Author at Pangong Lake (14,350 feet)
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My objectives at Leh, were to address co-ordinators and teachers of the "Sarva Siksha Abhiyan" on "Learning can be fun" and "High altitude stress management through ZeNLP ( a combination of zen meditation and Neuro Linguistic Programming ). Being a strict vegan (no animal products including wool, leather, meat, milk, milk products or eggs), I planned to face the biting cold with sambhalpuri kurtas, khadi jackets and cotton earplugs. I also planned some high altitude solo treks, armed with apricots, walnuts and assorted dry fruits. I also carried herbal tea-bags. Only biodegradable stuff would accompany me on this eco-tourism trek. My meditation tapes, walkman and camera were neatly packed into my rugsack.
By the first meaningful coincidence, I met a group of senior M.E. S. officers, who were staying at my tourist bungalow, who were going to Pangong lake on an excursion. I befriended Col. Jain, through my expertise in palmistry and was invited to join their group for the trip. I willingly agreed and had a memorable visit to Pangong lake, within 24 hours of having landed at Leh airport!
At the tourist bungalow, I kept insisting that I was a vegan and did not consume milk or any milk products in addition to being vegetarian and not consuming or using any products of animal origin. The Ladakhi's immediate question to me was, "Are you an Aryan?" When I replied that I was from Kerala, the caretaker at the JKTDC tourist bungalow explained to me that on the border between Leh and Kargil, there were a handful of villages where pure Aryans lived. These Aryans, did not rear cows or hens and did not consume milk or any milk products, in addition to not eating eggs, fish or meat. As these villages were located in inaccessible areas, surrounded by barren hills and at heights of over 15,000 feet, very few outsiders had visited or stayed at length with these Aryans.