Dateline Kargil –Part II
Glimpse into the life of Pure Aryans
Rashmi Talwar
Looking at the stars I wonder how many souls would have passed this way, a hot-bed, a melting pot, of central Asian trade, the mysterious silk route that carried communities, seeds, men and material; animals and stuff and forked them to mainland. A land where finest of caboodle, made their journeys, yet some remained unalloyed, basking in the glory of their embryonic purity for thousands of years. Indeed the prospect of meeting ‘Pure’ Aryans remained overwhelming.
Snuggled in our tiny car we set on a 70 Km tour, zooming past village Apachi to Hamboting-La pass perched at 13,202 feet, falling in Kargil’s North-East. Dearth of oxygen cohabiting wind chill, nearly gives me a head-swim. Through astonishing rugged stonescape, protruding rock-hills seemingly scratched by giant paws, along lilting streams, deep gorges, leads us to Batalik sector, bang on LoC ‘Line of Control’ between India and Pakistan.
Amidst serene mossy banks, River Indus (Sindhu River) careens along in hopping waves, like an excited child jumping along an elder. Pockets of greenery lie hidden with contrasting greens hallowed by light coffee coloured rockeries as valley touches fresh glacial melt of freezing sapphire waters of Indus below, lending a romantic aura.
Seeing us, Tsering Gamphil, a ‘Brokpa’ – Brok- mountains; pa- inhabitant; meaning a highlander-approaches, his triangular turquoise earrings bobbing on loose lobes, blue eyes glinting in scorching sun, his heavy moustache lifts to flash a toothy smile. He juts out a rough hand in recognition to my friend Hussain-ibn-Khalo, Editor, Owner of Kargil Today, a local TV Channel, accompanying me. I smile, at the 65-year old Gamphil’s black cap embroidered with “BOY”, and notice a single safety pin holding a bunch of dried flower buds. “Yes I am in Garkone- the professed Pure-Aryan village!”
A cluster of four villages claims to hold a bastion of pure bred Aryans—presumably pure, the last, un-muddied, un-adulterated by outside gene pool. Gamphil, a Surna artist, Surna-musical instrument likened to-Shehnai, is invited to every festival to play to melodious hymns and rhythmic dances of Aryan Brokpas. “I even played Surna on J&K Tableaux on 26th January Republic Day, parade in Delhi,” he tells us. There are seven other artists in this tiny village inhabited by more than 1200 people.
Darchik and, Garkone are lesser known, falling in Kargil sector while Hanu and Dha Aryan villages nestle in Leh- are more frequented due to air connectivity and a greater tourist inflow.
At the confluence of rivers Shyok and Indus in District Kargil, village Darchick claims- “Welcome to the Abode of Red Aryans” emblazoned on a semi-circular gate flanking the entry. I wonder if ‘red’ was a sign of caution! Gamphil tells us –“Some outsiders were refused passage in Darchik recently. They followed their ancient tradition”.
However Garkone village ventures us a welcome with a large swirling Buddhist prayer wheel in midst of the entrance whirled by two young giggly girls. Foreigners are presumably disallowed or allowed only by special Inner Line Permit (ILP) from District Commissioner, in this highly militarised zone. On the way, we see, the battlefront, a portion of Batalik post was wholly destroyed in Kargil war of 1999, there now stands a Mata Rani Mandir and an Evil Subjugation Stupa, built by army on local beliefs of divine call for warding off aggressors. Inhabitants of these Aryan villages are known as ‘Dards’, local parlance – ‘Brokpas’.
Garden of Eden
Garkone, with its splatter of grey rocks flecked with black spots, along pathways and gnome doorways, is a welcoming hamlet, visible as a virtual oasis amongst dull rugged cliffs. An artistic rockscape slanting across as the river meanders between and beneath, enhancing its beauty as swathes of fertile lands break the severity of rock to croon a melody for colours, music and dance, like a mysterious merry ring.
Like Garden of Eden, a stream of crystal clear water swaggers through the village, overhanging grape bunch’s criss-cross branches, constructing natural green tunnelled pathways that run along a stone trail, flanked by rockeries on one side, that hold elf-doorways to elusive homes and habitats of Aryans. Alongside, running rivulet swings lush fields of barley and assortment of luxuriant vegetables. “Our Tomatoes are the reddest”, says Londhup Nawang Dolker owner of ‘Payu Pa’ guest house. “It seems to be a garden of bounty”, the gardener in me responds admiringly.
