In Munnar and other hill-resorts in the country, I have noticed that on a chilly night, nothing brings people together faster and closer than a campfire, a bonfire or even a small home fire crackling contentedly in a sitting-room fireplace.
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Ever since its discovery, fire has drawn people to its inviting circle of warmth, keeping them companionably clustered together. In the process, aloofness and inhibitions are usually shed and there is bonhomie and cordiality even among strangers.
Mellow mood
The air of informality that characterises these get-togethers is often the ice-breaker — even reserved introverts open up. Squatting around a fire tends to mellow one, improve one’s disposition and create amity, besides, of course, sparking romance! In 1967, a group of young men, many of us strangers, camped overnight on Karankolam, an 8,000-foot-high plateau near Munnar. The gruelling three-hour ascent had left us drained, weary and edgy. It was dusk and a campfire was needed. “C’mon, let’s light a fire,” our leader appealed half-heartedly, unsure of the response given our physical exhaustion.
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However, the prospect of a campfire galvanised us. Shaking off fatigue, we readily fanned out in the fast fading light to collect armfuls of dry twigs. Then, famished, we huddled around a blazing fire, munching refreshments and sipping piping hot coffee as the soft strains of Jim Reeves’s soothing baritone wafted from a tape-recorder thoughtfully brought along by someone. It did seem unreal in the eerie stillness of the night and cast a spell over us, forging a bond of snug and secure togetherness in unknown, forested terrain. Soon banter, drollery and reminiscences followed amid peals of laughter. There was no need to fear any nocturnal prowlers from the wilderness, a wag joked, as the two sonorous snorers among us were sure to scare them off!
Dog-tired after the arduous climb, we slept like logs, waking at dawn to find ourselves drenched with dew and the fire gone. But I’ve never forgotten the warm camaraderie of that star-spangled night in the wilds.
The outing bonded us into a closely knit group of like-minded nature-lovers who over the years undertook several similar treks and outdoor camps. Truly, there’s something about a fireside that brings fraternal feelings to the fore.
In a world torn by strife and distrust, such fellowship built around a fire can, in its own unpretentious way, help foster universal brotherhood. All it takes is a willingness to give this simple expedient a sincere and sustained trial. And we may well see a decline of enmity in our lives and a marked improvement in our inter-personal relationships.
gnettomunnar@rediffmail.com