SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2020 (PAGE 4) SPORTS HEALTHLINES Places for Paragliding in Jammu 5 GOLDEN RULES Kamal Singh Oberh ity right till the launch point and the landing area as well. This is critical to facil- How to IncreaseRunning Mileage after a break As the COVID continues to rise in certain parts of the Country so is parallelly the itate the pilots to carry out multiple launches. urge to move out, to step out and to unleash ourselves from these bonds of social PINGLA MATA Same ridge line, let's move further up North. Pingla Mata. A destination distancing and quarantine. Adventure is one big thing that we could find ourselves again well within the reach of a million people who visit Mansar annually, or 10 knocking at. million yatris to Mata Vaishno Devi. At 23 kms from Mansar, this location already has excellent road connectivi- Paragliding is one such aero adventure sport that has inbuilt characteristic of ty to the top through the desired landing areas in the foothills. Opening up of adrenaline rush, absolute thrill and getting one closest to feeling like a free bird the site by the authorities for regular operations is all that this location awaits. in the sky. You could enjoy a paragliding flight either as a tandem passenger One could get 10 minutes of flight from here to the landing area. with a qualified paragliding pilot, or go solo - all by yourself - just you and the Ladha This is a gold mine as far as paragliding in Jammu is concerned. winds - aur kuch nahi! Jewel of all locations. Tourists could get the best paragliding experience here. Kapil Arora As of now there is negligible paragliding activity in the region while Jammu The feel of a flight from here would be heavenly. Flights here would go beyond is home to multiple paragliding locations. Let's explore these sites in our region, half an hour. Rule 1 - Inch By Inch panning various high reaches, which are a treat to visit even if you don't wish to However, for actual success of his site, this spot needs to be linked directly take to the skies! Question - How to eat an elephant, Answer - One Bite at a Time. with Kainth Gali, as the landing would be towards that side. As long as this vital After a long haul, start slowly. Increasing your mileage suddenly can lead to injuries. A I shall restrict myself to only those locations which have been personally road link, of about 6 kms, is not in place, paragliding operations here would not accessed by me, so far, on ground, along with other experts in the field. rule of thumb would be to increase your mileage by not more than 10% per week. For be a financially viable option for the pilots. While the location in itself is excellent, Example - If you are currently running 15km kms per week, increase it to not more than effective adventure tourism shall have to be patient until this vital link is in place. 17km per week the very next week. DHANUA Rule 2 - Don't do this every week If there is one place in this region that has seen some regular paragliding, it is at Dhanua, which is about an hour's drive from Katra. Kudos to the persever- Now if you keep increasing mileage by 10% every week, in 10 weeks i.e 2.5 months, you ance of the operators here. Dhanua site has been basically catering to the yatris will be doubling your mileage. This is however not feasible and with no races in sight, there visiting the holy shrine. One gets about 5 minutes of flight from this beautiful is no urgent need too. location that has jungles all around and a perennial stream below. What is the best way then? Set an Upper Limit - From 15 Km per week to start,Upper Limit can be 40 km per week AITHEM in next 2 month or in 10 weeks. On Jammu Surinsar road, Aithem is sitting right in our back yard at 20 kms. Stay Put - Increase 10% for1 week, hold that for 1 more week increase 10% again. Successful trials were conducted here, however the activity is yet to take off. Probable cause - grant of final permissions for conduct of commercial activity. A flight here would last a little longer than at Dhanua. However, one thing is assured, as in Dhanua, the pleasure of flying can certainly be experienced here as well. The landing area couldn't be any better with the sandy banks of Sardan Nala. BHADERWAH Adventure enthusiast tourists enjoying paragliding flight at Dhanwa Reasi. Bhaderwah too offers few excellent locations for paragliding in the region. SIYARA The location towards Padri is well connected by road which offers multiple points for paragliding launches. As one launches from the beautiful meadows Let's start - literally from the bottom. Siyara. Am certain you're many of situated at 8,000 plus feet, the valley down below offers comfortable landing those who have neither heard this name, and obviously so, nor been there (as areas. One could easily get flights close to half an hour here. yet!). Don't you worry, just hang on to me as I walk you through this location. Siyara is on Basholi - Bani road (so