Bengaluru: Last week, Kartiki Gonsalves was photo-documenting orphaned elephants in the Western Ghats. She received a government project to film an indigenous tribe in the Nilgiris. She returned home to Bengaluru to take a group of foreigners on a cultural city tour as a guide. Gonsalves now plans to leave for Bhopal where she will be capturing Gond tribal art with her lens. This is just one typical week in the life of Gonsalves.
“I enjoy the peace-in-chaos that comes with my career juggle,” says the 31-year-old. Born to an American mother who is an avid traveller with a Phd in East European history and father who is director of IIT Mandi, Gonsalves earns a living as a guide.
“Wilderness can be a challenging terrain for a solo woman. My real gains will come after ten years. Being a tour guide thus helps me make money for city life,” says Gonsalves, who grew up in the hills of Ooty and moved to Bengaluru eight years ago.
Not made to be a 9-5 jobber, she has been living out of her suitcase for the past three years and loving it. As a local guide, she walks tourists through secret hidden lanes of Bengaluru. “I take travellers to slums in Kammanahalli, dhobi ghats and saree-weaving sights in the back alleys.”
Her two professions call for an extreme life. She is constantly shuttling between the quiet solitude of the jungle and city chaos. “I live a simple life in the wild. I have food with villagers in their huts. In the city, I dress up sharply. I meet people from different countries and cultures. It makes me understand myself better,” she says.
Gonsalves has found that her two careers have seamlessly blended over time. “Communicating in sign language with bushman tribes and the wild has taught me the skill to interact with any living being now. Cultural tours are good networking platforms. I spread the word about my photography across the globe through tourists,” says Gonsalves, whose ultimate aim is to champion the cause of environment through photography.
Pursuing multiple professions is a healthy new trend, she believes. “Juggling two or more professions was unheard of two decades ago. Since people are turning passions into professions, they take them seriously and learn about different facets of life. This will open more doors and create a new ecosystem for future generations.”
The Economic Times
