Tale of nine sisters sojourn into the realms of the east – Sita Kumar
The gateway to the northeast “Guwahati” was our first port of call. From different directions we met at Kamakya temple which houses the deity who guards the city. The atmosphere in the temple was so charged. It gave us an insight of the Assamese as they flocked to this place of worship. Continuing further […]
Heaven on Earth or at least in parts of Arunachal Pradesh
My friend Subu Sumpi sent these gorgeous pictures of Talley Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, taken this winter( 2017). Arunachal Pradesh contains about 40% of India’s flora and fauna. The state has many unexplored areas that are simply breathtaking. Talley Valley is a wildlife sanctuary as well as a bio-diversity hot spot located at a distance […]
Majuli: Playing cupid on the banks of the Luit river
The Hotel at Majuli had let their standards slide since my last trip there, and a few guests found it a bit uncomfortable. The warm bonfires, gorgeous sunsets, good food and the easy-going camaraderie of the group kept all in smiles. For me Majuli is magical, and I think some of that rubbed off on […]
Mask maker, mask maker, make me a mask
Situated in Assam, Majuli is the world’s largest river island . It is a fact, that the mighty river Brahmaputra every monsoon claims a part of it and in another ten years or so, the fragile island may not exist. The Mishing tribe that live here have a loom set up below the bamboo stilts […]
An encounter in the paddy fields of Ziro
One of the things on my bucket list has been to do a solo trip into the eastern Himalayas, to see how the indigenous tribes that inhabit these mountains, live. I first heard of Ziro from my parents, who had visited in the mid 1980’s and later through friends and social media about the Apatani […]
In the playground of the Snow Leopard
There is a small patch of land with a house on it, I visit so often in my mind. A crystal clear river flows below in front and behind lies a mountain covered with tropical trees . Tucked away in the land of ethereal beauty, the Deban forest guest house situated within the Namdapha National […]
1914, the year my Grandmother was born
This year my Aita ( grandmother in Assamese) turned 100. She is not in the best of health and remained largely unaware of this historic moment. After the initial excitement and all the ‘ wow to live to be a 100’ tapered off , I was curious to know what India was like in 1914, […]
Watercrafts on the Brahmaputra
Ships, boats, ferries, planks are an integral part of the Brahmaputra. There are only three bridges on the river, whose entire length spans 2900 kms! The one at Sariaghat, near Guwahati, Assam has a rail bridge. Currently this is the only railway link to the all north eastern states of India. A fourth bridge is […]