India on My Platter by Sanjeev Kapoor, Saransh Goila Read Free Book Online Page B

discovering different parts of our country and we are also very happy to have you in Ladakh, on top of the world. You know Ladakh is also called the Land of Three Ms: mountains, monasteries and monks. We as human beings need spirituality; we need meditation, prayer to keep our mind, heart and soul healthy. So, I believe it is the spiritual values, which bring beauty, fragrance and colour to life.’ These words were still sinking in when I touched his feet and asked for his blessings to complete this dream journey and he prompted, ‘Your whole life is a journey. I wish and pray to the Lord, and give blessings to all of you. May you have all the strength and skills needed to continue the journey and overcome the difficulties you face. There will be ups and downs but it makes you stronger. So I think all parts of your journey will be successful.’
    I am not sure if this trip to Leh made me spiritual, but yes, I could sense some calmness within me. It was now time to head to Kargil.

D AY 16
    22 August / Kargil
    The first episode of our journey, documented for TV, got telecast all across India today. Five years back, no one would have thought, not even my family, that one day I would be on national TV talking about food. Three years of struggle, perseverance, and endless jibes from various people finally paid off. But this was not going to be easy. It was just the beginning and I had already started getting calls from the channel and creative head that I hadn’t delivered up to their expectations. They said that my connect with the audience was low, I seemed under-confident and definitely camera conscious. Trying to imagine the camera as a friend was perhaps one of the biggest hurdles that any good TV presenter, or actor, had to cross. Living and learning through an experience was a much easier thing to do in comparison to sharing it with people through videos and words. As these thoughts weighed heavy on my head, we started our day in Kargil after a late night drive to this district.
    The road from Leh to Kargil is indeed one of the most fascinating drives as it is a series of high passes and fragile mountainsides. Not only is there a dramatic scenic change but also a cultural one; there’s a shift from a Buddhist region to a Muslim dominated one. Kargil, at 2740 metres above sea level, had been an important trading post many years back and a subject of debate and war between India and Pakistan. So, to pay homage to our soldiers, I had set out for my first destination, Kargil.
    The most recent and significant chapter in terms of war in Indian history was the Kargil War. I was only about 12 when this war took place. As a patriot, reading about it in the newspapers and in magazines everyday, watching it being talked about on television was hard but standing at the border and realising the sacrifices that the Indian Army has made, so that Indian families could sleep every night in peace was a different thing altogether. I had, and always will, salute the courage of our soldiers. While crossing Kargil, one should visit the Tiger Hill and pay homage to the soldiers who have sacrificed their today for our tomorrow.
    After meeting the jawans, it was time to meet the kisaans. We travelled to a small town called Drass. Despite being the second coldest place in India, it was incredibly hot and I was sweating. A lot of barley is harvested in this part of the country and this was the first time I was seeing a crop being harvested. It was very interesting; we helped the farmers and got the barley cleaned and packed. In the ground form, there is a husk or chaff around it, which is removed by the process of threshing, which happens after harvesting but before winnowing. It separates the grain from anything inedible though the bran still remains. All this talk of barley was reminding me of a chilled glass of beer in this hot weather. I wish I had a pint while I was helping the farmers here to pick the right grains. Trust me, it is a lot of