Lower Himalayan Range The Lower Himalayan Range, also called the Lesser Himalayas and Mahabharat Lekh or Himachal, is one of the four parallel sub-ranges of the Himalayas. It has the Great Himalayas to the north and the Sivalik Hills to the south. It extends from t ...

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago, made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a mari ...

Lower Himalayan Range The Lower Himalayan Range, also called the Lesser Himalayas and Mahabharat Lekh or Himachal, is one of the four parallel sub-ranges of the Himalayas. It has the Great Himalayas to the north and the Sivalik Hills to the south. It extends from t ...

Kullu Kullu () is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about north of the airport ...

thukpa Thukpa ( Tibetan: ཐུག་པ; IPA: /tʰu(k̚)ˀ˥˥.pə˥˥/ ) is a Tibetan noodle soup, which originated in the eastern part of Tibet. ''Amdo thukpa'', especially '' thenthuk'', is a variant among the Indians, especially Ladakhis and the ...

tandoor A tandoor ( or ) is a large vase-shaped oven, usually made of clay. Since antiquity, tandoors have been used to bake unleavened flatbreads, such as roti (as well as leavened ones, such as naan) and to roast meat. Tandoors are predominantly use ...

Kullu Valley Kullu Valley is a broad open valley in Himachal Pradesh, India, formed by the Beas River between Manali and Larji. This valley is famous for its temples, beauty and its majestic hills covered with pine and deodar forest and sprawling apple or ...

Parvati Valley Parvati Valley is a Himalayan valley situated in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. From the confluence of the Parvati River with the River Beas, the valley runs eastwards, through a steep-sided valley from the town of Bhuntar, i ...

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

Himachal Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

Kangra Valley Kangra Valley is a river valley situated in the Western Himalayas.Rewalsar, where the Buddhist community has come together to celebrate the birthday of the Great Master

Padmasambhava Padmasambhava ('Born from a Lotus'), also known as Guru Rinpoche ('Precious Guru'), was a legendary tantric Buddhist Vajracharya, Vajra master from Oddiyana. who fully revealed the Vajrayana in Tibet, circa 8th – 9th centuries... He is consi ...

. The main event of the day is the "Chham" or the "Devil's Dance" where a group of monks don elaborate costumes and masks and dance in perfect synchrony to depict tales of Great Buddhist Masters. Thakur then makes his way to the ancient Kangra Fort, nestled in the foothills of the Dhauladar Range. From here he travels to explore the village life in the quaint town of Bir, including jumping off a cliff. * Episode 4 –

Kangra Valley Kangra Valley is a river valley situated in the Western Himalayas.Chamba Valley Chamba is a town in the Chamba district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. According to the 2001 Indian census, Chamba has a population of 20,312 people. Located at an altitude of above mean sea level, the town is situated on the banks ...

- While travelling around Kangra, Thakur visits a temple that remains submerged in the Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake for most of the year, and only emerges from the water during spring. He then drives into

Chamba Valley Chamba is a town in the Chamba district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. According to the 2001 Indian census, Chamba has a population of 20,312 people. Located at an altitude of above mean sea level, the town is situated on the banks ...

to the remote town of Bharmour, from where he embarks on an eventful journey to the village of Kugti, the last village in Chamba Valley. Back in Kangra, he spends a relaxing few days in

McLeodganj McLeod Ganj or McLeodganj (pronounced ) is a suburb of Dharamshala, in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is known as "Little Lhasa" or "Dhasa" as the Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered here and there is a significant p ...

before trekking up to Triund to camp under the night sky. * Episode 5 –

Sangla Valley Sangla is a town in the Baspa Valley, in the Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh, India, close to the border with Tibet. It is the headquarter of the eponymous Sangla tehsil, and the primary town in the Baspa Valley which is also referred to a ...

(Lower

Kinnaur Kinnaur district () is a mountainous district located in the northeast part of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Kinnaur district borders Tibet (China) to the east, the state of Uttarakhand to the south, Shimla district to the southwest, Ku ...

) - Leaving the foothills of Kangra behind, Thakur starts climbing higher towards the

Sangla Valley Sangla is a town in the Baspa Valley, in the Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh, India, close to the border with Tibet. It is the headquarter of the eponymous Sangla tehsil, and the primary town in the Baspa Valley which is also referred to a ...

in

Kinnaur Kinnaur district () is a mountainous district located in the northeast part of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Kinnaur district borders Tibet (China) to the east, the state of Uttarakhand to the south, Shimla district to the southwest, Ku ...

. While exploring the stone paved pathways of

Kamru Kamru is a village and township in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. See also *List of towns and villages in Tibet An alphabetical list of populated places, including cities, towns, and villages, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of western ...

