A tree with strong roots laughs at storms
in search of my roots
The physical distance has caused a disconnect between the land and its people. Once, the physical features and idiolect helped identify the region they once belonged to. As kids living in the city away from the land housing multiples generations of the family, the only connections are the past stories, an occasional visit to the hometown or village and small customs that have made their way into the twenty-first century. Living vicariously through the memories of the past. Whereas our forefathers back in the village resonated with visceral interaction with the land in ways we might not understand.
For centuries knowledge is passed down through words, memories and experiences. Knowing what was right and wrong, enough or too much and what was needed at what time. The learnings that translated into the things we see around, the ability to understand the bamboo shoot’s needs and the care its mother provides in the Ziro valley, India, the awareness of resources not available in Manali, India and knowing the different names of clouds seen in Rajasthan, India. The lessons might not have a lot of weight in the holistic context but are a part of collective wisdom passed down from generation to generation.
What would once come naturally became a part of the bedtime stories were invaluable lessons and learnings told by our grandparents that were masked under the humour, playfulness and a way to get us to sleep. The stories subjects included our forefathers and our past. In the form of stories of the family journeys, the amount they walked to fetch water or use the loo, the common roof the whole family resided in together, and their experiences growing up with their time’s rules and regulations. It taught lessons about history and who played what role in it, the lay of the land, variation in seasons, availability and use of resources, customs, rituals and practices, and behavioural skills and people skills, as a few. Putting it into words what they once saw and experienced and passing it on as lessons for our knowledge bank.
The other source was in the form of small rituals and customs seen around the house. Often the customs and traditions around our houses and daily lives are learnings that have outlived their makers. Restriction of wearing footwear inside the house or near a water source, or the use of home-dried and ground turmeric, or excessive use of seasonal produce during seasons are few of the customs seen across the country. What might seem like annoyance and restrictions for the other might be a source of inspiration. When inquired, the customs are a part of a long-standing past, offering many learnings.
An understanding that makes us sensitive to our surroundings and the people around us. Leading to a self-inquiry and an urge to know more about a practice or custom or finding ways to defy and create new ones. The path we choose will be an essential parameter in shaping our future; acceptance might help us directly or influence a thought indirectly. We need to be aware of our roots to sow the seeds of our future.