did I hear you say, "okay"? Good! Now you Paragliding Training Institute know the general area I'm talking about!). Standing at Siyara, facing South East, In order to make paragliding a sustainable tourist attraction the Govt would looking at your eye level, you could pass a smile to our distant cousin, a have to come up with a Paragliding Training Institute that would have the Himachali Dogra, in Dalhousie, just 13 kms as a crow flies across the valley. In wherewithal for ab-initio training, instructors, certifications, and availability of the valley below, between you two, is the beautiful river Ravi, delimiting J&K equipment. It may certainly take time for this to build up, but then Rome too Rule 3 - Avoid Speed/interval training was not built over night. It is sad that paragliding trials have been going on in and Himachal. Siyara is about 200 kms from Jewel Chowk. Interval Training adds to lots of stress on body and doing it after a break can be detri- Once you take off from this site the overall view is just breathtaking, moun- this region for the past two decades, but the sport could never get to spread its wings to help soar tourists or adventure enthusiasts. It is high time we act now, mental. You are adding stress to your body anyways by increasing the mileage. Wait for at tains, river, valley, cool winds brushing your face. Landing area is on the J&K least 2 months of consistent running to reach a base level - Say 40km per week training lest another ten years from now we read yet another story of a remarkable trial side in fields near Hutt. Flights here could last for half an hour. before you include Speed training or interval training. conducted in Jammu region for paragliding. Creation of accommodation at Siyara would be an inescapable requirement Let the Govt please do it now, if not, it'll be never. Let's lay the foundation Rule 4 - Reduce Intensity in order to provide basic amenities to the tourists. stone by training a team of twenty odd youngsters, thereby also creating job opportunities for them. Let's hire instructors, even if at a premium. In times to It's advisable to build up mileage first to a base level and then increase intensity. This CHOUNTRA MATA simply means if you want to run at 5.30km/per minute and currently running at 6km/ per come, we would be self sufficient as is Himachal today in terms of independent minute, its better to build endurance up to 40-50km per week for first 6-8 weeks before you Let's move up North West now, along the Dhar Road. Chountra Mata. A pil- operations. start building up speed. grim destination that is well within the reach of a million people who visit Come on Jammu, we have taken many a 'first steps' by conducting trials, Mansar annually. It's about 25 kms from Mansar. One could comfortably more trials, and then few more trials. It's high time to move ahead. Enough of Rule 5 - Focus where you are running extend their day out trip from Mansar to Chountra in less than an hour, enjoy- 'first steps' have been initiated in the past, it's high time now to take 'The Second When you are in the process of building your mileage, ensure you run on the soft sur- ing the picturesque Dhar road drive. Step'..... faces and not hard or uneven surfaces. For example, running on the tarmac on the road is After paying respects to the deity one could enjoy a smooth 10 minutes flight Until next time - blue skies and happy landings! But what an irony, for better than running on the sidewalks. Sidewalk are generally made of cement and hard on down to the foothills. Happy Landings, one would first have to get airborne. Isn't it? your feet, please cracks on the payment can be dangerous. A park or a beach, during low While there is good road connectivity to Chountra Mata from the Dhar Road Jammu! It's now, or, never..... tide when surface is even is advisable. junction, the last kilometre or so yet remains to be commissioned. For any ( The author is a qualified Parachute Jump Instructor and recipient of Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award (The author is a Fitness expert, and a successful Corporator) paragliding site to become user friendly, it needs to have convenient connectiv- for excellence in Aero Adventure Sports. ) [email protected] BOLLYWOOD BUZZ HEALTHLINES “You're reminded of being Taboo of being Depressed Tahzeeb Z. Jawaid an outsider all the time" Depression is a reality. Let's not neglect it. Let's not underestimate it. Let's not laugh at it. Let's not shove it under the carpet. Let's not turn Excelsior Correspondent it into a taboo. And most importantly let's not exploit it for attention. Actor Vidyut Jammwal says there is a Two years ago a friend narrated a story sobbing that she wanted hierarchy in the film industry, which comes to visit a psychiatrist/psychologist and had asked someone to in the way of recognising and lauding gen- accompany her. The reply she received was that she should never uine talent. mention it again. A few days later