It is with great pleasure that i introduce you to one of my closest and dearest friend Rupa. Ruprekha Mushahary is working with ICCW (Indian Council for Child Welfare), New Delhi, as a life member as well as the Secretary of the Council’s Assam State Branch. She passionately works for child rights and causes. Being a keen observer of the world she believes there is so much to learn and so much to do that there is no time to lose. Her hobbies include reading, writing, traveling, gardening, blogging, needlework/embroidery and of course cooking.Her interesting blog Feelings is also a treasure trove of Bodo indigenous recipes.I thank her for sharing here a true story that is most close to her heart.
Finding Them A Home
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| pic courtesy : photohome.com |
I had almost completed my walk in the morning that day when the phone rang in my pocket, jerking me out of my reverie. My hand mechanically entered the pocket of the sweat shirt I was wearing, but ‘wait’, I told myself, should I or should I not answer the call ? Being too sure of the fact that a call in the wee hours of the morning or middle of the night can carry either a very good or a very bad news, hence, my reluctance to pick up the phone. The last time I received a call at 3 in the morning was not one to cheer me in any way..
Perking myself on the cane sofa of the balcony where I usually take my much needed morning cup of tea after the walk, I reached for the phone. I could still hear the pounding of
my heart clearly. Now I could see that the calls were from Anita, the coordinator of our SAA, Sishu Greh. A message from the coordinator of Child line, Sanjeev too was waiting, which relieved me of all my worries instantly. I knew why Anita kept calling. “A new born (girl) found in the municipal garbage dump, serious, big ants found feasting on her head, neck and legs” was what the message said. I jumped out of my sofa, one more baby, how wonderful it feels to be a mom ! I Stood up, to get started, had a long day ahead . I only prayed that God be kind and let the baby survive !
As I drove to the hospital that morning to see the baby which was by then rescued and shifted to the hospital after informing the CWC(Child Welfare Committee), I was wondering, what might have happened to the mother, what made her throw the child away to die on a cold winter night ! Was she unwed, was the child taken away from her by force, had this sad incident occurred only because it was a baby girl ? The baby was in a critical condition with some portion of the head injured severely and wounds of insect bites all over her tiny body. Passing by a garbage dump I shivered at the thought of the baby lying there the whole night. My heart cried out. I realized my vision was blurred with tears, so slowing down the car I wiped my eyes and said a prayer “My good Lord, just save this child, give her life and I promise you, she will never be without a home.”
While wondering why had the mother left the baby to die in a garbage dump, the face of Dipali came to my mind which softened my heart. The faraway look in her eyes always disturbed me, as if her eyes searched for someone in particular in the distance. She rarely smiled. I saw a faint smile the other day when I once wore a saree on one occasion and probably mistaking me for her mother she pulled the pallu of my saree calling out “maa…maa..”. Turning around I had picked her up that day in amusement, asking her to say it again. Smiling the same faint smile she repeated once again, but soon went back to her original quiet smile less self again.Dipali was not thrown away by her biological parents like many heartless ones in the garbage dump or abandoned in the hospital. Her helpless, young mother who was under aged to bear a child was betrayed by her lover and left her to fend for herself once she got pregnant. She lived for sometime with her father and step mother, but was soon thrown out on the street with a year old Dipali in her arms as soon as her father died of an accident while at work. During this time she had befriended a man who wanted to marry her but wouldn’t take Dipali in. After a lot of pleading he did finally let Dipali too be carried along when she entered her husband’s home. But soon he started torturing both Dipali and her mother. When it became unbearable she came to us with Dipali to surrender her, perhaps that was the only option left before her. There was absolutely no alternative. After a month long counseling and producing before CWC, the procedure was completed and Dipali was surrendered for ever. In just all of eighteen months, Dipali’s world came crumbling down in such a harsh manner that she probably couldn’t react to the situation. With the same faraway look in her eyes she kept staring towards the road as her mother left, never to return to see how her daughter grew or how she looked in the last two years. Dipali never got an opportunity to smile. Although in Sishu Greh she gradually learnt to smile her faint smile, her lost faraway look remained in her eyes, no matter how hard we tried to cheer her up.Parking the car out side, I ran up the four flights of stairs to the floor where I was told the baby was kept. Could barely make out anything as I looked through the glass door of the ICU, she was just a tiny bundle with a bandaged body and several pipes going in and out of her. Oh, what had the little thing done to suffer so ! The doctor assured me, he would do his best, yet probably unsure of himself, added, “…but you never know, outer injuries have been tackled well, although only the test reports will confirm of any infection or inner injury.” Two days later I was informed she was suffering from jaundice too. There was nothing we could do but pray and wait, never losing heart even for once.After almost a month finally she was allowed to leave the hospital and come home, come to the home where we bring them up with all the care and love these infants were denied by their biological parents for reasons best known to only them. Carrying her in my arms as I came out of the hospital to get into the car, she saw her first sunlight and shut her eyes hard finding it too bright. I choked in happiness, planting a kiss on her eyes I sat in the car securing her on my lap, holding her firm, and whispered in her ears, “you are safe now sweet heart …. “Everyone in Sishu Greh was over enthusiastic to welcome the newcomer in their midst and in finding her a suitable name. Supervisor, helper, ayah all flocked around the baby with their usual chirpy and loving inquisitiveness. Mira said, “Mirinda”, Latika said, “Lata”, “Ah, so you want her name to match yours, no, Mala sounds much better”, said Malati. Amused at their quest in finding a name for her as they playfully argued with each