The last yak herders of the Mustang Valley

Unlike their lowland cousins, yaks are a difficult lot. They can be unpredictable, their massive horns a great deterrent to anyone who wants to come close, and even the biggest cattle is dwarfed by them in size. In the high Himalaya, where there is barely any grass, they can survive on thorny caragana shrubs when winter sets in and the ground is covered in snow.
We are on the outskirts of Chumjung village in Mustang, often termed as the last village in Nepal because of its proximity to the China border. Yet there is a serene calmness with which Pasang Tsering, 40, ties the legs of a female yak—dri or nag in Tibetan—with a rope made from yak wool and gets its calf to suckle and induce the milk. A few sips later, he corrals the calf, sits on a makeshift stool, and begins to milk the mother. The animal ruminates nonchalantly; the calf bellows in desperation to return to its mother.
The milk is collected in a bucket, and will be churned into butter or made into chhurpi, hard cheese that can last for months. As soon as Tsering is done, he unties the legs of the dri and lets the calf loose from the corral. The little one runs to its mother, first nuzzling her face in a gesture of affirmation, then begins to feed. Tsering moves to another dri and repeats the process.
To the east, where the plain slopes down to a vast valley that leads down to Chumjung village, the sun rises behind three male yaks, their horns sparkling with mist. Autumn has just arrived in Mustang, north of the Annapurna range in Nepal, and it’s already cold enough for our toes to curl up inside our shoes. To the west, behind the mountains high enough to halt the last clouds in their paths, lies Tibet, beyond the modern Nepal-China border. In the silence of these towering mountains where clouds come to die, Tsering’s 60 yaks grunt in symphony, the steam from their nostrils leaving behind a vapor trail in the cold air.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 21, 2024-Ausgabe von Mint Mumbai.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 9.500 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 21, 2024-Ausgabe von Mint Mumbai.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 9.500 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
RBI cuts repo rate, CRR in boost to growth, liquidity
Repo rate cut by 50 basis points, against 25 bps expected, CRR cut by 100 bps

B2B gold rush at edtechs as AI, GCCs fuel demand
As the edtech sector grapples with waning interest in its core, consumer-focused online learning courses post-pandemic, major edtech and upskilling companies like Simplilearn, upGrad, and Emeritus are strategically shifting gears towards enabling enterprise learning.

Mallya could return, but it won't be a smooth landing
After nearly a decade of silence, Vijay Mallya, the flashy business tycoon who founded one of India's fanciest airlines that eventually went kaput and resulted in him being declared a fugitive economic offender, has re-emerged to tell his side of the story.

Tata Motors, JLR flag China risk in electric car supply chain
Tata Motors Ltd and Jaguar Land Rover have separately highlighted risks to their electric vehicle business for the first time ever, including potential production delays and shortages, likely as a result of China's stranglehold over the EV supply chain.

Now China's ultra-cheap EVs are scaring China
China's ability to make electric vehicles (EVs) cheaply has caused angst in countries with big carmakers, prompting governments to investigate China's subsidies for the sector and to erect trade barriers.

A Tightrope Walk Awaits Shubman Gill
The England series will indicate how the Test captain stands up in the face of a team that needs some serious building

Birla Group's Paints Unit Files Antitrust Case Against Asian Paints
Aditya Birla Group's Indian paints venture has filed an antitrust complaint against market leader Asian Paints for allegedly abusing its market position, three people aware of the matter said, a case that could lead to a stand-off between the two industry rivals.

Iconic characters stage a return as brand endorsers
Shaktimaan, India's beloved superhero and protector of humanity, is back, not to fight supervillains this time, but to endorse mattresses for Gadda Co.

Delhi HC weighs revival of tax notices dating back to '96
Retrospective reopening may shake the credibility of voluntary disclosure schemes

New Galleries Power a Shift in India's Art Scene
Newer galleries are showcasing personal collections and fostering a dialogue among collectors and artists