The bus rocked and swerved. We seemed to be in an unnecessary race to get to the bottom of the mountain. The seat next to me was empty but despite this I was extremely uncomfortable. Was it me or had a chill entered the bus? I draped my blanket around me but I began to shake nonetheless, my breathing fast. I knew what this was…
I arrived at Pathankot at 6am. Thank fuck the Woodland Hotel allowed me to check in early. I’d have slept on the street otherwise. I went straight to bed. I awoke at 11am. I was breakfasting at a nearby restaurant, stuffing my face with a double dose of Paneer Parantha when Anshu texted me. She’d been planning on showing me around, but now she informed me she could no longer make it. Something had come up with her work. But rather than leave me to the mercy of an unfamiliar town, she was sending her brother Parnesh to show me around in her absence. I was delighted.
Parnesh arrived at the restaurant with his friend Rajveer. It was a pleasure to meet them. Rajveer had never spoken to a foreigner before. But his English was good and fluent. We got in the car and Parnesh drove us out into the land surrounding Pathankot.
Our first stop was a stony river bank. The water was at low tide, cutting through steep hillsides. We tiptoed over beams and planks of wood, laid loosely upon the shallow waters and muds of the bank, leading us into a hole in the hillside. Some shallow caves had been hollowed out in the hill and converted into Hindu temples. The one we found ourselves in was dedicated to Vasuki. One of the many snake gods of Hinduism. Vasuki is the king of all serpents and represents desire. There was a statue of a multi-headed snake within the shrine. We knelt inside, taking and eating some herbs and sugar. There were Hindu priests in there as well. They were sitting cross legged, worshipping. Incense was burning. I wonder if these Hindu Priests ever left the cave. It certainly didn’t look as if they went out often.
We climbed an insanely steep staircase up through the rock making me realise I’ve lost some of my fitness. Or rather, a great deal of it. Then it was back in the car and back through the countryside, passing out of Punjab and back into Himachal Pradesh.
Now we came upon Nurpur Fort. Or rather, what remains of Nurpur Fort. Monkeys, cows and dogs gathered in this place. The monkeys pulling up plants and feasting, the dogs minding their own business, and the cows doing anything but minding their own business. I got chased by one through the stone arch leading to what would have once been the inner part of the fort but is now desolate grass.
We were all getting hungry by this point, so after we’d explored Nurpur Fort as thoroughly as we wanted to, we took off to a nearby restaurant. I asked Parnesh and Rajveer what their favourite food was, but they didn’t mind what we ate. I suggested one or two dishes I wanted to try and they suggested one or two as well. First we got paneer in a rich creamy gravy. Then we got tandoori chicken and stacks of greasy bronzed naan with gorgeous jeera rice. It was a true feast. The biggest feast I have had here in India. For a feast is made by variety and company as well as in quantity.
As we drove off and away from the restaurant, Parnesh asked me if dating and sex in the west Is really how it is depicted in the movies. People going to clubs and having one-night stands etc. I told him it was. Then the conversation turned to things more fascinating and mysterious. Parnesh told me about the tribes of cannibals that live throughout India.
One such tribe is the Aghori tribe which live near Charnel sites in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and regularly consume (as well as wear and make furniture with) human remains. The name Aghori comes from the Sanskrit word Aghora which means the “not-fearful” or the “fearless”. It figures because the Aghori do not just eat human flesh, no; as if that isn’t enough, they also drink from human skulls and eat the heads of animals… while they are still living. The Aghori practice what they do because they believe it will give them spiritual enlightenment. Cannibalism is not illegal in India, and while that may be surprising, neither is it illegal in many other parts of the world, including the United States.
Cannibalism is also practiced in parts of India sometimes as part of a black magic ritual. In August 2022 there were occurrences in West Bengal, and the most recent act of cannibalism was carried out in Kerala and resulted in the arrest of three people: Muhammad Shafi, Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila. These revelations were quite something to me.
After a trip to an eco garden Parnesh and Rajveer dropped me back to my hotel in Pathankot. We shared a very warm goodbye and a great day came to an end.
