JOIN USStain nature, and Stein will come after you
More than a century ago, in 1895, the intrepid British-Hungarian explorer and archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein came across a secluded mountain meadow near Srinagar that was so idyllic, he deemed it to be “out of this world”. The meadow, named Mohand Marg, became his retreat whenever he was in Kashmir. There, he camped during summers while writing up reports of his expeditions into Central Asia. Stein is best known for his documentation of the history of the Silk Road and the bygone Buddhist civilization along the route. Most notably, he retrieved an extensive collection of ancient manuscripts from the Thousand Buddha Caves in Dunhuang, for which he was knighted.
However, Stein was also a brilliant Sanskrit scholar with an interest in Sanskrit manuscripts. From his postings at Oriental College and Punjab University in Lahore, he travelled to Kashmir, intent on acquiring the lost 12th century manuscript of the Rajatarangini, an epic Sanskrit poem chronicling the rulers of the Kashmir Valley. He managed to piece it together and translate it over more than a decade, mostly while living in his tent on Mohand Marg, with the help of native Kashmiri scholars. The document is regarded as the oldest and most complete record of Kashmiri history, making it particularly invaluable.
Although Stein could’ve stayed anywhere, he chose the remote Mohand Marg for its restorative natural beauty. A picture-perfect location, it’s ringed by snowy peaks and carpeted with alpine flowers. The crisp pine-scented air, Stein referred to as an “avalanche of perfume”. Stein valued the pristine environment of the meadow so much that he imposed a substantial fine for any damage to it.
Up until recently, Mohand Marg remained largely forgotten about and overlooked by visitors in favour of other meadows such as Yusmarg and Sonamarg. I certainly didn’t hear of it when I visited Srinagar several years ago. That’s changing though, with a multi-focused initiative to revive Stein’s Kashmir legacy and promote sustainable heritage tourism in the area -- a joint effort between Yasin Zargar of Indus Discoveries, the Kashmir Chapter of INTACH, and the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department. As part of the initiative, a hand-carved commemorative memorial stone was installed, in late 2017, at the spot on Mohand Marg where Stein used to pitch his tent. Obtained from the Pir Panjal Range and weighing 350 kilograms, it took locals six weeks to transport the stone on sledges and shoulders to Mohand Marg from the closest village.
The appeal of Mohand Marg is that it isn’t accessible by road and is completely undeveloped. Visitors can sit and have tea in a village home before hiking to the meadow and spending the day there. Indus Discoveries also offers camping nearby. A museum is being built, too. Surely, Stein would approve of the preservation of the area, while his contributions to Kashmir are honoured and the local community gets to benefit from tourist inflow.
The importance given to sustainable tourism is undoubtedly growing in India. According to a Future of Travel survey conducted by Booking.com and published last month, 70% of Indians want to travel more sustainably and 78% expect the travel industry to offer more sustainable options to meet this goal. In addition, 76% intend to stay away from crowded tourist attractions, and 55% will consider reducing waste and recycling plastic when travelling. It’s encouraging, but many overburdened tourist destinations are already troubled by environmental issues and ecological destruction -- the Himalayan region, especially.
Sadly, not everyone appreciates nature as Stein did. While there were heartening tales of flora rejuvenating and flourishing during the lockdown, it didn’t take long for disappointing reports of littering in forests and other places to reappear after the lockdown lifted. It’s doubtful that raising awareness about the environment is enough. More likely, hard action needs to be taken to reign in the degradation. In this regard, Stein’s idea of a large fine as a deterrent has greater merit than ever a century later.