she was not friends with the per- Jammwal, who has been in the industry son after receiving the message and I quote "I can't be friends with for nearly a decade-having starred in films a mad person". This was my first second hand experience with like "Force" and the "Commando" series-said unawareness and taboo that is associated with mental health. rather than "nepotism" it's the lack of appre- Anyways she did go to the doctor. But before that, she had to go ciation from within the fraternity that con- through the agony of spending her hard earned money and then the cerns an artiste. rudeness of the woman arranging the patients and their appoint- "You are reminded of it (being an out- ments. Finally she made her way into the cabin and talked her heart sider) all the time. There's this whole hierar- out .Though after that neither the doctor nor she felt the need for a chy, nobody can deny it. But what do we do repeat visit. This episode of her life helped me realise the multiple about it? The only thing I'd like to change is jeopardy faced by those who actually need help-its a taboo, treat- that people should not ignore others. They ment is expensive and not even the doctors clinic shows any sympa- should applaud everything that they see. thy. "It has got nothing to do with nepotism, According to the WHO, one in four people in the world will be just be a good human being, recognise what affected by mental or neurological disorders at some points in their and then we need to make changes in the thinking. the person has done," Vidyut told . lives and around 450 million people currently suffer from such con- The society needs to understand that every one gets to live his The actor was recently mentioned in a ditions. Globally 4.3% of the world population suffers from own life. One can only learn from the others, not become the other global list that said the martial art-trailed Depression (WHO 2015).While in our country, nearly 15% of Indian person. So we need to learn to respect our diversity and like our life actor was among the 'ten people you don't Adults need active intervention for one or more mental health and teach the same to the younger generation. The content we want to mess with'". issues (National Mental Health survey-2015-16). One in every watch on social media and the sense of competition and greed for Jammwal said there was outpouring love twenty Indians suffer from Depression. Hence the burden of more has to be curbed. A line has to be drawn between what is real from people, but not from the industry. Depression is too huge to be neglected! and what is not. "They will not acknowledge it, nobody will The WHO defines depression as an ILLNESS characterised by Also we need to learn the art of patience. No doubt success is the tweet about it. It's not a sad thing. I'm persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that one nor- inevitable desire of all humans but it can't come easy. So we need to trained for sit. So when one door shuts, 100 mally enjoys, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activi- give it its time. It is more important to do things correctly rather others open. That's what I've concluded from ties, for atleast two weeks. Also there is loss of energy; a change in than quickly. If we change our idea of success from "ME ONLY" to my journey here. Nobody can stop you," he appetite; sleeping more or less; anxiety; reduced concentration; "ME and OTHERS TOO" ,we can bring about a revolution in the added. indecisiveness; restlessness; feeling of worthlessness, guilt or hope- model of development. Last month, the Jammu-born actor lessness; and thoughts of self harm or even committing suicide. We need to build a supportive, ethical and empathetic environ- voiced his displeasure after Disney+Hotstar So that's basically almost everything that makes a person into an ment because as humans our current situations can change for the snubbed him for the announcement of their independent being. This definition in itself tells us that Depression better or worse at any time. And if we generate a "Safe Zone" for upcoming film slate, which included his film can't be underestimated. It affects the idea of a "normal life". It cre- people around us ,it will provide a sense of security and reduce the "Khuda Hafiz". ates a world of negative reinforcements inside the mind of a person. fear of failure. The 39-year-old actor said the behaviour A person suffering with depression may seem healthy to others. Familial and social bonds have to be strengthened. We need to didn't "hurt" him but his reaction came from But a close medical examination might reveal the effects it has- A redevelop the process of communication between people on a one- a space of not fall in the levels of few hormones to slow deterioration of the nor- on-one basis and things like family discussion because man is a social being even screen as an actor. I have been mal functioning of the body. being and interactions act as