Nomads Tribe near the Ganga River in Rishikesh

by Mariana Velho (Portugal)

I didn't expect to find India

Rishikesh, 2018. There I was, completing six weeks of volunteering work between New Delhi, Rishikesh and Jaipur. Little did I know that the smallest, and the most unknown city for me, would be the one to take my breath away. Rishikesh was the climax of nature, chaotic India and learning to breathe, enjoy and be in the moment. As soon as I arrived in Rishikesh the most frightening warning of the whole six weeks was given, "you can go walk near the Ganga River but be careful because due to the house construction the tigers fled up to the mountains but sometimes they still come down to hunt". Well, something was sure for me, I was not going for a walk near the river anytime soon or maybe ever. On the first day of tuk-tuk travel to the school where I was volunteering, I noticed that near the river there was a huge green flatland with nearby houses handmade of straw. I questioned the driver about the houses and was informed that near the river flatlands there were nomad tribes leaving. I learned that it was very common in India due to the extreme weather like monsoons and heat waves to see nomad tribes moving to flee these weather events and establish themselves in places where they could grow their food and live for a while. I was very intrigued by these nomad tribes I mean, in Portugal, you only hear about nomad tribes in ancient times and don't even question that they still exist in other countries. So, one day after the volunteering work and to enjoy the sunny weather I decided to do what I was warned not to do. Go for a walk near the Ganga River. Here I was, walking on a desert road in the middle of Rishikesh passing by the nomad tribes houses. Children were playing outside the houses and waved and smiled once they spotted me walking nearby. I noticed that near the houses there were huge buffalos, that I later found out were water buffalos, sleeping and eating. I was a little scared but they had fences so I continued my walk. Some walking later I arrived at this huge cliff with an even bigger flatland below and the Ganga River crossing it. I was just overwhelming, I had never seen a greener land. I just sat there over some of the nomad tribes houses enjoying the moment and breathing that fresh air that I have missed in New Delhi. Suddenly I start seeing a girl moving the water buffalos across the Ganga River and coming in my direction. I just screamed internally, paralysed. I mean, a herd of buffalos coming in my direction running and I started to question everything in my head. If I start to run, will they come after me? If I stay here paralyzed will they run over me anyway? Well, I was starting to panicking and to have an involuntary will to just cry and scream. From nowhere a six-year-old boy appears and starts running towards the water buffalos screaming with a huge stone on his hand and scares them. That six-year-old just went right into the herd and there I was, a twenty-two-year-old paralyzed with the fear. On that moment I realized how fear is an adaptive mechanism. How for me, being raised in a place where fear means small bugs and for that six-year-old, raised side by side with the buffalos, was just another day at the office. After this scare, I sat there for a couple of minutes and then decided to go back home before I encountered the tigers and then the water buffalos would be the least of my problems. Truth is, after this moment I understood how we can overreact to unexpected situations and that keeping calm is essential. And, truth be told I would just go back and do the same, sitting there watching that green flatland with the sun cutting through the clouds giving it such a holy feeling was just priceless and no scare would change it. Well, maybe a tiger encounter would.