other, I sat smiling, listening to them. Finally they seemed to give up and decided I might as well come to their rescue finding her a nice name. The first name that came to my mind was Tora, as the irresistible sight of her blinking her eyes once in the bright sunlight and closing hard like a small yet bright twinkling star was still fresh in my mind, Tora was all I could think of, so, Tora she would be !I carried Tora around to introduce her to Junak, the naughty fellow who was now a year old and everyone’s pet, Lily who won us all by her pretty smile at barely seven months of age, Dibya showing off her two little teeth with pride when lifted up from her cot and Naina, at nine months had already found loving parents, home, grand parents, who came often to play with her till all papers, formalities were completed and Naina could be finally taken away to her home where she can grow well, never to be thrown away or abandoned .All this while two and a half year old Rahul,jumped around Tora cheerfully and would not leave Tora’s side even for a moment. I could see that a bond had already been established, a bond that was out of any human power to decipher. He pulled me towards the cot which was waiting for Tora, ready with fresh new sheet, small side pillows and blanket in pastel hue. Oh how I love this sweet fresh smell of the baby room ! He gestured me to put Tora in the cot with his tiny pink fingers. Doing exactly the way he had directed me, like an obedient student, I lifted him up now in my arms after laying Tora gently down on the cot, kissing his pink fingers.
My mind raced back to that particular day looking at Rahul’s full round face with chubby pink cheeks, eyes now smiling his brightest inquisitive smile, all exited at the arrival of a new baby. How could I forget that day when our Childline team had rescued a new born baby boy from the railway tracks and had brought later to Sishu Greh, whom we fondly named Rahul. It was a humid summer afternoon, although it had been raining for the last two consecutive days. Most of the roads in the city were over flowing with flash floods, electricity was almost non existent and poor telephone net works played havoc with our lives. That was the day when following a phone call, our Childline team with the help of Police personnel had set out to rescue the baby, lying on the railway track for God knows how long. Walking several kilometers in that heavy downpour wading through water, the team rescued Rahul. During his treatment in the hospital and the following months of care at Sishu Greh were like ages, but slowly yet certainly, Rahul did recover, to be fit enough today to welcome yet another beautiful ‘God’s gift’ who was unwanted/abandoned by the person who brought her to this world, to our home of love, care and life, Sishu Greh.While many Rahuls, Junaks, Nainas and Toras happily grow up in Sishu Greh, under the loving care of a trained team of doctors, nurses, supervisors, helpers and ayahs, another team gets down to some hectic job of planning their future in a new home with adoptive parents. Sishu Greh is a Special Adoption Agency(SAA), as per provisions of the JJ Act, licensed by CARA(Central Adoption Resource Authority), for in-country adoption, under the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India.Through a systematic procedure and guidelines notified by the Government of India, we move forward with our aim of turning these orphaned, abandoned, surrendered children into the legitimate children of their adoptive parents with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities that are attached to a relationship.We go through endless number of PAP(Prospective Adoptive Parents), give per-adoption counseling to couples, followed by registration, submission of documents, our team’s home visit and finally selection of PAP. Then the selected couple is invited to Sishu Greh to mingle with the children and pick the child of their choice. The rest of the procedure then follows, medical test of the child again if the PAP so desire, per-adoption foster care after signing of deed between PAP and SAA, filing of petition in the court of the Session’s Judge within ten days of pre-adoption foster care and appearance before court on evidence date. The formalities are complete once the honorable Judge gives his order for legal adoption. Our job doesn’t end here, even after two years of follow up when we practically have nothing left to do with a child, as he/she gradually settles down in the new home, with his/her adoptive parents and the family as such, the bond that binds us together doesn’t get snapped so easily.Our Tora soon grew up to be a sweet little darling, winning everyone’s heart with her twinkling eyes, the habit of shutting her eyes hard, pressing both the eye lids remained with her, making her smile irresistibly beautiful now. How time flew, soon Tora was a year old, and as per procedure left us for her new home with her adoptive parents. I couldn’t witness the moment of her departure from Sishu Greh, couldn’t put her on the lap of her adoptive mother with these very hands which so lovingly, carefully brought her from the hospital a year ago, these very eyes which were fixed tirelessly on the bandaged bundle that lay in the tiny cot of the ICU of the hospital from outside the heavy glass doors. Why, why did I feel the way I did ? Wasn’t it what I wanted, wasn’t it why our whole dedicated team worked so hard ? Didn’t we want a home, parents and family for every Tora, every Rahul ? Then why did I cry every time when each of them left ? This was one of those days I would quietly sneak out, shut the door of my room and weep like a child in sorrow of losing, yet, blissfully happy and contented in finding a home for a child, till exhausted I fell asleep. “God, do keep the twinkling smile on her face always.”Dipali’s look still says she waits for someone, yet forces a smile when someone appreciates her drawings, which she paints mostly with black or pale shades. Tora visits us with her parents on occasions like Bihu or Durga Puja bringing lots of gifts for new babies in the Sishu Greh. She is looking prettier with each passing year, and God, couldn’t believe my eyes, she looked so much like her adoptive mother ! Rahul cannot visit too often as his father is posted to another district now, although he mails me the pictures he draws in the computer. Last time Naina visited us, she insisted that we attend her birthday party and we did. Her happiness knew no bounds seeing us at her home. “Junak came first in his class this year, after all he is my son”, declared his proud father. This is bliss, ultimate bliss, I told myself.The journey continues …. bless those parents who give a home, a family and lots of love to these Toras, Rahuls, Dibyas and Nainas…….