antidote to any negativity in the mind. acknowledged. trained in a ring, so I'm used to being Behaviour of people suffering from this may vary from hyperac- Parents should understand the changes in the social norms and talk "When I Over the years, the actor slapped, punched and kicked. I'm tivity, social interactions and explicit happiness to completely shut- more freely to children to solve the new problems of the new age. read that in the used to taking it very well. If I fall, I ting out the world around them. This seems like the most difficult Also we need to remember that since now the illness is being dis- morning, my do stand up. That's my philosophy. part of the illness because the happy faces can easily fool others cussed by people on larger platforms ,so we must be very cautious subconscious has built an action-hero "So it didn't matter of the movies while those shutting people out are mostly perceived as snobs or and not trivialize the discussion by using the term casually. We mind asked a didn't do Rs 200 cr or what people antisocial and finally forgotten. Both the extremes (and those some- need to remember the people suffering from it, (be it at any stage question- 'How image with his body of work. thought… I've been sustaining here for where in between) are susceptible to the worst effect of the illness Mild, Moderate, Severe) need help to go ahead with life. It is a come you ten years with great happiness." i.e the idea of self harm. struggle for them to get out of the bed in the morning. Hence, the haven't been The actor is gearing up for his All this becomes more severe today because the lifestyle of peo- severity of the illness should not be forgotten at anytime. mentioned?' I just put that question on my social media next, filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia's crime-drama fea- ple is characterised by features like -living alone or spending too Life is a gift given to many different creatures but, social life platform and I think I got the answer in the form that ture "Yaara" which is set to release on ZEE5 on July 30. much time in separate rooms even if you live with your family, where in one can share and care for each other is restricted to one people love me. Also starring Amit Sadh, Shruti Haasan, Vijay excessive indulgence in the virtual world of social networking sites, specie. Let us use this faculty to fight the grave illness of depression "It's nice to know that you've done well for yourself Varma and Sanjay Mishra, Yaara traces the rise and fall idea of hardwork being justified by less sleep and cut off from social and its effects. Let every human become free because a mind that is and people have seen the truth within you. You don't of four friends'' rustling operations across the Nepal- relation, heart breaks, relentless competition, materialism, con- depressed is no better than the caged bird which Maya Angeloue need anything else. My question was answered by the India border. sumerism, quick success strategies and an intensified struggle for compared to a free one in the poem-THE CAGED BIRD: country." Vidyut said the digital steaming of his film will existence. The free bird leaps on the back of the wind Over the years, the actor has built an action-hero ensure that "Yaara"-which was awaiting a release for Today 800 000 people die due to suicide around the world every #But a bird that stalks down the narrow cage And flows down- image with his body of work. year (source: WHO). This number is too huge and the worst part is stream till the current ends almost four years-reaches out to a global audience. Though the films, especially the three part that the 15-29 year olds are most susceptible to it. Therefore, as a #Can seldom see through his bars of rage And dips his wings in "I've started believing in the saying 'Apna time "Commando" series, have brought him recognition, society we need to act fast to recreate the Social construct. Our the orange sun rays aagaya.' So the film's time has also come. Once you've Vidyut said the barometer for success in the industry is value system needs an overhaul. For this we need to bring changes- #His wings are clipped and his feet are tied And dares to claim done your best, you know whenever it comes out, it'll be a Rs 100 or 200 crore hit. behavioural and psychological changes. The patient, family and the sky The actor said as a true martial artiste, he has learnt good." friends, all have a role to play. While, as a society we need to accept So he opens his throat to sing.... Produced by AZURE Entertainment, "Yaara" is a to take the lows with the highs. the existence of this illness before doing anything else. The taboo (The author is an alumnus of S.M.V.D.U,Kakryal, Katra and runs a Trust for the wel- remake of 2011 French crime-drama "Gang Story". "I didn't learn martial arts just to look good on built around the issue of mental issues has to be broken down first fare of the downtrodden and weaker sections of Society)