On the sides of the fields, trees stand laden with ripe orange apricots, green apples and unhardened soft green walnuts. It’s a riot of colours, predominantly orange hues – symbolic of colours of dawn-dusk, the carrot shade of perennial Monthu Tho adorning doors, finds pride of place in Brokpa hat-nests of flowers and the tangerine light of apricots. Garkone is a fertile, warmer, water surplus area, ensconced in lower rock crevices, in an otherwise rainless Ladakh. Primarily being agro-pastoralists they own yaks, goats and sheep, harvest world’s most luscious apricots, varied vegetables, extract oils and seemingly remain uncluttered.
Brokpas
The Brokpas, believed of Indo-Aryan stock, descendants of Dards, settled along Indus River, centuries past and are an enigma for the world’s imagination. Their claims of pure Aryan descent are of deep interest to anthropological research, ethnologists, scholars and backpackers. A popular belief carries of Brokpas as progeny of remnants of the army of Alexander the Great that came to the region over two thousand years ago.
Another strong belief traces their descent from Gilgit (Pakistan).
University of Heidelberg, Germany’s seminal research by Rohit Vohra on Aryans in his book ‘The Religion of the Dards in Ladakh’ and ‘An Ethnography – The Buddhist Dards of Ladakh’ quotes Roman Historians Curtius and Justin who claim invasions of Alexander the Great, along Kunar river in Chitral (Pakistan).
Interestingly, he notes –“The Kalash of Chitral have Caucasian features-sometimes with blonde hair and blue eyes-which gives some credence to their claim, that they descended from five warriors in Alexander the Great’s army. There are only about 4,000 of them and they have remained pagans- religion based on reverence of nature, including origins, history, rituals, and devotions- despite being surrounded by Muslims in Pakistan. The Kalash, relate a story of Alexander’s bacchanal with mountain dwellers claiming descent from Dionysus. They worship a pantheon of gods, make wine, and practice animal sacrifice.”
Aryans, settled along Indus meandering through bedrock, claim to be inhabitants of Gilgit, a region close to Chitral, sharing much of its history and culture with Gilgit- Baltistan in Pakistan. There are numerous similarities between the Kalash and Aryans, including the latter’s facial features, pagan traditions, despite having majorly converted to Buddhism, they have retained their ancient roots. Both communities have prominent blue eyes, colourful attires; once pagans making wines, the concept of animal sacrifice is common to both. The Chaumas festival of Kalash is learnt to be very similar to the Bonanah festival of Aryans, including the finale of spiral dance bidding farewell to the Deity.
Vohra writes- “One of the early migrations, about which there are oral traditions, relates to the arrival of brothers Dulo, Melo and Galo in Aryan-land”. During weddings, the door of the bride’s home is knocked and the wedding party announces “We are from the family of Dulo, Melo and Galo”, who locals believe were from the army of Alexander.
That they are settlers in regions of one of the oldest civilization along the elusive froth of River Indus connected with Indus Valley Civilization, adds sheen to their claims of being ancient Aryans. Incidentally, Dards or Aryans, their pedigree known from the ancient Sanskrit and classical Greek literature, draws besotted German Women- to seek Brokpas for racially pure progeny. Germany has a chequered history of Hitler’s obsession with racial superiority and the master race of Aryans.
Tsering Sumphal Garkon (65), an elder in the village with two sisters as his wives admits-“I know of seven German women, and out of them at least five were thus impregnated by Brokpas to carry the presumable elusive Aryan gene pool to their country.” Munching on a biscuit with his tea, he adds, “The government has banned the practice but still smitten German women pilfer in present times, seeking an elusive pure Aryan seed,”
Film: The Achtung Baby
Indian filmmaker Sanjeev Sivan made a documentary in 2007- “The Achtung Baby – In Search of Purity”. In it, he investigates stories of German women seeking to impregnate themselves with what they consider pure-Aryan sperm in Aryan villages of Ladakh.
Andrea, a German girl in the film, feels she is doing it as a gift for her grandfather who studied Aryans and hinted at an organized system behind the transaction. “I’m paying for what I want.” A village Darchik Aryan- Tsewang Dorji, her paramour, an apparent simpleton claims to have impregnated three German women thus, and is hoping his children would seek him and take him to Germany someday.
Sex is Pure
According to marriage statistics for three subsequent generations, average of 80% marriages were from within Aryan villages. Only in exceptional cases, inter-village marriage in Garkone, Darchik, Hanu and Dha were seen as recent as about 10 years back. “The types of marriages amongst Aryans are numerous, -Monogamy, polygamy, polyandry, endogamy but also group marriages of varying form”, reveals Vohra. “The most common group marriage was of two brothers marrying two sisters where all partners had access to each other”.