- Thank you all for your kind words of appreciation. While writing this piece, I was wondering where to start and where to end, as during my association with this organization over a decade now,I have come across so many children each having a different tale to tell. Every day some where some one is abandoned or orphaned. On the other hand, there are so many parents who want to adopt a child but actually do not know how to go about it the right way which is adopting legally. Govt of India is giving utmost importance in this field to curb child trafficking and abuse. Our effort and main concern is to hand over the baby to the right parents, the right way.
Apart from it’s silk Sualkuchi (also known as The Manchester Of The East ) is also popular for its annual boat festival.Sualkuchi is among the places where this indigenous sport still survives.This race is organized to commemorate the death anniversary of Srimanta Sankardev ( 1449 -1568) .He was a scholar -saint and a great social-religious reformer. Srimanta Sankardev is considered as a colossal figure in the cultural and religious history of Assam.In the year 1965 a rowing competition committee was formed not only to revive this old age tradition but also to strengthen the harmony ,unity and integrity amongst the people belonging to different cast and communities of the area. Both Hindus and Muslims participate
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| A View Of Mighty Bhramaputra From Babaji Parbat Gondmow Assam Tourism Cottages Sualkuchi |
We had planned for this in advance .Tuesday is a working day for us so to adjust the work load we worked overtime for the past few days.I had contacted Kishore Bharali a young energetic and extremely helpful member of the organizing committee through a cell number provided by the regional language newspaper .He told me that the race would start at around 2 in the afternoon.He asked me to give him a call once i reach Sualkuchi.Our destination was just an hour away from Guwahati. As we started early from Guwahati ,we had some time in our hand to visit this hilltop named Gondmow ,a tourist spot just three kms before Sualkuchi.The view from the hilltop was a pleasant surprise .Later at Sualkutchi we came to know that very few people know about it .
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| Saraighat Bridge Guwahati : A View From Gondhmow Cottages Sualkutch |
The day was probably one of the most hottest day of the year .The Sun was too bright so we had a very clear view of Saraighat Bridge .We left the place after ten to fifteen minutes .
The lanes of Sualkutchi are very narrow and are often used more by pets than by the people.
I walked most of the road while Chandan drove very slowly .It was my job to clear the road by patting away these beautiful creatures .I missed my kids ,they would have loved to help me.
Kishore gave us directions through the phone .After initial greetings he took us to the house of this wonderful couple Mr .Hemchandra Bharali and Mrs Dipali Bharali . Mr . Bharali had served for Govt as an Asst . Director Of Sports and Youth Welfare Dept .He is the key member of the race committee .He told us a lot about this race .What i understood from him was that the idea of this race is based on the principles of Sankardeva who was a great social reformer. All the existing communities/tribes have different festivals of their own to observe. This race is a common event that can be enjoyed by all the people irrespective of their caste ,community and tribe .Because this year Eid fell on the same day as Sankar Dev Tithi there was no participation from Muslim community .Number of participating boats were very less this year because of that.
Women used to participate the event before but not anymore because of lack of interest .How sad. According to Mr. Bharali another worrying and alarming reason of less participation was the changing level of the depth and banks of Bhramaputra river . For the last few years the water has been shallow and not enough for using bigger boats he said.After some nice refreshment offered by Bharalis we joined this procession which lead towards the venue . Can you locate me ?
All of them sang Naam ( devotional songs ). I have got great video clips that i will upload on You tube and update the link to this post at a later time.
