-Rinchen.
“So Abile (granny), do you know how to read both Bodhik and Urdu?”, I asked in awe.
Abile’s answer was in the affirmative. She was telling me about her Urdu teacher when I asked her whether he was a Muslim. She said yes and that Sir Rehman le also taught Bodhik brilliantly.
It seems Sir Rehman le had a tryst with ‘two’. After all, abile said that when he came for the village darsayz, he’d wear two tilens! Back then two tilens were worn with the intention of heightening one’s style, what we in Ladakh term as dabshan(stylish). Abile continued by saying that she too would wear two tilens on occasions. Two tilens! Honestly, that trend should be renewed. What with different colours complimenting one outfit; one could wear all the hues of Ladakh in one go.
In many ways the imposition of education in Urdu was a dictum under Kashmir’s governance. Yet, since a considerable population of Ladakh includes Muslims, Urdu is not altogether alien. Notwithstanding, Bodhik script is the shared cultural heritage of every native of Ladakh.
With increasing emphasis on English, we must not forget to equally carry the importance of learning our own script and increasing its visibility in the sphere of modern consumerism as well.
In a world where even one tilen is worn occasionally, the tale of two tilens is lyrical. In a world where Ladakh is narrowing its own identities, this tale is lyrical.
The question is, can we make this Ladakh lyrical too?
tilen – traditional silk brocade blouse.
darsayz- village festival.
