Shades

Loktak Lake

When two of these slender canoes or boats are joined side by side, there's no way it can overturn. But imagine all the possibilities when you're squating in only one of them with the camera and the oarsman behind - with the premonition of impending overturn anytime - against the strong evening winds and waves of the vast expanse of waters - the boat rocking to 'n fro and sideways! All for the sake of it and not for the fun part since there's no other way to reach the waterline along this largest freshwater lake in the north east India - which shoreline is surrounded in the eastern point with swamps!!

Drive down there at the Komlakhong point(eastern side of the lake) today with the usual gang with food to hold the night and enjoy Loktak Festival (Loktak Day Celebration). On reaching, we realized about a misinformation elsewhere, as the festival actually falls tomorrow!What a .... ! And the water's too high inland above the swampy shorelines so that it's literally impossible to set foot on firm dry ground anywhere near the waterline all along the eastern point! Damn! Luckily meet some fishermen on their canoes working further inland along the narrow passageway connecting the tip of their village and the vast expanse of the lake, and they're happy to take me along one of their canoes! The wind's too strong, the light's fading and the slender boat swayed in the heavy wakes of the waters and the strong wind! Anyway one of the younger fisherman (Sikandar) and me were through the passageway and hit the lake against the strong winds and wakes! He's an expert on the oars and follows my beckons so correctly with utmost skill! We did get some twilight from there.

Plan to reach the western point (Thanga) tomorrow where the celebration will also be held tomorrow.