Stories of Food and Love from Ladakh

The breathtaking landscapes of Ladakh will remain with me for sure but the quiet lessons on humility, gratitude, generosity and love, imparted by the locals without even realising they were doing so, sit alongside the touristy memories in my heart.

These photographs may seem like mere pictures of food lacking the perfect angle, lighting or aesthetic appeal.

For me, these are stories of love. Stories of priceless moments frozen in time. Moments of the warmth and connection I was made to feel in Ladakh.

✨ The time when I tasted butter tea or namkeen chai or Gur-Gur chai at a friend's home for the first time and how his father lovingly kept refilling the cup with a simple 'aur piyo'. He told us how his Mrs who was not at home when we visited had instructed him to serve us well ❤️

✨ The countless cups of chai at Moonpalace that witnessed our endless chatter and laughter of our kids busy in play, as if we have known each other for years!

✨ The morning at a homestay at Hanle when I sipped on hot tea with the cutest view! And soon after, I offered to babysit and cuddled little Tenzing to let her parents, our hosts fix our breakfast.

✨ The day when we stayed at Karzok, one of the highest settlements in the world where procuring daily necessities is a challenge and we were left dumbfounded to be lovingly served hot gulab jamun as dessert after a wholesome meal!

✨ The morning after when we were welcomed by piping hot tea and the most delicious Alu parathas.

✨ The time when we sat huddled inside Sonamji's kitchen at Merak while he and his wife whipped up a hearty meal for us.

✨ Impromptu cooking sessions with friends, learning and making local food Timok and Chutagi.

✨ My first time tasting Chutagi a soupy pasta dish. SO yum!

These moments and more have found a special place in my heart.

Kindness is served generously in these humble kitchens, less is truly more here. Love naturally glows, a pure kind, unrushed that is rare in the hustle of big cities. Modernities can never replace this.

Blessed to have made some friends like family. With hearts as large as the mountains they dwell amidst, they made me feel home and loved.

For that I am forever grateful 🪷🙏🏻

110, Not Out - A Tribute.

What can I say about a person who has lived across centuries? Words can never do justice to his legacy.

Yet, here I am attempting to pay tribute to the most inspiring person I have been lucky to have had a close association with, who's surname I adorn with pride, my Abu (Grandfather)🙏🏻 because some life stories are worth sharing with the world.

From humble beginnings and studying under street lights to working his way up and living life king size.

From ruling the corporate world in his prime days to whipping up the most scrumptious delicacies in his kitchen.

From showing us how to lead to cheering us on to achieve our own feats.

From being a stickler of discipline to goofing around with his grands.

Abu has shown us by example how to live to the fullest the life we are dealt with. I will always fondly recall and draw inspiration from his mental grit, graceful style, large heartedness, love for good food, ever-smiling eyes, hearty laughter and warm embrace.

If his amazing lifetime is not inspiring enough he left for heavenly abode with a final noble act of donating his body to Kilpauk Medical College. He sure has set the standards very high even in his passing 🙏🏻

110, not out 🫡

- because he will live on in our memories forever! ♾️ 

Signing off in his signature style,

God Bless 🙏🏻

                Srinivasa Narasimha Pai

                      🪷1915 - 2026 🪷

Ladakh, revisited.

“Not everyone will understand your journey. That's fine. It's not their journey to make sense of. It's yours.” - Zero Dean

3 months ago, after a short holiday in Ladakh we returned with loads of memories. Usually at the end of every trip I would be happy to be back home and settle into my routine.

But this time it was different.

While I got myself busy unpacking, sorting laundry and souvenirs, it suddenly dawned on me that something was missing.

I had left my heart behind! 🩵

It had stayed back amongst the snow-capped mountains, the bluest of skies, the calmest of lakes and the humblest of people. Never had I experienced the kind of peace that I felt there. Never have I fallen in love with a place like this that I could not stop thinking of going back.

Well, maybe there was more to it than what Ladakh offered to me.

During our visit, I was at my lowest. Only a couple of weeks prior, we faced a loss in our family. I was struggling to make sense of the fragility of life. The endless mountainscape, serene tranquility and mesmerising beauty felt like a warm hug to my grieving heart. Like they say, the mountains healed me.

But what do I do with this immense longing to go back again that was kind of crippling my normal functioning?

Well, life is shorter than we think it is so I decided to listen to my heart and follow it like I always do! I was pretty sure it knew its way.  A few heartfelt conversations with family, practical planning and our tickets were booked.

We chose a week of enriching travel and cultural experiences over school as I believe not all learning happens within the confines of a classroom.

From lessons on humility and gratitude, forming friendships across cultures, visiting quaint little villages, appreciating simple living to sharing smiles and stories with hardworking locals - this time we were not mere tourists but empathetic travellers on a humble learning journey.

Oh, what a wholesome journey it has been! 🙏🏻

While I found my heart, a part of it will always remain lost in the Himalayas ⛰️

Life

They say time heals,

But this heart is still hurting.

Grief comes in waves,

Unannounced, with no warning.

A loss teaches you more,

Than life can ever.

Each of us are here,

On a preset timer.

We are ignorant,

Of what is coming.

Of the hows and whys,

Of God's timing.

Just say those ‘I love you’s,

Often and out loud.

Sprinkle kindness like confetti,

Spread joy all around.

Guard your inner peace,

No one else can do it for you.

Make meaningful connections,

With people who make your heart bloom.

Travel far and wide,

Collect memories that matter to you.

For at the end of it all,

That's all we are left with, to hold on to.

Follow your heart,

Listen and soak it all in.

Make your limited time here,

Truly worth it.

Put on that smile.

Humbled with gratitude.

Stay grounded at all times,

For that's where we all go back to.

Live your life wholly,

Let there be no regrets.

The show might end,

Just about any minute.

Ladakh

With a hurting heart,

And unanswered ‘why’s.

Along with my boys,

I flew across the skies.

Through the nip in the air,

Our welcome felt warm.

To the land of high passes,

Oh, beautiful Ladakh.

Where the water doesn't rush,

It flows by choice.

The blissful silence is louder,

Than my garbled inner voice.

Turquoise rivers and lakes,

Mountains in shades of chocolate.

Valleys oh so dreamy,

My mind settled into a happy state.

A language of kindness,

Is spoken here.

Their humility is contagious.

Making me want to be better.

The bluest of skies,

The purest of air.

Of serene tranquility,

I had my fair share.

My heart aches a little lesser,

Blurring away some unspoken fears.

Calmed by the peace,

The prayer flags whispered in my ears.

It's unmatched natural beauty,

Has me allured.

Ladakh ne Leh liya mera dil,

I will be back for sure.