An experience from 2021
What are your memories of New Year’s mornings? Everyone celebrates big time, stays up late, and wakes up late. Isn’t that your memory? As an event manager, I am always part of New Year’s celebrations as part of my job. The events end past midnight, and we go to bed exhausted, often without a proper meal. Naturally, we wake up late the next day.
For almost the entire first decade of my career, from around 2008, this was the case. When I launched Tamarind Event Management Solutions Pvt. Ltd., I made a rule that we would not take on events on New Year’s Eve. This was a strong policy to ensure that all my employees could celebrate the New Year with their families, enjoying a good meal, sharing stories, and having a great time.
Until 2020, I always spent New Year’s Eve with my family, especially with my children. We often invited family friends and close friends for get-togethers, and everyone enjoyed the celebrations. I always made it a practice to go to the office on time at 9 am every New Year’s Day.
But 2020 was a tough time for us. The pandemic was an unprecedented experience. Initially, we thought everything would return to normal after the lockdown, but we started seeing news of people struggling, even in developed countries. They had difficulties getting hospital assistance. We saw many of our family members, friends, and celebrities passing away. Their families couldn’t even attend their funerals due to government restrictions.
Months passed, and another New Year approached — New Year 2021. I wondered how we could celebrate this year. During the pandemic, having a normal life itself was a luxury. I thought of starting the year differently, perhaps with a hike or a trek. This would be a productive and healthy beginning to the year. That week had unexpected rains, so I had mixed feelings about going for a hike or trekking, especially with my family. One of our family friends suggested celebrating in Munnar. So, we planned to stay in Munnar and wake up early for a hike. Some of my friends suggested trying Kolukkumalai, home to the highest tea plantation in the world, known for its unique flavour and freshness due to its high altitude. A sunrise from 8,000 feet above sea level sounded brilliant. My children searched for images of Kolukkumalai and were thrilled by what they found.
We packed our bags and planned to stay at Chinnakanal. It continued to rain, and we worried we might have to cancel our plans, but the local Jeep driver assured us that the early morning would be fine. It was cold; we had our dinner on time and slept early. We set alarms for 4 am to reach the mountains before sunrise and before other tourists arrived. I vividly remember our Jeep driver arriving on time, having obtained the necessary permissions, and taking us on the ghat roads. Traveling inside a jeep on mountain roads was not easy. We could smell the fresh tea leaves, and we were shivering. The jeep driver drove effortlessly, much like a jockey riding a tamed horse, with a pleasant smile on his face. My children were trembling and even remarked that we could have been home sleeping.
Finally, the jeep arrived at a point where many tourists had already gathered, preparing to climb. We got down and started climbing slowly. My wife and children were surprised to see me climbing peacefully, despite my fear of heights, eager to watch the sunrise from the tallest peak of the Western Ghats.
We found a spot to watch the sunrise. It was 6 o’clock, and a gentle breeze passed through us. Even in the dark, we couldn’t see each other well but could hear murmuring. Everyone was preparing to witness the first sunrise of the New Year. Some youngsters who had hiked more adventurously climbed to the extreme top of the peak. As time passed, I saw nature changing. An ocean of white clouds gathered beneath us, a surreal sight like a legendary painter mixing colors on his palette. The colors of the clouds, the green trees, and the brown soil made the mighty mountain stand tall like a huge lion. Fifteen minutes later, we saw a yellow patch inside the clouds, signaling the grand arrival of the sun. Soon, it rose above the clouds, and everyone captured the magical moment with their eyes and cameras… In my entire life, I have seen countless sunrises, but this one was magical. It was pure joy watching the sunrise on a New Year’s morning. It felt like gratitude to the universe for giving us everything we wanted and a special prayer to keep us and millions of others alive and healthy after a pandemic.
We spent almost 30 minutes there. After 6:30, the magical canvas started to vanish, the clouds scattered, and people began climbing down. As we descended, everyone seemed relaxed and content. On our way back, my younger one said, “Acha, thank you for bringing me here and making my New Year special.”
As I explain this to you, you may wonder what is so special about this. If you ask someone who lost loved ones to COVID or lost their livelihood during the pandemic, they may have a different story. Fortunately, this time, we are on the other side. This sunrise was a moment of gratitude for me and my family, especially after my father was hospitalized twice, and we all had COVID, forcing us into lockdown for about 21 days. We survived, and for us, this sunrise was meaningful and a hope for a better tomorrow.