The chief guest a high official of State Bank Of India ( a co sponsor of the event) opened the event.
The venue , the banks of the river Bhramaputra was packed with the spectators as well as the participants.We saw TV Crew of some of our popular regional TV channels .
This is cameraman Manab from NE Tv news channel. He was busy adjusting his camera but spared a moment to smile for my picture.
Colorful audience .
Anna influence was noticeable here (my non Indian friends might not know about Anna ,they can check the link if interested ) . Many of the participants wore Main Anna Hun (I am Anna )Caps .
Each boat had either a coconut or some fruit plus incense sticks lighted on their boats.
On the left side the committee was having a tough time hoisting the event flag because of a sudden occurrence of strong wind.The wind was so fierce that it caused big ripples on river water and my camera too fell of my hands. The volunteers tried their best to retain the tent but that too finally fell .
We saw women running back to their houses ,the reason was to collect the washed clothes from clothesline . But soon they joined back .
Boats started taking positions .There were several rounds of race.The wind was not favoring the event but the participants were least bothered.
The cheerful crowd roared every time a new rounds started .
I no longer took pictures .Here is a video clip for you to see one of the round.The clip takes little time to appear on the post .
After spending more than two hours we decided to head back to Guwahati so as to avoid the expected traffic jam once the event was over. We had such a great time there .
One final shot from the venue of this plane which was about to land at Guwahati airport .
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| Sacred Grove Mawphlang |
As a part of their cultural and religious beliefs the people of Meghalaya practice an age-old tradition of preserving primary forest patches near their settlements .These forests are a deep insight into the history and religious beliefs of the people of Meghalaya .A Sacred Grove is a rich patch of undisturbed forests that serve as a natural habitat for many endemic, rare and valuable plants. I had never heard of Sacred Groves until few years back . Located about 25 km from Shillong after an hour of beautiful drive one can easily reach Sacred Grove of Mawphlang , one of the most famous grove that attracts botanists and naturalists from all over the world.This grove has also been named as Nature’s Own Museum as it has a varied form of plants,flowering trees ,orchids and butterflies.Sacred groves serve as Gene Bank of the ecosystem in modern times .
This young boy named John at this ticket check point stopped us .The grove is open to visitors on all days from 9 am to 4.30 pm .After issuing the tickets John drew our attention to this sign board .Most of the forests of Meghalaya are owned by communities or individuals.
Khasis have very strict rules and regulations for those who enter the sacred groves and they have been following this for ages.They believe that their Sylvan deities live inside them so any harm procured to the plants or the animals would offend them.No one is allowed to enter SG without prior permission.Vehicles are not allowed after a certain point.Littering is strictly prohibited in and around them.Cutting,peeling ,chopping of any tree or plucking of flowers ,orchids is not allowed.One can not enter the SG without an authorized guide.Hunting ,trapping or killing of living creatures inside the grove is strictly prohibited.
We also saw another new sign board ready to be installed .It too had many important points to follow. John agreed to be our guide for the tour . He asked for Rs 150 /hour ,to which we readily agreed. .John knew few English words and fewer of Hindi .Pranab and Chandan had little knowledge of Khasi words.Together all of us made an interesting team.From the check point John boarded our car , after covering a distance of approx 100-150 mt he asked us to stop and park the car in the nearby grassland.
As we got down he firmly instructed us ‘Chalo’ ( meaning Walk — his favorite word through out the tour).We could see SG from distance , the grove proudly stood in sharp contrast to their surrounding grasslands .These groves have an outer edge of a densely grown Castanopsis kurzii trees, which forms a protective hedge which stops the intrusion of Khasi pine which otherwise dominates all areas outside the sacred groves.The contrast is clearly visible in the picture above.
We noticed several ancient monoliths ( Mawbynna in local language) erected in the memory of the departed respected community members.
After ten minutes walk we reached near the entrance of the grove which would have been difficult to guess or locate without John’s guidance.
As we entered the grove it felt like stepping into another world .Words fail to express that feeling ,it was magical. The tall trees cover the area like an umbrella .There was a considerable difference in light ,it was dimmer. The forest really looked untouched .It strongly reminded me of the Florida Disney world Dinosaur ride.There was one strange thing though ,we heard no bird chirping .
As we looked around in complete amazement John’s CHALO startled us .Where are you taking us i asked him in broken Hindi “Kidhar zata ?” To which he replied Bhagbaan ( we assumed that he meant ‘Bhagwaan’ the Hindi word for God ).I once again asked him “kitna dur “( how far it is ) to which he replied “dus minute”(ten minutes).Later we realized that everything was just 10 minutes away according to John.He knew the path by heart .He stressed that we do not loose each others sight .
The trunks ,branches of the tree and shrubs were loaded with many ferns ,orchids ,lichens and mosses
.The green Foliage of the Sacred Grove changes from deep green to light green, depending on the seasons and availability of rainfall.John told us the best time to come here is spring when the forest is covered with blooms.