Quoting Goldstein: 1971, Vohra writes “An exceptional group marriage was of a father and son sharing a wife. Such were in Katangpa and Auduz households; or an uncle and nephew sharing a wife. Also, if a mother died prior to the children’s marriage and father took a wife then father and son shared the wife and this was a bi-generational marriage.”
Opening up to the world however has brought new connections and about ten Aryans of this exclusive pure population have ventured to marry beyond the Aryan boundary. “Where even Leh Buddhists are least preferred as spouses, Garkone’s Paskit married a Muslim from Nubra Valley; Yangay married a Hindu Nepali driver who converted to Buddhism”, revealed Tsering Dolker, a Garkone girl of marriageable age.
Ajaz Hussain Munshi, curator of ‘Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum of Central Asian and Kargil Trade Artefacts’, a virtual encyclopaedia on Aryan’s ways says –“Since many of the Aryans converted to Buddhism, they were able to retain their culture, practices, rituals etc. While, those who converted to Islam, lost their heritage as Islam is a forbidding faith for music, singing, dancing, idol making. Hence, ancient pagan rituals of Buddhist Aryans are still intact and are followed.
Among Buddhist Aryans sexual rituals are freely exhibited at Bononah festival (Big Harvest Festival), celebrated annually, each time in a different village. The celebration in Dha is followed by Garkone and then in Ganoks (Pakistan) but after the conversion of inhabitants of Ganoks to Islam, the celebrations there were discontinued, thus the year of Ganoks’s turn falls vacant. During festival, a barley (sattu) wine brew (Changg) from still green grains holds a vital place.
Strong Sweet- smelling, flowers Thizim Kaliman being the most essential, are brought from pastures to decorate hats of men-women and hymns of the origin of the world are sung to melodious music, following the second crop’s harvest and threshing. Additionally, it heralds the return of shepherds from glacial heights.” Huru, a dish made with roasted barley or Sattu cooked in hot water or namkeen (salty) chai to form dough with yak’s butter, has an intoxicating effect when fermented for a day.
During Bononah, dances in memory of ancestors are performed and along with hymns of happiness, prosperity, bounty, are sung hymns with sexual connotations and accompanying amorous dances. Singing competitions are held between group of women and men and obscene questions-answers are exchanged.
Men kiss women they like and the husband or father is not to take offence. The festival is closely guarded; permitting no outsider into the village during the celebration, as the village is purified. Free sex is practised. Sexual hymns in riddle form are sung between groups of men and women. These are supposed to release forces and heighten the atmosphere of the festival. Dances with sexual movement heighten the same effect. Hymns of sexual connotations are sung addressed to Aryan deity Yanding along with dough figures, decked walls, balcony & pillar drawings as a part of fertility cult. Corresponding Hymns and songs are a secret not to be revealed to an outsider…… ( TO BE CONCLUDED )
PHOTOS: Hosain Ibn Khalo & Tsering Sonam Garkone
Amritsar based writer can be emailed at : rashmitalwarno1@gmail.com
http://dailykashmirimages.com/…/glimpse-into-the-life-of-pu…
Amritsar Based writer can be contacted at email: rashmitalwarno1@gmail.com
Posted by Mir Mukhtar Ahmad on December 3, 2017 at 1:59 PM
Nice Piece
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Posted by Ajay Relhan on December 3, 2017 at 2:01 PM
Good.. But old article… It’s already published and aired so many times
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:02 PM
It will be published many more times still by different writers …. U thot it was Breaking News … !
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Posted by Ajay Relhan on December 3, 2017 at 2:03 PM
No Rashmi.. Actually when I studied your’s article I observed may be something new for me.. But sorry to say I didn’t get any thing new.. So I shown my feelings that nothing was new.. It’s already published and aired…
If might be hurt you sorry for that…
Keep it up… For inspirable invention articles always…
God bless You…
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:04 PM
Thank u for your comment …, but the article is not over … It has a part 2 … If u would have read it completely .., it said ( yet to be concluded )
…. I am happy you pointed out … But dear information about an existing place more or less will not change … It’s merely the style of putting across .., Nxt part is more informative … Or so I think .. Cheers !
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Posted by Ajay Relhan on December 3, 2017 at 2:04 PM
I wish
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Posted by पुनीत मल्होत्रा on December 3, 2017 at 2:05 PM
ऐना वड्डा mesaage !!!!!!
