The following appeared in the July/August 2008 issue of Culture+Travel
along with the article "Laugh and the World Laughs With You."
Laugh Your Way Around India!
As a laughter tourist, you’ll explore territory few vacationers see. There are several thousand laughter clubs in India, but it’s the large central state of Maharashtra that has more than anywhere else on Earth, with several of them in every town and city. To join in, all you need is loose fitting clothing and the desire to laugh. The clubs were founded on the idea of being open to anyone, and there are no fees. Once you have found a club, you then join either the men or the women and simply follow the leader’s commands. After bouts of protracted laughter, the ice is broken and invariably you will soon be introducing yourself to the curious locals. The founder and chairman of Laughter Yoga International, Dr. Madan Kataria has a great website where you’ll find a list of clubs and events in India (and also around the world). But word of mouth is often the only way to find a number of clubs. Most meet at sunrise so try to find a club close to where you are staying—especially since you’ll be getting up at the crack of dawn. laughteryoga.org
Kolhapur
A small affluent city in the southwest corner of Maharashtra, Kolhapur is famous for shoe making, hot cuisine, wrestling—and, of course, laughter clubs. There are over 50 in the district. It’s a relaxed place that lacks the oppressiveness of many cities in India. Visit the temple to the goddess of wealth, Mahalakshmi; a couple of palaces; the beautiful lake; and the nearby hill station. It’s 12 hours by rail, or one by air from Mumbai.
Stay:
Raysons Regency
The owner of this well-run modern hotel (with two good restaurants) is a member of the Ruiker Colony Laughter Club. Staff members are very helpful and know all of the club locations—most of which are within a 10-minute drive. They will gladly organize a car.
New Shahupuri
02-31/668-1333
RATES: $35
raysonsregency.com
Play:
G.J.G. Yoga Academy
Dr. Dhananjay G. Gunde is credited by many within the laughter movement as being instrumental in the advance of Laughter Yoga. He has taught yoga to a president of India and is the yoga therapy consultant to Bombay Hospital and Medical Research Centre, as well as an orthopedic surgeon in his home city, Kolhapur. Dr. Gunde’s regular class at the G.J.G. Yoga Academy is a good introduction, incorporating many laughter yoga techniques.
Kririshna 15,
Shivaji Park
02-31/253-6758
dggyog@yahoo.com
Ganesh Laughers
The “Best Laughter Club” of 2003 is led by B.A. Kolekar, and excels in Crazy Laughter. A large club with over 100 regulars, it’s in Peth Vadgaon, about 10 miles outside Kolhapur. It meets daily at 6:00 a.m. in a field just outside the village next to a water tank and a huge banyan tree. After laughing with this club, join member Sampat Nayakawadi, a well-known painter, for a tour of his studio.
Isolation Club
This large club led by Laxman M. Powar meets daily on the grounds of an old British quarantine hospital located on the outskirts of town in the direction of the airport. There is a large Muslim contingent, and sometimes women in burkas come to laugh. The club performs its laughter drills to a series of whistles.
Nana Nani Park Hasya
Led by the irrepressible Dr. Dilip C. Shah, the two-time all-Indian national laughter champion, this is a club for those seeking high-octane laughter. Dr. Shah started the first Laughter Club in Kolhapur and is a well-known leader within the laughing community. Email him for laughter club meeting times and for information on local laughter events.
shahdoppler@yahoo.co.in
Mahavir Gardens Club
Mahavir Gardens is a beautiful park in Kolhapur. A big and well-organized club founded by a woman known to all as Mrs. Davare meets here regularly. Its specialty is the delightful Train Laughter, in which a single file is formed to chug around the flowerbeds and the roses. A couple of hundred yards away is the much smaller club, the Mahavir Gardens Morning Walk Club. This one comprises former members of Mrs. Davare’s club who defected, because they were tired of being told what to do. True to their beliefs, the morning walkers encourage visitors to follow their lead and do whatever they feel like doing.
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