Vashisht’s western ways
Roshni Johar

THE statue of sage Vashisht in an ancient temple in Vashisht village, 3 km from Manali, has remained unchanged for centuries. It is the world around it that has acquired a different look. A unique culture has emerged, created by foreign tourists and locals alike. Once a tiny and sleepy hamlet, Vashisht now bustles with activity. A dusty narrow road — used by Tata Sumo cabs laden with Indian tourists, foreigners on motorbikes, pedestrians, stray dogs and mooing cows — winds its way uphill to the temple, which is the hub of the village.

Foreigners flock to Vashisht in large numbers. Some come to enjoy the peace here, others come to take pleasure in opium, charas and ganja. Unlike Indian tourists who visit the place for sightseeing and taking a dip in sulphur springs in the temple, foreign tourists stay here for several days, and even come repeatedly.

They usually live in inexpensive lodging, and bathe (not necessarily daily) in temple’s hot water spring, free of cost. In contrast, Indian tourists like to live in well-furnished hotels, and choose from the more than 500 hotels situated in and around Manali. Locals in Kulu, Manali, Manikaran and the surrounding villages gladly take in foreigners as it brings them income. The foreigners too are happy with cheap lodging. It’s a familiar sight to see foreigners drive around countryside on hired motorbikes, available at Rs 200 to Rs 300 per day.

Foreigners prefer to eat in the few ‘German bakeries’, which have sprung up to cater to their tastes. Cinnamon rolls, apple strudels, coconut and chocolate macaroons, assorted cakes and breads are available at a reasonable price. There are a number of eateries which serve Italian, Israeli, continental, Chinese and Indian food apart from dishing up English breakfast, Tibetan momos, ‘omlets’ and ‘cofi.’ These eating joints have quaint names like Green Peace, World Peace Cafe, Blue Heaven and Little Tibet. A foreigner even ran a restaurant here for a year till he fell ill.

Vashisht boasts of all the trappings to lure a westerner. It has a couple of Ayurvedic body massage joints. An enterprising foreigner, finding them expensive, now runs his own massage salon for both men and women. Another one has opened an ayurvedic health club in Naggar. Precious and semi precious stone jewellery, books, artefacts, faded thankas and Gujarati tie ‘n’ dye garments peep out from dusty glass panes of shops. Hoardings of visa cards, travel agents stare at you. There’s a jyotish kendra too. Indeed, peace has become a commercial commodity here.

While desi tourists make a beeline to Rohtang La, most western tourists like to trek in the snow-capped mountainous area. Peter Van Ham, a German, wrote and extensively filmed Himachal’s tribal belt. Some tourists just bask in the sun, while others keep company of sadhus, and even dress up like them. They have their hair matted and foreheads smeared with vermilion. Many, reportedly, are engaged in narcotic trade. Local women too are being used as drug carriers. Recently, a woman resident of Jari in Kulu district was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh for possessing 2.6 kg of charas.

The authorities claim that at least 10 per cent of the foreigners stay back in Kulu-Manali. In fact almost every village has a westerner married to a Pahari. The foreigners who stay back adapt well to rural life: they wear the local attire, speak the local dialect, and even turn vegetarian. Indian spouses look for easy flow of foreign currency and greener pastures abroad, while the westerners are content with the easy pace of life.

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