Village, he encounters a procession in which the local deity is visiting different households to bring in the New Year. The day ends in a party with much singing, dancing and drinking. The party continues in Sangla Valley as the New Year celebrations are followed by the festival of

Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...

. Thakur joins a parade from village to village as they perform skits and sing and dance while gathering an audience as they move. After five days of celebrations, the villagers bring out their deity to culminate the celebrations and to pray for a good year. * Episode 6 – Upper

Kinnaur Kinnaur district () is a mountainous district located in the northeast part of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Kinnaur district borders Tibet (China) to the east, the state of Uttarakhand to the south, Shimla district to the southwest, Ku ...

- In Kalpa, Thakur again witnesses the celebration of the New Year, as bejeweled men and women dance to psychedelic music as the "Mountain Fairies" watch on. From

Kalpa Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) is a professional ice hockey team which competes in the Finnish Liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Niiralan monttu, Olvi Areena. Team history Established in 1929 as ''Sortavalan Palloseura'' in Sortavala, the club r ...

, he drives further up the valley to the village of Nako. Along the way, the landscape changes completely from lush, green grass covered slopes to bare, brown gigantic jagged mountains. The appearance, language, food, clothing, and religion of the local people also changes as he travels higher into the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

. * Episode 7 –

Spiti Valley Spiti (pronounced as piti in Bhoti language) is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tib ...

- Thakur observes the panoramic views in whitewashed Spiti, with the Kee Gompa standing prominently on top of a hill looking out at the vast valley below. He travels to the Upper Belt of Spiti to one of the highest villages,

Kibber Kibber, also Kibber Khas and Khyipur, is a village high in the Spiti Valley in the Himalayas at in Himachal Pradesh in northern India. It contains a monastery and is a base for visiting the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. It is located from Kaza ...

, where he stays with a retired teacher and learns about the harsh living conditions in the region. He then moves to a village called

Dhankar Dhankhar may refer to: * Dhankar Gompa, a monastery in Spiti, India * Dhankar Lake, a lake in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India * Dhankar Village, in Himachal Pradesh, India See also * Dhankhar, a Jaat surname {{Disambig ...

, where he tries out high altitude organic farming with

yak The yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox, hairy cattle, or domestic yak, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region, the Tibetan Plateau, Tajikistan, the Pamir Mountains ...

s. * Episode 8 –

Spiti Valley Spiti (pronounced as piti in Bhoti language) is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tib ...

- Still in

Spiti Valley Spiti (pronounced as piti in Bhoti language) is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tib ...

, Thakur spends a day at the Tabo monastery. The statues and paintings in the pyramid-like structures are in near-perfect condition and provide a window into the past. He is then invited on a "ladies-day-out" with the women of Lari. The last stop in Spiti is Langza, "the Home of the Gods", one of the highest villages in the world. The local people of this area believe in the forgotten sect of

Tantric Buddhism ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition that emp ...

. Thakur witnesses a Tantric ritual that involves communication with the supernatural entities. * Episode 9 –

Lahaul The Lahaul and Spiti district is a high-altitude district in Himachal Pradesh, north India. This entirely mountainous district consists of two geographically distinct as well as formerly separate political-administrative units, called Lahaul ( ...

Valley - Thakur treks across the

Rohtang Pass Rohtang Pass (Rohtang , literally meaning "pile of corpses"Polgreen, Lydia. ''New York Times''. Accessed 31 July 2010.) is a high mountain pass (elevation ) on the eastern end of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around from Manali, Himac ...

to enter

Lahaul The Lahaul and Spiti district is a high-altitude district in Himachal Pradesh, north India. This entirely mountainous district consists of two geographically distinct as well as formerly separate political-administrative units, called Lahaul ( ...

where his family has its roots. He visits the village of Tholang, where his grandfather was from, and finds that it is no longer a village but rather a collection of concrete blocks amidst potato fields. Although Lahaul remains cut off from the rest of

Himachal Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

for almost half the year, it is among the most affluent areas of the state, but many have left the area in search of better opportunities. He then heads out to the small village of Teeling where his mother grew up, meeting two elderly aunts who take care of the family's home and fields, the rest of the family having moved away. * Episode 10 –

Lahaul The Lahaul and Spiti district is a high-altitude district in Himachal Pradesh, north India. This entirely mountainous district consists of two geographically distinct as well as formerly separate political-administrative units, called Lahaul ( ...

