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Once upon a history
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Mishi Saran's tale of travel and research defies categorisation, says ANJANA RAJAN
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HER STORY: Mishi Saran traced the footsteps of a 7th Century monk in a search for her own identity PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM
If journalism is literature in a hurry and history in the making, what about the stuff between the lines? As any journalist knows, the amount of information that goes into a published story is sometimes equal to the amount that never makes it to print, for reasons of space, time or relevance. What will become of all those unsaid tales, those histories that remain in the memory, vulnerable to alteration in the by-lanes of thought and imagination? Certainly there are many more hidden stories lurking in the shadows of the history of centuries past.
It was with such thoughts, a backpack and plenty of doubts, that Mishi Saran - a journalist beginning to tire of "the limits of journalism", a medical student who bifurcated into the study of Chinese and history - embarked on one of the most unusual itineraries of modern times: a reconstruction of the route followed by the 7th Century Buddhist monk Xuanzang as he travelled to India from China to study Buddhist philosophy in Nalanda.
He spent 18 years in his quest and returned with 657 sutras, an incredible feat that earned him an exalted status in Chinese history and legend. Mishi's journey took a year.
Search for identity
The quest that began in May 2000 culminated in a book, "Chasing the Monk's Shadow - A Journey in the Footsteps of Xuanzang" recently released in New Delhi by Penguin. Mishi says that her decision to undertake the journey was a step towards searching for her own identity.
In her lyrical prose, she describes her situation and her invisible bond with the monk: "Swinging between countries, mine was a split life. [... ] I eased in and out of cultures, switched tongues, I held together with string, tape and staples. Stuck in the space between one language and the next, lost among continents, unjoined dots. [... ]Who else was caught thus between India and China?"
So much for motivation! There were practical aspects too. It was one thing to have an idea - "In June 1999 the idea just popped in" - and another to execute it. "It seemed impossible at the time, but I knew I just had to do it."
The travel grant came from her alma mater, Wellesley College in the U.S. In applying for the grant, says Mishi, she was forced to think about how she would go about the project. Funds granted and bags packed, Mishi was ready, if that is the word.
"It was the biggest adventure of my life, unbelievable. You don't always know what you're getting into," she recalls.
An addiction
"It was an extraordinary year, learning to overcome being afraid, being tired, being lonely. Absorbing all the new information, getting a feel for the rhythm of the land. By the end of it you become quite addicted to travelling. It is a bit of a draught!"
As for her parents, "they were continuously horrified," though Mishi kept in touch through email or phone.
"But honestly, I do think that people travelling alone get a lot of kindness," she adds.
As for putting it all together, "Oh God, it was hellish!"
Again it was a question of telling some, leaving out some more. History as her story.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Pondicherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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