Summary दास्स दयो ।।।।।।
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Posted by Imtiaz Ahmed Shariff on December 3, 2017 at 2:06 PM
Good analysis… Admirable
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Posted by पुनीत मल्होत्रा on December 3, 2017 at 2:06 PM
Hello Imtiaz Ahmed Shariffसर, how r u ??
U read whole article ??
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:08 PM
Aadat Dal lo … There 3 more coming right up … to be served fresh .., Big platters all of them … But promise .., U’ll enjoy … Happy reading !!
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Posted by पुनीत मल्होत्रा on December 3, 2017 at 2:08 PM
इतना सारा तो मैं after 8 pm भी नहीं पढ़ सकता ।।
I only njoy comedy during मन की बात।।
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Posted by Imtiaz Ahmed Shariff on December 3, 2017 at 2:07 PM
Am good, sirji. I do a quick scan of article.
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Posted by Raminder J S Kala on December 3, 2017 at 2:09 PM
Very informative piece… job well done.
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Posted by Autar Krishen Munshi on December 3, 2017 at 2:09 PM
Nicely written.It refreshed my memory when I visited Batalik area in the year 1982 in connection with my Audit duty. Roads were rough. In Garkone we were told that particular sect of people take bath at the time of birth and at the time of death. During whole life span they don’t take bath. Now infrastructure and road conditions may have improved.
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:10 PM
Dear Autar Krishen Munshi Ji …. People in Garkone told me, that ppl believe we are unclean and about the bathing rumor … But I saw it personally, they were quite clean and smelled clean …. !!
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Posted by Autar Krishen Munshi on December 3, 2017 at 2:11 PM
Similar experience by me.People simple.Some ladies in Batalik area were wearing brass spoons to denote virgin. Now things may have changed.
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:11 PM
Over times things change a lot … In this era of high communication … Things are changing at lightening speed !
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Posted by Mupinder Singh on December 3, 2017 at 2:12 PM
Human psychology is universal ..
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Posted by Harry Rakhraj on December 3, 2017 at 2:13 PM
Your narration brings the topography AND the culture of this remote part of India vividly alive. I’ve served over 3½ years in Ladakh, including the Nubra valley and beyond. And this post brings out some interesting facts not known even to a veteran like me. Very interesting. Kudos.
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:13 PM
Thank you Harry Rakhraj Ji for your comments … Do point out some of the new info u encountered here … You must have really enjoyed your tenure … Sometimes I wish I was more closer to this wild nature despite its challenges
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Posted by Daljeet Singh on December 3, 2017 at 2:14 PM
Great !!
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Posted by Vee Kay Sharma on December 3, 2017 at 2:14 PM
A travelogue of history of Aryans-putting light on all shades of their life.
Splendidly done peace.
Great patience to be with people of Interiors of Kargil(Batalik, Gorkone, Garden of Eaden Darchik, Hanu and Dha )covering all major villages speaking to them, understanding their way of life, rituals and at the same time reading Vohra’s book and quoting from movie “The Anchung Baby” are a wonderful assignment done with aplomb and precision.
I may not be exceeding my brief to suggest,dear Rashmi, that you should write a book on this clan highlighting PureAryan’s culture, heritage,past and present,highlighting their customs, traditions etc..
Looking forward to more on Kargil from your pen.
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:15 PM
Thank u Vee Kay SharmaJi … U seem to have read the piece in great detail …
Sometimes I do feel I need to pen a book … But I am not overly stressed about such an aim … thanks for your encouragement
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Posted by TejKrishan Walli on December 3, 2017 at 2:16 PM
Very informative and enlightening write up. It has cleared many of my doubts and answered many of my questions regarding this lost tribe of Aryans, who have preserved their culture and traditions down the ages in these landlocked villages located as such a towering height.
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:16 PM
Glad u liked … Second part coming tomorrow … Thanks for ur comment
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Posted by Ilyas Habib on December 3, 2017 at 2:17 PM
very informative article Rashmi Talwar.i am from pakistan side…i want to share you three or four villages of Aryan inhabitants are here near LOC.
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:17 PM
Thank u … Share your info on Aryan villages in Pak Ganoks I think !
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Posted by Gaggi Chopra on December 3, 2017 at 2:25 PM
Rashmi every single passing day you are looking young and beautiful kashmirs pure and fresh air. I am unable to zoom your article
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:25 PM
The written matter is above the picture … So don’t need to zoom Gaggi Chopra Di
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Posted by Muhammad Yusuf on December 3, 2017 at 2:26 PM
I think she has tried to read the photo of ur article. She should use the LINK.
