to do some amazing shopping to take back home. Unlike Ooty, this is a bazaar that caters to the needs of the locals only.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Nazarpattus or Evil Eye Deflectors :) These are put above doors and at entrances to ward off the evil eye

The Coonoor market is a fascinating cluster of tiny lanes, that blowout with color and commodities. Farm fresh produce, meats, groceries, clothes (no big brands-- just stuff for the locals), hardware, garden equipment, animal ornaments and other things that you need to lead a comfortable life in the Nilgiris. If kitsch is your thing though, and you have a good eye, you could pick up some interesting knick knacks like shockingly bright plastic bags and baskets that can be used as funky handbags. Or to stack towels or even flowers in them. There are also some cool nazarpattus or decorations that ward off the evil eye. Weather you believe in them or not, they are nice to look at and you could find a place for them on a nice colored wall at home. I also especially like the cattle ornaments. They are a really nice element to use as a big embellishment on a brass pot, a bag or even your hair, if you wear them long.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Another thing to pick up at the market is some fresh fruit. Don't miss the bananas as there is a shop that only specializes in stocking a huge variety of them. Sample as many as you can! If you have your own kitchen, then go for the amazing vegetables. The variety is mind blowing and I am still learning their names, as I have not seen many of them in north India. There's one shop that only sells greens and they are absolutely delightful.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

The lovely banana shop. And yes, you get them in all these colors. The image is not Photoshopped!

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

For the meat eaters, the market is quite an unexpected paradise. Everything from fresh chicken, beef and mutton is available here. The shopkeepers are happy to give you a variety of cuts and are quite skilled at doing so, as the local planters have a legacy of proudly carrying their discerning palates to their meat plates. Also, on the whole, people here absolutely love their meats. Especially the red meats. A word of caution though. I almost fainted the first time I walked through the meaty part of the market. The butcher shops here hang the full carcasses on display and one can often see people carrying one on their back, through the streets. It's bloody business and if you don't have the stomach for it, steer clear from this part.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Latif's Chicken Shop. Claim to fame: Only chicken shop that sells chicken lollipops!

As for the fish-o-philes, it can't get better than this in the entire Nilgiris. Fresh catch is regularly flown in from the nearby coast of Kerala and there is a vast choice of fish available. Prawns and crabs are also easy to grab, but don't expect anything more eclectic than that. No shellfish, scallops, oysters etc simply because the locals don't seem to have an appetite for those things! They do seem to love their dry fish though and it's amply available here.

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Fresh Catch: Eels

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Fresh Catch

Am going to leave you with a few more pictures that'll give you flashes of what you'll find. The rest -- you go and explore :)

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Decorations for cattle, with shells, pompoms and rope

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Bright Blue Stove

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Even the plastic chairs are in electric colors

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Dog outside the meat shop

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Clothes for sale

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Tailor Shop

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Cat on the Chicken's Shop's Roof: Permanent Resident

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Combs to Match Your Slippers

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Slippers to Match Your Combs :)

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Lotus Lamp

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Decorations for Parties

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Large Cans

Photo: Bindiya Murgai

Plastic Pots. A color for every day of the week.

Friday 21 March 2014

Ancient Himalayan Practices That Are Still Alive

15:32:00 by Healing Hideaway

This is Tsering Tsendup. He’s 58 years old and lives in a really remote settlement in Khale, which is a good three hours walk from the nearest village. There are only 3-4 houses here and these are surrounded by pasture land in the summer and heavy snow in the winter.

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Tsering is married and has three children. A son and two daughters. He’s a farmer but since farming can only happen for 3-4 months in Spiti, due to the intense cold and snow, all that he grows is for their own consumption. In the winter, like most Spitians, Tsering and his wife do weaving and brew homemade liquor to keep themselves warm. Life is based on sustenance rather than profit, like it was thousands of years ago, and as a result, finances are meager. But like with most people in Spiti, what they lack in monies is hugely superceded by their wealth of human character. Nowhere else have I ever met people even remotely dignified, generous, ethical, spiritual and kind. Their hearts are like the open sky, and if they have just one piece of bread and a cup of butter tea, they are happy to share it with you. Tsering and his family are just the same too.

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Tsering’s elder daughter is in college, while the younger one is a Bhuddhist nun or chomo, in Dharamsala. His son is a farmer, just like him and is now married and living in his village.

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Photo: Tsering Bodh

Edited by: Bindiya Murgai

Spiti has various familial traditions that have been carried on for centuries. For example, the eldest son gets all the land, the eldest daughter, all the jewelry, and at least one of the others are sent to join a monastery or pursue religious practice. The others are educated, if the family has the means to do so. Also, when the eldest son gets married, his wife and children technically become the new occupants of the ancestral or parent’s home, known as the Khangjen. All the farming land also becomes soley theirs. The parents and other elders then move to a much smaller house called the Khinjung. Something like an ancient version of a retirement or old peoples home, but just for the family. Unfortunately, Tsering and his wife have not been able to muster enough resources to build their Khinjung still. They are hoping to do so this summer, failing which they’ll move in with their elders for a while.

If you are reading this, send Tsering Tsendup and his wife, Tsering Oksal your best wishes and blessings so they can have their own home this summer.

Currently, they are in Kaza, lending a hand to their relatives, who are running short on manpower. That’s where these pictures were taken. Here, Tsering is making rope out of sheep wool. Neither the tradition of making rope at home, nor the rudimentary techniques used to make it, have changed over centuries. In fact, what binds ancient times to now, is that this exceptionally strong rope is as useful to the Spitians today as it was in earlier times. And it continues to be made at home.

Trivia: Tsering is a Tibetan name that means ‘Long Life.’ It’s a popular name for both boys and girls as it is gender neutral.

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Sunday 6 April 2014

Picture Guide to Ooty Market

Monday 24 March 2014

Picture Guide to Coonoor Market

Friday 21 March 2014

Ancient Himalayan Practices That Are Still Alive

Bindiya Murgai

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