Rikhi Ram

For almost 18 years now, I have been frequenting an amazing musical instrument store in Delhi called "Rikhi Ram". What was astounding to me is that Sanjay, Rikhi's great-grandson, still remembers me. First thing he says when I walk into the shop is, "Ravi-ji (Pandit Ravi Shankar) hasn't been here in one and a half years... he's not traveling to India now."

Sanjay is a master instrument builder, which many consider to be the "Martin" guitar version of the sitar, tambura and sarod. I learn of Rikhi Ram's passing this past spring at age 78 and recall how gracious he always was. We talk of hanging out with Ravi, Sukanya, Anoushka, George, Olivia and Dhani backstage at the Barbican in London in July of '98. Sanjay and I were both there along with the late (and wonderful) book publisher Brian Roylance.

I ended up playing many of the stringed instruments in the shop while we traded gossip on various Indian musicians. While I pluck away, he builds the bridge on a sitar. He asks about Zakir & Ali Akbhar Khan and we discuss Alla Rakha. There is a big picture of Nikhil Banerjhee on the wall which spurns me into gushing about what unique emotional sensibilities he had as a musician. Sanjay smiles and nods in agreement, "He was one of a kind."

We spent the rest of the time trying to plan out a half-scale guitar/sarod hybrid. And as I switch to the funky half scale guitar, I begin bastardizing Felix Mendelssohn (I've been on a classical kick lately)... I switch to trying to play Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3.

Rikhi Ram's shop is a legacy amongst all the great Indian classical musicians. I'm prompted to recall the great story that Rikhi Ram-ji told me many years ago when The Beatles came into the very shop which I am sitting. They had just returned from their disastrous appearance in the Philippines in 1966 and were routed through India on the way back for 2 days. Two black Cadillac limos pull up and out step the Fabs themselves.

The window was lined with curious seekers who are not quite sure who these guys were. There's the famous set of photos on the wall documenting this momentous occasion and Sanjay insists that I photograph the pictures to share with friends back home. It felt damn great to be surrounded by such a warm and familiar place in Delhi's sea of chaos, let alone having a chance to spend a few hours entertaining the master craftsman with my infernal tootling while he builds master works of art. Extreme silliness indeed...

Happy 60th Anniversary India!

Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of India's independence from Britain. I spent much of the day (as well as the evening before) hanging out with some friends in Delhi. Pankaj and his family were preparing for a huge pool side party complete with drinks (mainly Kingfisher beer & Indian whiskey) as well as an enormous spread of Indian food delicacies that were superior. Thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with the extended family and being continuously asked whether I was a diplomat (because of my use/pronunciation of the Hindi language). Most of the day, the skyline was filled with thousands of kites, which provided a keen backdrop to this ancient metropolis. Nonetheless, it was quite a hoot to participate in the festivities.

You come here often?

I've often said that traveling to exotic places like India and meeting fellow travelers out of their normal daily environments can be extremely revealing. The other morning I woke at 5am to attend a Buddhist pujah (prayer ceremony) at one of Ladakh's most amazing gompas (temples) called Thiksey Monastery.

I hire a driver to take me there as it's far out in the Indus Valley. The juxtaposition of the Indus River, the Great Himalaya snow-capped range and the wandering pilgrims on the pencil thin military highway is an amazing thing to watch the sun rise to. We drive up a steep and very long drive to Thiksey, which stands like the Potala in Lhasa - a presence to be reckoned with.

I walk through the gorgeous front gates only to see a Western-looking person arguing with the elder monk (he's got to be in his 80's). Person "x" clearly has their knickers in a twist and begins to scream at the monk. Hunkering closer, my curiosity gets the best of me - why would this person scream at a man like this? The monk & I soon lock eyes.

The monk says to person "x", "You cannot enter the monastery dressed like that". He's right, every idiot knows out of respect that you don't dress like you are about to lay on a tanning bed when entering a place of holy splendor. Any Hindi or Muslim place of worship would turn you away quicker than a shooting star if you showed up dressed like this. No doubt.

The vibe becomes a little too much to bear. Person "x" continues to scream (strange overtone for a place about to have a peaceful pujah) - borderline pulling their hair out when the monk beams a huge soulful smile. The monk firmly says, "Surely you wouldn't enter your church at home dressed like that". I instinctively laugh, the monk laughs, and person "x"'s screaming rant immediately stops and then stomps off.

The elder monk and I proceed to talk about the history of Thiksey. He's awesome, courteous, helpful and smart... we easily understand each other with generous smiles and happy vibes. He's a good egg. Sheesh, there's always one cook trying to spoil the broth, isn't there?

The desert in the sky

Jammu & Kashmir is an amalgam of 3 contrasting regions: Buddhist Ladakh, Muslim Kashmir & Hindu Jammu. Since it lies in India's most troubled region, the military presence is very strong here. Permits are required to go virtually everywhere due to the pressures with neighboring Pakistan, Tibet and China.

Nature is not very generous here. My lungs have been working overtime for days. Ladakh, besides being one of India's most culturally diverse areas, is also a very precious ecosystem with altitudes of nearly 20,000 feet. In short, it is literally a desert in the sky.

As the red blood cells increase and the signs of altitude decrease, I am feeling quite cosy in this remote Himalayan region. My secret recipe for altitude is - at least 3 liters of water per day, multi-vitamins, Omega-3, light high carbohydrate meals, 320mg's of aspirin every 8 hours for the first 48 hours. Fortunately, I've always had great luck with altitude and feel like I could run sprint up Mount Tamalpais at this point.

As I have been hitting the lesser known roads here, I am finding a stark combination of absolute wonder and incredibly harsh climates (I've seen more than a few bite the dust from the altitude). It's one of those places that you can get sun stroke & frost bite in the same sentence. Still, the people are amazing and worth every hassle that this desert in the sky throws my way.