Jawa Nomads: Ibex Trail 2019
It was August, 2019. Jawa Motorcycles had just reentered the Indian market after a gap of more than 20 years. They wanted the motorcycle community to take note by planning a ride across one of India's favourite trails - the valleys of Ladakh.
But they didn't want this to be just another ride. They wanted the world to know loud and clear that they cared - about Ladakh, its culture, food, preserving its serenity, and - most important - recognizing the problems facing the local Changpa Tribe in the face of rapid globalization.
In all of seven days, we presented Ibex Trail, a ride across the Union Territory presented in the form of a short series. Each episode tells the story of a different aspect of the region - right from its army connect, to the music flowing through its valleys, to its food and tribal occupation. The series was released on Republic Day, 2020, and the trailer trended on YouTube India for two days.
Episode 1 - Zyabstok
Ladakh's connection to the Indian Army is well known. Jawa Motorcycles wanted to honor the Ladakh Scouts regiment of the Army by building a memorial for the next-of-kin of its soldiers. Lt Col YK Joshi was invited to inaugurate it, and we shot a beautiful ride all the way from the martyr's colony to the Hall of Fame, where Col Sonam Wangchuk, and Jawa co-founders Anupam Thareja and Boman Irani performed a wreath laying ceremony.
Episode 2 - Kiki Soso Lha Gyalo
Col Sonam Wangchuk graciously agreed to ride with the rest of the convoy up till Tso Moriri, the end of the trail. And on the second night, right after we'd crossed Pangong Lake and camped for the night at Merak, we had Anupam Thareja, Col Wangchuk and the riders sit around a campfire over hot tea, and talk about his lived experience of the war. We filmed almost all night, and at the end of the conversation there were tears all round and hugs were exchanged. The conversation came through beautifully in the second episode, and really brings out the realities of what it means to be out there on the border fighting for your country.
Episode 3 - Luyangs
We had the pleasure of hosting UK-based hang drum artist Daniel Waples and the Ladakhi folk artist Faisal Ashoor. In between rides, we had them jam to create a mesmerizing fusion of sounds that we soundtracked the entire episode with. Melded with the sound of the valley's gushing breeze and the flowing rivers, the soundtrack became even more dreamlike and lent a surreal quality to the ride that it backdropped.
Episode 4 - Dokpa
More and more kids and young adults of the Changpa Tribe are choosing to leave their families and traditional occupation, and going away to the city to pursue a career. This is both a matter of pride and concern for the elders, as they fear their culture will soon become extinct. We visited two schools in the region, met with kids and local farmers, and the village head, and they gave us an up-close glimpse into their lives.
Episode 5 - Jullay!
After a beautiful, exhilarating seven days, it was time for the ride back to our base camp, Leh city. As we rode back, a lot of thoughts came to mind. We took multiple pit stops and interviewed the riders about their thoughts, their feelings, everything they had encountered on this epic journey and how it had changed their lives. We found one common theme - that of unity. That there's many things that divide us, but there's an equal number of things that unite us too. And we'd all do well to focus on the latter and live as one.