John pointed at this plant telling us that the snakes come here to eat this fruit . I was not very sure if the information was true .Chandan asked him what would happen if one tries to eat it .John pointed at a monolith nearby . His answer was loud and clear.
Many monoliths were scattered through out the forest .The vertical ones are for men, while the horizontal ones represent women.John described each monolith with words like father ,mother,son,daughter .( which meant male ,female ,male child ,female child).
We saw many beautiful orchids there .
Nobody collects anything from the forest, not even fallen branches of trees .The humus-covered grounds likewise harbour myriad varieties of plant life, many of which are found nowhere else.
John showed us this spot which we at first thought was again a cluster of monoliths.He said ‘ye bhagabaan'( meaning here is the Gods/Diety). All three of us removed our shoes ,sat down on the ground in front of the dieties and paid our respect .
We spent about forty five minutes inside the SG exploring more .John wanted to show us something more .As i saw Chandan and John leave the SG ,it almost felt like i was looking at them through a secret forest window .Once again bright light hit the eyes and we were back to our usual world.
We had no other option other than to follow John’s ‘Chalo’ .Only ‘dus minute'(ten minutes).It took us more than twenty minutes to reach the spot he wanted to show us .We crossed this ground where local festivals are celebrated by the villagers.
We looked back at our car that was very far away .Soon we reached the highest point over a cliff from where this beautiful view awaited us.
The point offered a breathtaking view of villages nearby .We had many rounds of ‘Dus Minute Chalo’ afterwards . Saw many similar views over the area .
As we moved back to our car i once more captured Sacred Grove in my camera .
We thanked John for his company and dropped him at the check point .There are many sacred groves in Meghalaya hills.I hope they remain untouched and protected and not fall prey to urbanization.Sacred groves harbor great genetic diversity. Sacred groves act as “lungs” to the surrounding areas as well, providing much needed environmental cover.
Contd from Part 1 Shillong to Mawlynnong
Part 2:Living Root Bridge Of Riwai
Part 3 :Sky View Mawlynnong
Mawlynnong of Meghalaya has won the acclaim of being the cleanest village of Asia in 2003 by Discover India Magazine and also the cleanest village of India in 2005.Cleanliness is almost like an inborn trait of the residents of this more than hundred years old village .All its residents can read and write .As you can see in picture – bamboo dustbins called Thapa in local language are placed in every nook and corner of the village.Every single piece of litter and fallen leaves /flowers are collected here which later are shifted to a pit to be used as manure by the villagers.The village has a very strong and strict council.Smoking is completely banned here.
Part 2:Living Root Bridge Of Riwai
Part 3 :Sky View Mawlynnong
Mawlynnong of Meghalaya has won the acclaim of being the cleanest village of Asia in 2003 by Discover India Magazine and also the cleanest village of India in 2005.Cleanliness is almost like an inborn trait of the residents of this more than hundred years old village .All its residents can read and write .As you can see in picture – bamboo dustbins called Thapa in local language are placed in every nook and corner of the village.Every single piece of litter and fallen leaves /flowers are collected here which later are shifted to a pit to be used as manure by the villagers.The village has a very strong and strict council.Smoking is completely banned here.
The main occupation of the villagers is agriculture and also selling of broom sticks. They mostly grow areca nut. About 82 to 85 families live in Mawlynnong.
Lush greenery all around ,beautiful flowers makes this village a picture perfect place.Like i said in my previous post ,it was like visiting a well maintained Botanical Garden.The council has imposed a fine for anybody found guilty of throwing litter or cutting tress unnecessarily .Each and every house goes through a strict inspection at regular intervals for their sanitation facilities by the village council.I loved walking on these narrow pathways surrounded both side by trees and flowering plants.
The cute looking bell at local school.
There was this board mentioning that the village is adopted by this particular bank.As a response to many queries regarding travel information i am providing here few link .1: Ri Kynjai -Serenity by the lake : it is one of the best resort of the state praised by many for it’s beauty and good services.You can check their rates and eco -tourism based packages 2 :The official tourism website of Meghalaya 3:Hotel Polo Towers : a four star hotel that also offers great eco-tourism based packages I am sure that there are more such options available. I also highly recommend this article written by internationally renowned photographer Timothy Allen , here is the link Timothy Allen : Living Root Bridges .Henry (i will tell about Henry later in my post) suggested me this link.
The local church which is under some repair work at present .
We entered into the church campus and looked around.
Saw some women most probably local volunteers chatting after performing their regular sweeping and cleaning job .Through out our visit we never heard any loud voices.Residents were very polite and soft spoken.
Beautiful little cottages – some had installed modern amenities like dish tv antenna .
