A 2500 km journey for continuous 37 hours in a train may seem tiresome to many. But for me, it is a time to experience human diversity at a fast pace. Going from the thick urban density to the hot barren landscapes with seamless boundaries can create a mesmerizing experience for a casual artist like me.
I was heading to Chennai (Madras), a land known for its scarcity of outstanding sights. Even with the southern heat, this place manages to sneak into a travel photographer’s heart with a big conglomerate of urban villages and South Indian artistic & religious traditions.
I always try to book a window sea so that I can picture a scenic location and the draw it in my sketchbook. I had to exchange my seat with a madrasi gentleman. In the outskirts of a village near Bhopal, I got my drawing scene. It was a girl outside her house, trying to get a plant straight whose roots were damaged.
While drawing, I started talking with the gentleman (Hemant Kumar) about the city. Being a native he was describing the historic location with full enthusiasm. Then he asked me about my purpose to visit Chennai. I told him about my selection at the design university and my interview for final admission.
Well then, you will be the only “Turbaned Sikh Guy” in the whole university. It may be awkward for you to spend three years there because of the cultural taboos. I said immediately, “that’s not a big problem. If required, I’ll remove my turban, cut my hair and be like them”. After that there was silence for some time.
“Didn’t you learn anything from your own drawing?” He said abruptly when my drawing was near completion. I was eighteen at that time, but was looking at him like a 5 year old child with a stunned expression.
“Watch your drawing again carefully”. Without a pause he said again, “Don’t ever forget your roots. If you’ll leave your roots, then your descendants will get loose from the ground and die, culturally. You are a good artist, but you should also develop and eye to observe these little messages”. I was so embarrassed that I could only utter a single word, “Thank you”.
He got off the train at Hyderabad where he work in and IT Company. Even he wasn’t an artist, but he had sculpted my thoughts, my mind for life. Due to him, I am now able to capture and convey messages through my photography. Southerners are considered rude by some northerners, but I met the most polite teacher there who changed my perspective of life.
