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Paradise on earth—that’s the fabled Shangri-la. It conjures up images of calm, serene and exquisitely beautiful surroundings where everything is near perfection. For ages, writers have grappled with bestowing this honour on different places. Tibet crops up frequently on this list, along with places in China, Bhutan and the Himalayan reaches of Pakistan and India. When we think of Tibet, we associate it with the Dalai Lama and move on to picture vast, barren and cold deserts. Mount Kailash and Mansaorvar Lake are perhaps its most recognisable landmarks.
Entwined with the surge of adventure is a sense of curiosity and responsibility in discovering the present source of the Sutlej River. On her first visit to Tibet, her interest is stoked on finding two different places marked as the source of the Sutlej. It baffles her no end as to why in this age of satellite imaging should there be discrepancy in the origin of such an important river. She takes it upon herself to lay the matter to rest and succeeds at it. Lahiri’s description of Mount Kailash, Lake Mansarovar and Rakas Tal leaves the reader with a calm feeling that is engulfed by a strong desire to be a part of this world. Agnostics, atheists and those steeped in religion make the koras with the same devotion, the surroundings spell-bind you in such a trance. It is definitely not for the faint hearted. The most difficult aspects other than high altitude sickness are the mental as well as the physical toughness that it requires. But it is worth every step as the place is teeming with historical monuments, monasteries and local folklore that are very different from anything that you expect. The author armed herself with ample information on the places she was going to visit; even then it was every bit as enchanting for her as it would be for someone who is a novice. The bizarre name of the book is derived from the phrase "Here be Dragons". It was used by ancient cartographers when marking uncharted land and sea territory. This was indicated to warn them about potential dangers in that area. Apart from the content of the book, the unusual name, the strange mammals and the stark landscape on the cover also draw the reader. And it doesn’t disappoint at all. It is a book to be read and re-read.
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Here be Yaks by
Manosi Lahiri is a personal travel account of her travel to Tibet. She
holds a doctorate in urban geography. A pioneer in the field of
Geographic Information System, she is the chief executive of ML
Infomap, an IT company she founded in 1993. She has contributed
significantly towards several prestigious projects of the Government
of India and UN organisations. She has travelled extensively in China
and Tibet. Her enthusiasm towards trekking and her work shows in this
book. It has been written so well that it is difficult to better. She
has narrated it as a story close to her heart and not made it feel
like a cold overview. The prose flows with the ease of verse. It is as
if you are in the midst of this surreal world.