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, […]
A winter’s walk
Henry David Thoreau penned in his journal. “Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” December past, we spent two days in Barapani, Meghalaya on our way up to Shillong from Guwahati. The drive itself was disappointing as the two lane hill road is being converted to an […]
Cook and serve – in Grandma’s kitchen
I miss my grandma’s kitchen for its warmth, there was always a snack available – hot out off the fire or something marinated in salt kept to make pickle. Many sultry afternoons my sister, Reema and I with the aid of a maid, while the rest of the family napped , have eaten raw mangoes […]
Rain washed, tin roof churches of North East India
My last post on the Aka tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, India got me musing on the fact that a lot of tribes and ethnic people across India especially in the north eastern states of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam have embraced Christianity as their religion. Originally these people were adivasis or hill folks who never […]
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 […]
Picnics on the river Brahmaputra
Winter in Assam is a time for outdoor activities – camping, wildlife watching, fishing, trekking and picnics. Most of these activities for my family revolved around the river Brahmaputra, where the water recedes post the monsoon and islands form. These sandbanks that are teaming with wildlife, especially migratory birds. I remember once my father […]