Valley - Thakur visits the grand Mahakala Puja performed at the Shashur Gompa, where monks draped in maroon robes chant verses in Tibetan accompanied by cymbals and horns. In Upper

Keylong Kyelang (also spelled Keylong) is a town and the administrative centre of the Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, north of Manali via Atal Tunnel and from the Indo-Tibetan border. It is located along the Mana ...

, he explores an ancient Lahauli home to find out how people lived in the past. He ends his trip in Lahual at the Khangsar Khar, an abandoned and dilapidated castle in the heart of the valley. * Episode 11 and 12 –

Leh Leh () is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Kashmir_dispute, disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TE ...

and

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...

- Thakur recalls and reminisces his journey of the past few months, and goes on a bike ride across the valley to clear his mind. He also explores the influence of religion in the valley, and why it has become an international tourist destination. He also speaks to an expert about the unique architecture in the towns. Towards the end he also experiences a traditional Leh funeral ceremony, and wonders what to do with his life, at which point the show recaps some of the memorable moments of the journey. * Episode 13 – Behind the Scenes - The last episode of the season goes behind the scenes with the cast and filmmakers, including executive producer Asad Abid, co-director Bharati Bahrani, and Thakur.

Away From Home , Discovering The Andaman Islands

The second chapter of Way Back Home features marine biologist, coral reef researcher and ocean conservationist Nayantara Jain, who joins Thakur to explore the

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago, made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a mari ...

. The series' five episodes were released on TheVibe's Facebook and YouTube pages. ''Away From Home'' was launched on TheVibe's Facebook and YouTube pages on 8 July 2016, to coincide with World Oceans Day 2016.

Episodes

* Episode 1 - Nayantara Jain picks up Thakur and Bahrani from the airport, before embarking on a ten-hour ferry "Dering" to the

Little Andaman Little Andaman Island ( Onge: ''Gaubolambe'') is the fourth largest of the Andaman Islands of India with an area of 707 km2, lying at the southern end of the archipelago. It belongs to the South Andaman administrative district, part of the ...

s. During the journey they witness a school of dolphins. On the islands, they visit Andamans' famous forests with enormous trees, and visit some local attractions such as "The Big Waterfall." * Episode 2 - In the second episode, Jain and Thakur continue to explore the Little Andamans. Jain takes Thakur

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

, after which they visit the Kaala Patthar Beach and its secret

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

. * Episode 3 - The third episode begins with Jain and Tahkur leaving in a convoy from

Jirkatang Jirkatang is a small village in the South Andaman District of the Andaman and Nicobar islands union territory in India. Jirkatang is located along the National Highway 4 (India) and has a check post. Jirkatang on Google Maps is shown as 'Jirka ...

as they travel through the Jarawa Tribal Reserve, where photography is strictly forbidden. They head to

Mayabunder Mayabunder is a town and a tehsil in the northern part of Middle Andaman Island, Andaman Archipelago, India. The name is also spelled Maya Bunder or Maya Bandar. As of 2001, the county had 23,912 inhabitants, of which 3182 were in the town.Gov ...

to John's Homestay. John introduces the travellers to the "

Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding white woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand * House of Karen, a historic ...

" people and their culture. Karens are the largest ethnic tribe in

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

, and were brought to the

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago, made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a mari ...

from

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

by the British in 1925. The travellers then make their way to Aves Island, where Jain goes

free diving Freediving, free-diving, free diving, breath-hold diving, or skin diving, is a mode of underwater diving that relies on apnea, breath-holding until resurfacing rather than the use of breathing apparatus such as scuba set, scuba gear. Besides the ...

in tropical waters. * Episode 4 - The show moves from Mayabunder to

Port Blair Port Blair (), officially named Sri Vijaya Puram, is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal. It is also the local administrative sub-division (''tehsil'') of the islands, the headqu ...

, as the travellers head to Havelock Island. Here they visit Beach Number 3, before exploring the small market of the town. The next day, Thakur and Jain meet Tanaz Noble, who runs a

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

tour operation. The travellers go kayaking through the

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

rainforests. Next, they visit Beach Number 7, also known as

Radhanagar Beach Radhanagar Beach is a beach located on Havelock Island (officially known as Swaraj Dweep), in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Recognized for its natural beauty and environmental sustainability, it has been awarded the Blue Flag beach ce ...

, long considered one of Asia's most beautiful beaches. * Episode 5 - Thakur and Jain visit the Lacadives scuba and diving centre, where Thakur tries scuba diving for the first time. Jain, herself a diving instructor, guides him to witness the aquatic life of the Andamans.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Way Back Home series website
Indian travel television series

Way Back Home , A Himalayan Travelogue

Episodes

Away From Home , Discovering The Andaman Islands

Episodes

References

External links