CARAVAN TO TIBET

The journey of a story

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How did this journey begin?

When I learned about my family history through:

Stories told to me in my childhood. Accounts of trips to my grandfather’s

village/villages Accounts of the trade expeditions to Tibet. Learned about the exploits of two explorers

from my extended family Nain Singh Rawat and Kishen Singh Rawat.

The next stage Reading about the

journeys of Nain Singh and Kishen Singh, the ‘Pundit’ explorers who mapped Tibet in disguise.

The first book I read:Indian Explorers of the Nineteenth Century by I.S.Rawat

Provided detailed accounts of the journey to Tibet based on the diaries of the explorers.

Descriptions of the landscape. Information about animals, birds,

vegetation and climate. The food eaten on the journeys and

the clothes worn.

More details

The different kinds of people and their occupations.

The local customs. The hardships and dangers of the

journey—like attacks by robbers. Other interesting details.

Map of the route to Tibet This map from

Indian Explorers of the Nineteenth Century was very helpful.

The explorers’ route helped me to work out the details of Debu’s journey.

Nain Singh Rawat Explored Tibet disguised

as a Tibetan lama in the nineteenth century.

Discovered many important facts like the altitude of Lhasa and the source of the Brahmaputra.

Received titles and awards.

The character of the Lama in Rudyard Kipling’s Kim is said to be based on him.

Kishen Singh Rawat Followed his uncle

Nain Singh in the work of exploration and made further geographical discoveries.

Captured by robbers and was lost in Mongolia for four years.

Received many titles and grants as well.

The result of all this reading Articles on the explorers. A great idea for an adventure story. A long short story published in the

Target magazine annual. Published again in Cricket magazine

in the U.S.A. The idea of turning this story into a

novel takes root…

It requires deeper research Further reading. Watching films and television.

programmes on Tibet to visualize my settings and characters.

Talking to knowledgeable people like Kishen Singh’s grandson and his wife to know more about local customs.

Visiting some of the places where Debu is supposed to live.

Some more books I read The Pundits by Derek Waller A Mountain in Tibet by Charles Allan Madhya Himalaya ki Bhotia Janjati: Johar

ke Shauka by Dr. S.S. Pangtey Western Tibet and the Indian Borderland

by Charles A Sherring Lost World Tibet by Amaury de Riencourt Kailash-Mansarovar by Swami

Pranavanand

Shauka customs This book provided

details of the customs and daily life of the Shaukas.

Also provided useful historical facts about the trade expeditions.

Shauka women-Debu’s mother probably dressed like this

A photograph which helped me to describe Debu’s mother-from Western Tibet and the Indian Borderland by Charles A Sherring, a British official who made a journey to Tibet in the early 20th century.

Shauka men The term ‘Bhotia’,

more commonly used, is considered derogatory now.

When I found out, I changed ‘Bhotia’ into the acceptable term ‘Shauka’ in the novel.

Gyanima market This is the first

Tibetan market Debu visits.

Charles Sherring's book was full of details like the strong wind and the foul smelling fuel and the difficulty of cooking a proper meal.

Dokpa women This photograph, also

from Western Tibet and the Indian Borderland by Charles Sherring, helped me to visualize a scene at a market.

Also add exotic details about local costumes.

A Tibetan official Again from

Western Tibet and the Indian Borderland.

I found many details about Tibetan officials and an account of the Gartok horse race.

Exploring the actual setting My grandfather's

house in Quithi, (kind of abandoned now).

This village is one of the places where Debu lives in the book.

More details to add flavour to the story A window frame from my

grandfather’s house in a local museum.

Woman weaving Perhaps Debu’s

mother used a similar loom.

Debu enjoyed this view too! The Panchachuli

mountains glimpsed from Munsiyari.

According to legend these peaks get their name from Pancha (five) and Chuli (cooking pot).

They are said to have been used as cooking pots for the last meal the Pandava brothers had, before their journey to heaven.

Turning a short story into a novel Adding another episode to the three

original main ones—the horse race. Putting in more characters, like the

villainous Cousin Trilok and the other members of the group, the Garphan etc.

Adding more descriptions and cultural details.

Fleshing out existing characters.

The End Revising, revising and… revising! Sending it to a publisher and waiting

patiently for a decision. Finally the book is accepted and

published by Puffin!

NEXT! Caravan is

nominated for the IBBY Honour List 2008.

Translated into Korean.

Thank you!

PS. All this research also inspired a poem titled “Woman on the Road to Lhasa”