JIM CORBETT NATIONAL PARK: TANGO WITH A TIGRESS
Dhritiman Mukherjee (my friend and co-wanderer) planned a sudden expedition to Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, eager to encounter some spectacular species of wildlife. This famous reserve abounds in natural beauty.

As our jeep entered the gates, I heard the excited chatter of birds and the buzzing of bees. My senses tingled with the scent of the fresh earth and forest flowers. We were surrounded by towering sal, peepul and mango trees. It felt refreshing to be amongst all this greenery soon after my trip to the frozen, icy landscape of Vasuki Tal.

While I was absorbed in my musings, our jeep driver had spotted something extraordinary. The jeep came to a sudden halt, breaking my train of thought. I looked at the clearing ahead and saw a majestic Royal Bengal tigress, enjoying her siesta. She was snoring gently, completely unaware of our presence.

A yellow butterfly came flitting out of the forest and perched itself on the tigress. She flinched a little and the butterfly changed its position. The tigress opened her eyes and raised her head slowly. The butterfly now started flying around her head, determined to confuse her. The tigress used her paw to try and swat the pest away. We watched these unlikely companions play for a while. But when the butterfly flew away, the tigress turned her attention to us.

She looked at us with an intense gaze, as if trying to assess us. Then she put her head back on the ground, preparing to sleep again. We heaved a sigh of relief and the driver turned on the engine. The sound made the tigress spring up. With slow, steady steps, she started approaching us. I froze. I had never been in such close quarters with a wild animal. The jeep was open and there were only the three of us with our cameras. If the tigress wished, she could.... Dhritiman noticed my tense expression and whispered, “She probably wants water”. I nodded, not fully convinced.

The tigress continued walking as our driver kept moving in reverse. We were caught in this unusual tango for half a kilometre. Suddenly, she decided to walk off towards a freshwater lake nearby. We watched her drink and then saunter off into the woods. Even after this regal creature had left our presence, I could feel my heart pounding.

HIKKIM: WORLD’S ‘TOP’ POST OFFICE 
Our introduction to Himachal Pradesh was in a quaint settlement called Hikkim. This Himalayan hamlet is a small community of only 25 houses located around 16,000ft above sea level. A unique feature of this place is the presence of the world’s highest post office. The concept of getting mail by post has become outdated in the big cities. However, in Hikkim — where there is no access to the Internet — people have continued with this age-old method of keeping in touch.

The exterior of the post office is very simple. It is a small hut with white walls and a red postbox hanging outside. When we walked in, the postmaster, Rinchen Chhering, was waiting for us. We discovered that Rinchen had been the postmaster of this facility since its establishment. He was chosen at the young age of 22 because he had a bicycle and could run fast. Since then he has been delivering mail to the locals and monks of the region. For over 20 years he has worked alone. When I asked if he ever tires of his work pressure, he responded with a prompt “no”.

After a short pause he said, “But in the last five years, the volume of post has increased and I think it is time I asked the government for an assistant.” His statement left me astounded. I wrote letters to my friends and family in silence and watched him prep each letter meticulously for posting. He had single-handedly done all these tasks for over two decades. And after working alone for this lengthy period, he was just beginning to consider some form of assistance. I was completely in awe of this man, who had graciously accepted a challenging profession and stayed loyal to it for so many years.

TABO: MINGLING WITH THE MONKS
We continued our journey through the picturesque Himachal and made a few stops at some of the oldest monasteries in India. The first one on our list was Tabo Monastery, located in the Tabo village of Spiti Valley. This is the oldest monastery that has functioned continuously since its inception. Founded in 996 AD, this ancient structure is a hidden gem in the Himalayas.

The origin of most monasteries is high-altitude mountain caves. Initially, those pursuing monkhood would climb to these caves for the tranquil atmosphere. Later, these caves were converted into the rooms of a monastery.

The walls of the Tabo Monastery are adorned by inscriptions and artwork by the early cave-dwelling monks. Walking through this place of worship is similar to exploring an archaeological site.

We wandered through the numerous low-lit rooms that resembled the tomb in Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. One of the rooms was completely off limits to visitors. However the monks knew about our venture and allowed us in without our cameras. In the dim lantern light, we were able to decipher a large number of cubby holes lining all the walls. Inside each were ancient scriptures containing the secrets of Buddhism. We were allowed to touch these religious scrolls, but not to read them. The curiosity nearly killed me.

The monks informed us that a few years back, a large fire had consumed the entire monastery. A lot of antique scriptures and teachings were lost and the exterior was damaged. However, the monks saw this as an opportunity to rebuild and improve on the structure of the monastery. Rather than be shattered by the loss of their homes and religious texts, they had been inspired to create something new.

DHANKAR: FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES
From Tabo we trekked on to the Dhankar Monastery, curious to find out more about monks. The Dhankar Monastery is located at a height of 12,774ft and overlooks the village of Shichilling. We learnt that the monks and the villagers share a unique bond here. The villagers would come to this monastery, not only for worship but also for education. The monks made frequent trips to the village to offer their counsel and help with medical treatment and healing. The Dalai Lama had decided that monasteries had to do more than offer religious insights. So, monks offered their knowledge as friendly counsel to the villagers.

LANGZA: BRIDGE THE GAP
One of the people accompanying us on this trip was Dhritiman’s old friend Lara. He had helped Dhritiman spot his first snow leopard. Lara’s village, Langza, was located in an isolated valley. There are no roads connecting the village to the highway. This is because a huge gorge, about 250ft deep, lies between Langza and the main road.

The government had started construction on a bridge over the gorge a while back. But lack of sufficient funds forced them to abandon that venture. The villagers were stranded in their small settlement, which had no schools or hospitals.

To overcome this problem, the villagers built a ropeway across the gorge. Every day one person from the village of 40 was appointed to pull a basket tied to the rope. The residents of Langza would sit, stand and even hang from the small basket and cross the gorge to reach home. Sometimes they would load goods like cupboards, supplies, farm animals and bring them across to the village via the ropeway. They have operated this way for the last 16 years, just to help people travel across the gorge.

I was asked to sit in the metal basket and try this novel way of transportation. I sat in the middle of the basket, while a mother and her two children stood next to me along with four other men. The sides of the basket weren’t covered, allowing a bird’s-eye view of the drop. A man slowly started pulling us from the other side. I heard the basket creaking with our weight as it moved on the ropeway. When we reached the village, I felt a moment of relief. But I soon realised I would now be alone on my way back.

The little basket took off and I clung on tight. In the middle of the ride, the basket came to a halt. Dhritiman yelled that the person working the ropeway was resting his arm. As I hung over the gorge, petrified, I understood what everyday life in Langza really meant.

Shantanu Moitra is a music composer, author, an inveterate traveller and a dreamer. He has gone up mountains and trekked deserts. He is also a pro in the kitchen. Follow him on Twitter @ShantanuMoitra