We tried our best but failed to find any litter anywhere.The place was impeccably clean.My blogger friend Irfan had been to Mawlynnong few weeks back .I thank him for sharing with us his views on that trip here .This is what Irfan expressed -“Honestly speaking before reaching Shillong I didn’t had any idea about Mawlynnong. All I knew in Meghalaya was Cherrapunji as the wettest place of world and some near by tourists places. It was only after reaching Shillong that I came to know about Mawlynnong, “the cleanest village of India”. And the adjective “cleanest village” made me curious to know little more about the place.Because when we think of village, there comes an image of being muddy, dusty and unkempt struck by poor hygiene. Therefore something like cleanest village, that too in such a remote area of India was simply unimaginable to imagine.
The trip to Mawlynnong was just like any trip with in Meghalaya – SPECTACULAR! Breath taking beauty around every turn and in between one can enjoy the views of rock formations, streams, water falls, river beds and the best of all – Lazy village scenes.Once we reached Mawlynnong, I was immediately awe struck by its cleanliness and aesthetic beauty. On first view it was like a fairy tale place that too in India. The view from the 80 ft high bamboo platform is something which has been captured on my mind’s eye. Though it’s not that easy to goat the top and come down but once you reach at the top then it’s a breath taking moment for any body. Imagine yourself swinging with the wind at a height of about 80 ft from the ground. Believe me it’s a life time experience”.
lWe also saw many pineapple plants .The area smelt of pineapple and jack fruit.
To sweep the roads ,clean the drains and water the plants the village council have specially appointed hired help but the free volunteers i.e.residents of the village take turns to sweep the road .We saw this little girl cleaning the playground behind the church.This was such a contrast to the behavior of some of our city kids who in spite of going to expensive schools throw chocolate ,candy ,chips wrapper just anywhere.
Here we met Henry the best guide and the most helping person around the village.He greeted us with a great smile and asked where have we come from.After knowing that we were there for few hrs he suggested us to come in the month of September for trekking experience.If you ever plan to come here and want to know more about local site seeing ,trekking and also about accommodation ,you can contact him here at this number –09615043027 ( *speaks English/Khasi ). For accommodation you need to call him at least ten -fifteen days before you plan to visit the place.He has helped me many times with information while writing this series.In fact last week he was the one who suggested me to look for Timothy Allen’s article .I can’t thank him enough for that.Timothy Allen too has mentioned him very fondly in his article .
I loved this cutting tool which was unusual in shape hence took the picture.
He took us inside his kitchen and showed this barrel like bamboo made thing that they use to dry their washed clothes when there is no Sun in rainy days.
The heat from the kitchen wood fire helps the drying process he explained.I have seen something very similar in Arunachal Pradesh where people keep their meat mostly goat and beef over the kitchen fire to give smoky flavor .
A tea addict that i am i was delighted to see this board.
The board lead us to this tiny cottage .The villagers also rain harvest .We saw few water reservoirs like this there.
Because they were hungry Chandan ordered lunch for three of them .It was Monday ,my fast day so i just ordered some tea.The cook asked us to wait for twenty minutes as everything was freshly prepared there.
With their permission i peeped inside the kitchen and was happy to see a clean and nicely arranged working area.
I still think about the tea that i had that day there – it was perfect .While three of the men waited for lunch i was busy looking around .It was then that i saw Brian standing nearby the guest house.We greeted as we saw each other .He asked me where have we come from and thus the conversation started.I came to know that he was living in Mawlynnong for the past one month .He had arranged a photo contest for the villagers where they can use his camera for clicks and the prize was a basic digital camera.Soon Chandan too joined us in conversation.
After talking for sometime came to know that we had one thing in common — both of us were bloggers.Let me tell you more about Brian .He is a fresh off finishing a Masters from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. After two years in Washington, DC,as he says in his words ” i am shaking the ants out of my pants with a trip to northeast India and southeast Asia”.Recently his write up on Bhramaputra Dam was published in our local daily Assam Tribune (4th June 2011).You can read more about his Indian and other travel experiences in his interesting blog(do check it) which has an equally interesting name Jalebi Yatra.Why he named it so …..
To which he replies -“Literally, ‘sweet journey’. Yatra means journey, often to a religious pilgrimage site. Journeys have paths and, if my past paths indicate future ones, then the circular, overlapping shapes of the Indian sweet jalebi is a good representation of my likely path on this journey. I also love to eat jalebi and expect to have many along the way”.After exchanging contact details we said bye to each other and shook hands twice one as farewell and another for our common love towards North East .Right now he is in Thailand , got a mail from him this morning where he told me to feel free to use his pictures on my blog .Thanks Brian.
The lunch was ready – it had chicken curry ,a mixed vegetable preparation , a tomato based chutney with lots of fresh coriander and some rice and dal .The food was simple but cooked and served very neatly.We paid a total sum of Rs 270 for the tea and lunch.Very reasonable.Now we wanted to see Machaan the tree house we had heard so much about .