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Posted by Muhammad Yusuf on December 3, 2017 at 2:27 PM
River Indus running through the interiors of landlocked Aryan Villages. This river has payed a vital role in developing settlements in this remote area during Alexander’s raid to India.with Mohammad Ashraf Jkmh Club, Shakil Romshoo, Khalid Bashir Ahmad, Rashmi Talwar, Mohammad Mohmmad Shafi Kakroo, Farooq Kuthoo Travekash, Ibrahim Gosani, Farooq Ahmad, Phunchok T Angdu, Arjimand Hussain Talib, DrMansur M Mir,
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Posted by DrMansur M Mir on December 3, 2017 at 2:28 PM
The Indus River system is one of the largest rivers on the Asian continent and its drainage is dominated by the western Tibetan Plateau, Karakoram and tectonic units of the Indus Suture Zone, rather than the High Himalaya unlike Ganges-Brahmaputra system
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Posted by Munxur Hosain Hussaini on December 3, 2017 at 2:29 PM
why u mention only 4 village,,, why not others,,,, ? There are more then four village ,,who are real Aryan them,,,,,
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Posted by Muhammad Yusuf on December 3, 2017 at 2:30 PM
Munxur sb you name the others for our info. She not a native
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Posted by Munxur Hosain Hussaini on December 3, 2017 at 2:30 PM
sherchey, batalik, gurgudo, silmo,lalung and some village are in pakistan
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Posted by Muhammad Yusuf on December 3, 2017 at 2:31 PM
Batalik is the main village but we were not permitted to go there. Thanks for updating our knowledge
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Posted by Munxur Hosain Hussaini on December 3, 2017 at 2:32 PM
yes,, stranger are not allowed sir,,,but u contact me nice time
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Posted by Munxur Hosain Hussaini on December 3, 2017 at 2:32 PM
u have to take permission from tourist center in kgl for that
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Posted by Shailendra Aima on December 3, 2017 at 2:33 PM
Rashmi Talwar do you still believe in the Aryan Race theory? If not, then what is pure and impure about this word “aryan”?
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:33 PM
Dear Shailendra Aima ji here I am not disputing “Pure” which is a label (i would call it a marketing tool ) used for the tribe, without substantiating the same with a solid study of genealogy, anthropology, into account. At places, I have shown my hesitation on the label. But yes you are right, if I had to use a pre-conceived label I should have used the word PURE in inverted commas ..as being a belief more than any scientific theory duly proven.
Thank you for raising the query, but really i cannot say with any conviction about yes or no without any proof. Personally I don’t believe there is any Pure Gene pool or what they say Unadulterated human seed. Perhaps the rituals of purity that the tribe adheres to are cleverly postured as Pure.
However do look at the second part of the Part II story posted today where there is a mention at the end of the recently published research that Ravinder Kaul has so appropriately mentioned in his comment
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Posted by Ravinder Kaul on December 3, 2017 at 2:34 PM
This is a wonderful article about the Aryan villages. There is a lot of research currently being undertaken, including DNA sampling, on the subject that would prove or disprove the Aryan theory… Great work Rashmi Talwar…
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:35 PM
Thank You dear Ravinder Kaul … as you shall read in Part II of the story the recent research has a mention ….( I am glad I used it ! 🙂 )
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Posted by Shailendra Aima on December 3, 2017 at 2:35 PM
Ravinder Kaul ji, the Aryan Race theory has been unequivocally debunked by the academia across the continents. And if there are still some who are trying to uphold that, then that is a akin to Nazi world view. Please investigate.
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Posted by Khalid Hussain on December 3, 2017 at 2:36 PM
Actually Garkon and two other villages were part of Hunza Distt.of Gilgat Agency but after 1971 Indo-Pak war these villages were handed over by Pakistan in exchange of Chhamb.Pak. had also given Nangi Tekri ( in krishna ghati) to India. This was as per Shimla Agreement and Line of Actual Control (LOC) came into existence. Army experts of both the Countries met in Suchet garh?R.S.Pora) and finalised the deal.
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Posted by Khalid Hussain on December 3, 2017 at 2:36 PM
I also visited Garkon in the summer of 1977.
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Posted by Rashmi Talwar on December 3, 2017 at 2:37 PM
Khalid Hussain thank u for enhancing our knowledge
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Posted by Janardhan Pathania on December 3, 2017 at 2:38 PM
VERY INTRESTING !!!
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