Himalaya Bound Read online

  Of course, the greatest thanks of all go to the Van Gujjar families who welcomed me into their world: Dhumman, Jamila, Yusuf, Roshni, Alfa, Sakina, and all of their children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. They had to live with me, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from the lowland jungles to the Himalayan meadows, in the process giving me one of the most rewarding and unforgettable experiences I will ever have. None of this would have been possible without them. They will remain friends for life.

  I’m also grateful to my own little family, Kelly and Luke, who encouraged me to undertake this adventure and attempt to make something meaningful from it. And I could not have done that without help from my ever-enthusiastic and resourceful agents, Allison Devereux, in New York, and Sherna Khambatta, in Mumbai, as well as my editor, Jessica Case, who has put her energies into making this a beautiful book—thank you all!

  Advance praise from India for Himalaya Bound:

  “A perceptive account. Evocative and full of drama. Himalaya Bound is an important contribution to mountain narratives, along with being a compelling memoir of understanding between cultures. At heart, this is a story of friendship and trust, told with the kind of integrity and compassion that often seems absent in our world today.”

  —Biblio: A Review of Books

  “A deeply personal account and an important testimony to a way of life—and a way of interacting with animals—that is under a lot of pressure not only in India but around the world. Don’t miss this unique and immensely readable tale about people that do more for animal welfare than anybody else.” —The Hindustan Times

  “A rare glimpse into the hidden world of a tribe of vegetarian Muslims who risk their lives for their animals.” —The Times of India

  “Compassionate, sensitive, and keenly attuned to the challenges confronted by traditional ways of life around the world. Benanav forces us to ask important questions about the relationship between man and nature in India today.”

  —Akash Kapur, author of India Becoming

  “Closely observed and sympathetically told, Benanav captures the very best of modern-day travel writing. Benanav serves as the very best of guides on this most unique of journeys.” —Oliver Balch, author of India Rising

  “Captivating. Poignant. Inspiring. Benanav proffers an extraordinary insight into the lives of an age-old tribal culture and the multifarious challenges it faces in 21st-century India.” —Sarina Singh, The Lonely Planet Guidebook to India

  “An enchanting read, Himalaya Bound is a great and important book providing insight into a vanishing way of life.” —Ilse Köhler-Rollefson, author of Camel Karma:

  Twenty Years Among India’s Camel Nomads

  HIMALAYA BOUND

  Pegasus Books Ltd.

  148 W 37th Street, 13th Floor

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2018 by Michael Benanav

  All images © Michael Benanav

  First Pegasus Books edition January 2018

  Interior design by Maria Fernandez

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher, except by reviewers who may quote brief excerpts in connection with a review in a newspaper, magazine, or electronic publication; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other, without written permission from the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

  ISBN: 978-1-68177-622-4

  ISBN: 978-1-68177-693-4 (e-book)

  Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

  www.pegasusbooks.us