This lovely lady from a nearby house smilingly offered her help by sending her cute little daughter to guide us to the Machan.
Here emerged sweet Theba ( she had a long name ,i shortened it) .
Awed by her manners and confidence we followed her .
She pointed at the board .Before she went back to her mom i gave her the biggest chocolate bar that i had with me and in a very sweet voice she thanked me .
From distance Machan looked like this .It is also a guest house with a bamboo double bed ,clean linens and a clean bathroom too.
This is the entrance
A connecting hanging bamboo bridge
I noticed these decorations at many houses in the village.
The dining hall … the smiling care taker .
The tree house is suspended approxm 60 -80 ft in the air constructed and supported by bamboos .This is the extended balcony again connected by a hanging bridge to the machan.
We sat there for only few minute as the day was too hot and sweaty.
Mrs and Mr Saharia .
We moved back to the parking lot where noticed many cars .We rushed to see the natural balancing rock .
Balancing Rock (Maw Ryngkew Sharatia) was an ancient Khasi shrine that pre-dated the advent of Christianity in Meghalaya.
A beautiful natural phenomenon of a boulder balancing on another rock.
Another strange thing that i noticed was that some tree had this foamy appearance .Chandan,Pranab and Dulal all brought up in Shillong told me that they always kept away from such trees in their childhood as the elders told them that it was ‘Jokhini’s Thui’ meaning Witches Spit .lol.
The day light was getting softer and it was time to head back to Shillong .Soon we left Mawlynnong
(a cavity or dent in the rock) with a wish in our heart to come back again for the trekking experience we missed this time.
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| A Welcome Message At Parking Place : Mawlynnong
Contd from Part 1: Shillong To Mawlynnong It was almost two in the afternoon as we reached Mawlynnong .The first thing that catches your eyes is beautiful flowers and well maintained colorful plants everywhere.It is almost like stepping into a gorgeous botanical garden or a beautiful place from fairy tales.Mawlynnong is also called God’s Own Garden.
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| Parking Place For Visitors
We were the first ones to visit the place that day .It was clean and empty .We parked our car and looked around .
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| This is Sumer a resident of the village busy cleaning the fallen leaves.
We saw this young boy collecting fallen leaves from the area .As he got up we greeted each other .His name was Sumer.
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He took us to the verandah of this community hall .Here visitors can offer donations which is further used by the residents for the maintenance of the infrastructure of the village .To our surprise unlike other places they were not very eager to collect the donation.Instead he advised us to go straight away to the Sky View as the weather was most suitable at that time.Sky walk is a 85 feet Bamboo structure made by the locals, which offers a bird’s eye view of the village and a panoramic view of Bangladesh plains.Post updated In response to Balachandran’s comment : this structure is designed by a forty five years old school teacher named Rishop Khongthongreh .( thanks to Henry who is constantly helping me over the phone with the queries – i will introduce him to you in my next post).
Suddenly emerged this lovely Kong( a term in Khasi language to lovingly address a lady ) who was kind of expecting me to take her pictures .Which i did later.After few pictures she very politely asked us in English to follow her .
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| A Dent /Cavity On The Rock :Mawlynnong |
The path was narrow and was made of flat stones.We noticed and photographed rocks like this ,the rocks had cavities or dents on them created by the rain water .Later we came to know that the word Mawlynnong comes from the Khasi term which means A Dent /Cavity On The Rock.
The shade and the gentle breeze offered by the surrounding trees was bliss.
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| Sky View : a bamboo and cane structure that offer a bird’s view to the village and Indo Bangla Border |
Kong pointed at the sky view and asked us to take a picture .She was well familiar with the best picture spots.Good for us
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| Ticket Stall |
Before we started Kong advised me to leave back my scarf as she was scared that i might trip over it while climbing the bamboo bridge.
This is the entrance that lead us to the bamboo platform built on the highest branches of the area.
The smart design and craftsmanship was outstanding .Though the structure looked rickety it was very strong and safe to walk.
Bamboo canes are tied together with the help of cane ropes to make a sky pathway.Not even a single iron nail is used her .Very eco- friendly.
All of us were busy taking pictures and videos.
The initial climb was little steep that required holding the sides of the bridge with both the hands.
Branches touching our cheeks while crossing one tree from another was a never to forget experience.
Another view as i looked back to see how high we climbed.
Never stopped gushing at the amazing skills of the locals. .
After Chandan ,Dulal was next to reach the highest platform .
Pranab was right behind me .
Not admitting but he was panting for breath and so were we.
The first view from the top .This is the plains of Bangladesh .It was the highest point of the forest.
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| me and Dulal |
After few pictures i told Chandan that i was feeling little dizzy .Very firmly i was holding the bamboo wall.To my surprise all three of them said that they too were feeling the same .Later we realized that it was not us but the platform that we were standing on was swaying with the wind . Scary …nah !!
