How the Umkar Root Bridges Reflect the Wisdom of Indigenous Engineering
There is an old Greek proverb that beautifully encapsulates the essence of legacy: “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” For Hally War*(69), this saying was not merely a philosophical reflection but a guiding principle throughout his life, as he dedicated himself to passing […]
A Journey Through Assam’s Rhythmic Celebrations of Rongali Bihu
Bihu – overview Bihu is the state festival of Assam and is celebrated to honour the significance of agriculture in rural Assamese life. The festival takes place three times a year, marking three distinct phases in the cultivation of paddy, which is the native crop of Assam. It is celebrated over several days and is […]
Eight days in birders’ paradise
Touring across bio diverse hotspots in Assam and Arunachal, here’s an in-depth account of rare bird sightings in breath-taking vistas As we made our way through rain swept hillsides, snowy peaks and verdant valleys on an eight-day birding tour across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, each of us came back with a cache of treasured memories. […]
Houses of reeds & bamboo that have stood test of time
Art conservator Avinibesh Sharma shines the light on fast-disappearing Assam type houses that were built to be earthquake resistant As the founder of Vintage Assam – a digital platform that documents the history of Assam using old photographs, archival documents, audio clips and the like – it was not surprising to learn that Jorhat-based Avinibesh […]
Planning a girls’ trip to the Northeast?
Women travellers to the Northeast share their experiences and some great travel tips On her website, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything, shares some wonderful insight about why she thinks women can have more memorable experiences travelling on their own. “What I mean to say is, a woman on […]
Bwisagu – a new year celebration of the Bodo tribe.
Celebrating a new year in a Bodo homeA photo essay by Alongbar Basumatary taken on the 14th of April 2021 at his village near the town of Bongaigaon in west Assam. Assam as most states in India is primarily an agrarian society. Celebrations are based on harvests, planting of paddy and the lunar calendar. Most […]
COINING GLORY
Finds of and research in Ahom coins have revealed fascinating details of Ahom heritage. “If the sun is once eclipsed, does it not make its appearance again?” was the maxim of the legendary Ahom dynasty that ruled Assam for almost six centuries (1228-1826), holding its own and even keeping the mighty Mughals at bay. A […]
A Portrait of a Market in India Run Solely by Women
At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with travel restrictions in place worldwide, welaunched a new series — The World Through a Lens — in which photojournalists helptransport you, virtually, to some of our planet’s most beautiful and intriguing places. Thisweek, Trishna Mohanty shares a collection of images from Imphal, the capital city ofManipur. Barely […]
Travel Memories – Eating in the Northeast
A photo journal from a trip to Assam and the Tura hills of Meghalaya in November 2019. Day 1 We began by exploring the markets of Guwahati. The reason the produce (elephant apples, Indian ‘olives’, and banana varieties) looks so good is because most come fresh from the farms right across the river. Then as […]
” Waste not, want not”
Rasna Baruah shares a few lessons on simple daily conservation practices which we can all follow. It just needs us to be conscious about our lifestyle and home environment. A nostalgic account of a time when households were more self contained and produced a lot of their own fruits and vegetables, wove their own fabrics […]