18 Travel

April 2-8, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Secret lives of Brok-Pa Aryans in Kargil

There are about 1,000 descendants of these pure Aryans, who live scattered around Gilgit,
Hunza, Kargil and Leh. They are nature worshippers and believe in Brog-Pa traditions and
celebrate the Bononah (Nature) festival and are strict vegans.
By Murli Menon

spent one week to study the

I secret lives of these pure

Aryans living at Kargil in
October 2004. I maintained a
detailed diary of my visit and
would like to share the experi-
ence I had with one of the most
fascinating tribes of India. My
destinations were the villages of
Dah and Beema (pronounced
Beama) in Leh district and the
villages of Garkun and Darchik
in Kargil district. I planned to
trek and visit the most inaccessi-
ble pockets of these villages and
spend quality time with this his-
toric tribe. Being a strict vegan
and practitioner of ZeNLP medi-
tations, I decided to meditate The author with one of the Aryans, and his photographs of others.
and chant regularly during my through a combination of sign traditions and celebrate the ed potatoes, spring onions, Misken Soman, Shirin
uphill sojourn. language, body language, eye Bononah (Nature) festival and boiled cauliflower and wild Konshkit, Tsering Dolma,
We rose early and started our movements and facial expres- are strict vegans. These pure mint. Women cooked in an open Sonam Dolma, Sonam Lamo,
jeep safari at 7:00 a.m. The jour- sions, I tried to create rapport Aryans observe taboos against hearth. Tashi Panma, Tsering Chospel,
ney was as pleasurable as the with this hostile Aryan, who told cows and hens and do not eat The next week, I trekked to Chewen Dolma, Tsering Nurbu
destination. The 130 km drive me that my visit to Dah in their flesh, eggs or consume the other Aryan villages includ- and Tsering Jorphel. One of the
along the Indus took us through September was not welcome. I milk or milk products. Hens and ing Baldes, Samit, Garkun, ladies I photographed at Dah
the villages of Khalatse (pro- was the only occupant of the cows are not kept. Darchik and Hanu. The popula- could be mistaken for a German
nounced Khalsi), Dumkhar, guest house and I handed over This minuscule community tion of these Brok-pa Aryans tourist. She was blonde, had
Skurbuchan, Achinathang and my inner line permit and letter bars both their men and women could not be more than a few blonde eyebrows, high cheek
Hanuthang. We crossed several from the collector Mr. Satish from marrying non-Aryans and thousand. Surprisingly, they bones, rotund face and unmis-
high peaks before reaching Nehru to Thondup. After set- polygamy and polyandry are have maintained their racial takable German features.
Beema (14,350 feet). Every tling in my room, I went out but common. Couples who do not purity over 5000 years and con- One of the most fascinating
photograph we clicked en route found few shops. The view from conceive are free to choose tinue to practise nature worship aspects of the lives of these
resembled a picture postcard. my room was picturesque and other partners. 80% Aryans in one of the most hostile ter- Aryans is a belief in prophecies
We played soothing music for the gurgle of the Indus like marry in their own villages, rains at altitudes above 15000 and the recording of dreams.
relaxation throughout this seven music. while 20% marry in neighboring feet, subsisting on a vegan diet. Most elderly Aryans, meet in the
hour drive over rugged terrain. The next morning, I was sum- villages. They worship the Music and dance are a way of morning at the Juniper grove
The first glimpse of the Indus moned to the sarpanch's house Juniper tree (Cilgi Deuha). Two life for these Aryans. Both men and discuss their dreams as if
from miles away was a divine for a purification ritual. I had to 500 years old Juniper trees and women wear colorful tradi- nature was communicating to
and spiritual experience. A trek 10 km over mountain crown the village of Dah, where tional costumes, decorating their them through the language of
speck of light blue amidst sand streams, rock and stone to reach the tri-annual Bononah festival hair with colorful flowers and dreams.
dunes, rocks and stone. It resem- his house in Laisthiang village. is held on a full moon night dur- are full of joie de vivre. They The fresh mountain air, the
bled a stream nestling in the Thondup had sent two tough ing October. They symbolically live in harmony with nature, are crystal clear water of the moun-
palm of Nature's hand. The clos- looking escorts who accompa- draw energy from these ancient cheerful and stress free in spite tain streams, the nutritious
er we got to the river, the more nied me to the top. It took us Juniper trees by hugging them of living in small rock shelters. vegan diet, trance music, chanti-
beautiful it looked. We finally almost two hours to reach. The after a ceremonial dance. They Both men and women trek ng, dream ceremonies and tree
arrived at Beema. The ice cold landscape began to change and a also respect the swastika symbol long distances. Almonds, apri- worship could be responsible for
bath on the turbulent waters of canopy of green could be seen. (clockwise) and Om. cots and walnuts are part of their the survival of this miniscule
this river steeped in history, Walnut and apricot trees The trek to Dah from Beema diet along with endless cups of community, living in an
calmed my body, mind and soul. stretched across the horizon and to visit the sacred juniper groves black tea fortified with barley Himalayan Shangri-La.
The tranquility experienced the fields were full of grain, took us three hours. It was a flour. The weather in September One of the Aryan folk songs
while meditating on its banks, ready to be harvested. dangerous trek, as we crossed is pleasantly cold, though tem- (creation myths) sung at the
on a bed of round pebbles I found out later that the staple several craggy peaks, holding peratures in January can plum- Bononah festival is translated as
resembling marbles was inde- food of these Aryans was barley, on to tiny crevices to haul our- met to minus 20 degrees C. follows: In the beginning there
scribable. grown in these terraced fields selves up. We could hear gunfire There are an unusually large was water all over the earth and
There is a self-imposed prohi- and irrigated by the mountain across the Indo-POK border. My number of Aryans above the age some of it froze. Dust settled on
bition in these Brok-Pa (Ladakhi streams that rush to meet the inner line permit was checked at of 70. Many of them are active this patch of ice. Later, a small
word for Aryan or white skin) Indus flowing below. The ascent the army post. I hugged the even at 90. Their most striking patch of grass appeared on the
villages. The sarpanch had was rather steep and the altitude ancient juniper trees to soak in feature is their looks. Their blue frozen patch and soon, a juniper
empowered the women to nearly 17,000 feet. I kept replen- their energy. eyes, aristrocratic noses, round tree sprouted from the earth.
ensure that no alcohol was ishing my body fluids by drink- The energy aura of these trees eyes, fair complexion and flaw- The whole universe was created
brought from Leh by locals, ing lots of natural mineral water was phenomenal giving you a less skin, made them ethnically by Chag (Fire), Ser (Water) and
tourists or outsiders. After a from the countless streams that new vigour in each and every distinct from Ladakhis or Yun (Earth).
thorough frisking of my bag by crossed on our way. cell of your body. Kashmiris. They restrict their Murli Menon is a stress man-
three women resembling Greek Presently there are about 1000 I then visited a few of the eld- contact with the outside world agement consultant based in
goddesses, they let me enter the descendants of these pure erly Aryans. They still observe and are happy in their isolated Ahmedabad. He is the author of
PWD guest house. Here I met Aryans, who live scattered their taboos of intoxicating sub- existence. Married women braid "ZeNLP-the power to succeed"
my first Aryan, the chowkidar around Gilgit, Hunza, Kargil stances, milk, eggs and meat. I their hair, which makes them published by Sage publications.
named Sonam Thondup. He and Leh. They are nature wor- shared a meal with them consist- resemble Greeks. Some of the He can be reached at
knew a smattering of Hindi and shippers and believe in Brog- pa ing of barley rotis, lettuce, roast- families I stayed with include [email protected].