CHALO KASOL!
Chennaibased photographer Ganesh V went on a trip to Himachal Pradesh. His photo series called ‘ Faces’ shows how the people of the region are so deeply rooted in their heritage and tradition
I’ve gone on plenty of trips as part of work, but hadn’t done a non- commercial photography sojourn. So I decided I wanted to go to some locale which is beautiful and more importantly peaceful— Dharamsala and Kasol were two perfect options. I spent weeks researching about the places and set out along with a few of my friends.
We stayed in Dharamsala for a day, and got a chance to soak in the Tibetan way of life. Their traditions and monasteries are a lot different from what we see in south India, in the sense that they’re more subtle. I felt as though I had reached a Zen state of mind! After our stay there, we rented a car ( the driver conveniently fell asleep in the back seat), but I got a chance to drive. The journey from Dharamsala to Kasol is around 200- odd kilometres, with the gushing river and a steep drop on one side, and boulders jutting out from the other. I had to drive through a four- kilometre long tunnel, and when it finally ended, I saw some breath- taking sights. I was just happy enjoying that moment, instead of taking pictures or sharing it with anybody.
Once we reached Kasol, I met a bunch of people and asked them how long they’d been there for — “About 15 days,” said one guy while the other corrected him — “You’ve been here for a year man!” That’s when I knew that everybody visiting this Himachali town is in a totally different state of mind; it almost felt like they didn’t even belong to this world. We finally found a great accommodation for just ` 200 a night, with an amazing view of the hills and Parvati Valley. That night we decided to witness the world- famous ‘ forest parties’ of Kasol, and trekked uphill for nearly two hours, just following a trail of tissue papers stuck on trees, to get to the venue. It was mad! People from various countries and all walks of life had gathered there, just to listen to music and enjoy themselves. When I was interacting with them, I realised that the hustle and bustle of daily life doesn’t bother them at all — they’re just happy being alive
for that day!
I love talking to people and observing them, so during my visit to Kasol, Malana and Manikaran, I captured a series of photos called ‘ Faces’ — the appearance tell stories about people’s age, their ethnic background and more. Himachali people are beautiful, so I’m glad I got to create this series. Each town has a story behind it — for example, Malana has a very strict set of rules and they don’t follow Indian law. Outsiders are not allowed inside the locals’ homes, they’re not allowed to touch the residents or even go inside the temples — they believe they’re direct descendants of Alexan der The Great , and hence don’t want to be ‘ polluted’. I learnt a lot from this trip, and am sure I’ll go back there soon. Just thinking about Himachal Pradesh gives me goosebumps till date! ( As told to Arpitha Rao)