A blissful life without connectivity

Technology has undoubtedly become an integral part of our lives. Every time I leave home without my mobile phone, I feel handicapped--as though I have left a part of me behind. And I am sure there are millions who feel the same.

Over the last few years, I have often carried my laptop along while holidaying. I am still not as tech-savvy as some of the people I know, and see around me. They travel with their laptops, BlackBerrys, mobile phones, digicams, iPods...

Often, people post photographs and videos of the places they visit on social networking sites, while still on a holiday... They can't wait to get back to do that.

Perhaps, these gadgets have begun to rule our lives.

I had the most amazing experience over the last weekend, which got extended to Monday and much of Tuesday. I stayed in a camp along the bank of river Ganga (also known as the Ganges), 27 kilometers above Rishikesh, a holy city in the state of Uttarakhand, along with family and friends.

The camp had tents with the very basics--two iron beds, mattresses, pillows, quilts, a candle, a matchbox, a water bottle and a glass. There were no attached toilets and no TV sets. The camp had dry toilets (a pit, with a potty seat enclosed by a tent), so that the human excreta would not pollute the holy river. We brushed our teeth in the open and bathed in tented enclosures.

At first, we wondered how we'll survive the next three to four days. But, very soon, the entire group (comprising three children and four adults) began to enjoy every moment of our stay near the Ganga.

A trip to the cafeteria was a long walk. So was a trip to the loo. There was no electricity and no Internet connectivity. The only gadget I used was my digital camera. Since nobody could reach us, we switched off our mobiles.

The days were spent rafting, kayaking, sitting by the river, eating, walking and talking. It was simply blissful. The children were the happiest lot--playing in the sand all day. We were so close to nature, the closest (probably) to how God meant us to be.

And believe me, none of us missed the gadgets!