We are almost at the halfway point of 2021. The summer solstice is behind us and hopefully the worst of our recent afflictions. But enough of that, let us talk about the future - the hopes and dreams that fuel it. The concept of a future is perhaps what makes us humans giving us the unparalleled ability among all life to endure. One such story of endurance is a modern epic and Shackleton tells a story that matters the most.
We are not the ones to live in labels, that too when dealing with forces of nature that are beyond ethics, yet the saga as old as time, of good and evil, has a certain allure we cannot dismiss. Hemis Festival of Ladakh is a celebration of this. Closed doors are intriguing and some are pretty hard to pry open, we spy on the exclusive member’s only hotels from across the world, the most improbable places under our noses! Speaking of the improbable, even you could not make it to the Hemis Festival, Ladakh as a destination never disappoints.
Here’s to the future
Ashish
A deep dive into a story that's arcane, thoughtful, and sometimes humorous!
History is written by victor they say, but we respectfully disagree. It is worded by survivors who leave invaluable lessons as legacy, beyond just the euphoria of glory. The world is a better place for it, be it the Zion movement or the uncountable number of refugees who tear away from their war-torn homeland in search of the promised paradise. Amongst such powerful narratives, one tale stands taller than all else.
The Hemis Festival
One such is the 300-year old celebration instituted by the Hemis Monastery to celebrate the momentary victory of good over evil, or at least of summer over the winter in case of Ladakh, in the infinite saga.
Lord Padmasambhava, founder of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism fought the forces of evil on his path to enlightenment and the Hemis Gompa Monastery, patronized by the then ruling Namgyal Dynasty of Ladakh instituted the festival which brings forth the best that Ladakh has to offer in an immersive and engaging display of culture.
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Stories of Adventure and Survival
Movies are supposed to be suspensions of disbelief and Vertical Limit achieves perfection in this. The hanging-by-a-fingernail mountain-climbing sequences are spectacular. The cliffhanger is such a primal movie experience that it can turn the most sophisticated moviegoer into a writhing 12-year-old.
Amidst a nuclear war, a plane carrying a group of schoolboys crash lands on a deserted island. With no adult survivors, the boys are forced to fend for themselves. At first, they cooperate, but when they split into two separate camps, one led by the pragmatic Ralph (James Aubrey) and the other by militaristic Jack (Tom Chapin), their society falls into disarray, leading to a disturbing examination of human nature and a chilling conclusion.
Exclusive Member's only Hotels
With a growing concern of privacy redoubled by the recent concerns brought on by the pandemic, the club-hotel concept is gaining ground again and they are going exclusive, members-only,
by invite mode - making them bastions of exclusivity and privacy, in other words, improbable places to get to, even if just around the corner! Here we explore a few of them in India and away.
The loudness of a person's car is almost always directly proportionate to their self-importance.
Love from South Africa!
The national dish of South Africa is a delicious mixture of curried meat and fruit with a creamy golden topping, reminding one of mousaka from the Mediterranean.
Perhaps there is a connection. The origins of the name and the dish itself are highly contested.
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Ladakh is the land beyond the Himalayas. On a visit to this remote, majestic outpost of India, Vikram and Aditya camp out on the lofty Changtang plateau. Here they meet a young Tibetan boy named Tsering. But Tsering is unexpectedly abducted and Aditya pulls off a daring rescue. Suddenly Vikram and Aditya are on the run. On the frozen plateau, often referred to as the "roof of the world", the schoolboys play a dangerous game of hide-and-seek with a band of mysterious determined men.
Traversing the barren wastes of Ladakh, the story moves to the mountain-city of Leh. Who is Tsering? Why is he being chased with such fierce resolve? Discover the fascinating secret of Tsering in this fast-moving adventure tale. "Ladakh Adventure" is another enthralling VikramAditya story, set in a wonderous land of startling contrasts and magnificent mountains.
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