We started counting and found that the whole structure was standing on the branches of five to six trees.
The extra retention
Looking down we saw nothing but the surrounding tree tops.
Time to go back .
The way back was much trickier than climbing up .
A view of the platform from next level.
The walk was completed.
Now we walked towards the village through this beautiful king’s way. I knew i was about to see the most cleanest village of Asia and meet lovely residents of the same but not in my imagination expected to meet a Blogger and that to from USA who has been living in the village from last one month.Contd
A Message : i have been receiving lot of queries through mails and also few phone calls for more travel information on Mawlynnong .Please give me some time ,i will try to dedicate a section on the same on my next blog post . At the same time would like to make it clear that i don’t own a traveling agency nor do i am directly or indirectly linked to any that i might mention in my post.
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| Thatched cottages in Riwai Village |
Contd from the first part : . It took us a little more than three hours to reach Riwai Viilage which is just two km before Mawlynnong .The outside temperature at 31C was pretty hot for Meghalaya .Sun was sharp .Pranab did a good thing to bring a Sun Cap .We parked our car near first way to the living root bridge (another was just few mt away) .We had heard so much about the living root bridges of Meghalaya and finally we were about to see one . There was this small sign board which pointed at the narrow pathway to the bridge.
To quench the thirst visitors can buy fresh and very juicy Pineapples if they want .The local sellers peel ,cut and beautifully serve it on a stainless steel plate with some red chilli flakes and salt . Pineapple is one of the major fruit crops of Meghalaya.The area smelt of ripen Jackfruits which we saw in abundance here.
Villagers occupied with their daily work hardly noticed the visitors until called . They were polite,friendly and readily agreed to let us photograph them.Broomstick has always been a fence crop here and most of the villagers are engaged in the business of making and selling brooms. A biodiversity paradise that Meghalaya is ,it is home to a large number of medicinal plants .
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| ticket stand |
This is the place where we bought entrance tickets .A village teen issued us the ticket .The fee was 10 Rs /head .The spot is managed by village authorities and thankfully there is no govt interference here.
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| stone pathway |
We followed a stone pathway .These kind of path are known as King’s Way . Khasi villages are inter connected through these.At some places we saw the old stone path was replaced by new stones. We met some visitors who after seeing the steps gave away the idea of going to the bridge . How sad ,they had no idea what they missed .
The beauty of the path and it’s surrounding took my breath away .I kept on looking back and around .Walking this path barefoot i felt so alive .After walking for ten to fifteen minutes we heard the sound of river water splashed against rocks.We were about to reach this fantasy land .It was like a place from the movies Harry Potter / Lord Of The Rings.
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| living root bridge Riwai : view as you approach |
First glimpse of the bridge almost stopped my heart beats .I was looking at one of the most extraordinary piece of art and engineering work done by human and nature as a team.As an old tradition Khasi’s have been growing / creating living root bridges to cross the rivers.Most of these bridges are fully functional and are being used till date.Khasis used/use Rubber Plants (Ficus Elastica) for it as the tree grows many secondary roots.Some of these bridges are over hundreds year old.
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| Thanks to Pranab for this picture : stone path on the bridge |
The process is long and takes great deal of care and patience .Rubber trees on the banks of the river are selected. A root guidance system is used by hollowing out a Kwai/Tamul (Bettel Nut) Tree trunk .This hollow helps in containing and guiding the young and soft roots of the rubber tree from spreading out till they reach straightway to the other side of the river.They are further allowed to take roots in the soil .As the time passes by they become strong .Later stones are added to the gaps in between to create a path .The whole process takes ten to fifteen years the bridge to be fully functional.Some of these can bear the weight of up to fifty people at the same time.
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| a view from the back |
The roots are naturally self-renewing and self-strengthening as the component roots grow thicker.As a rule if any villager notices a new root they carefully arrange it accordingly.
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| stone and root path over the bridge : thanks to Pranab |
There are many such bridges in the state .One of the most amazing and hugest is in Umshiang’s Double Decker Root Bridge.
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| A top view : image courtesy Pranab |
We almost forgot about Mawlynnong. Took lots of pictures .There were not more than six to ten visitors there.But we did notice many villagers passing through .Even the concrete bridges shake a little when the vehicles or people pass over it but not this one .
Look at the roots : nature’s brilliant art work.Even after so many days i still have a dekho at my album at least twice.
This is how the bridge looks from the front .A better view could have been captured from the river down .But we skipped it as we had already spent a lot of time there.
Some parts of the bridge looked like beautifully designed picture frame – each one of us took the opportunity to pose .
As i mentioned earlier village rules prevail here ….. read the warning .
How we wished that we had more time in hand .We moved back to where we had parked our car .The way back was little tiring as we had to climb many steps .Took some rest in between.
We had some company too.
Now we moved towards Mawlynnong : a km or two and we reached there ….
To Be Contd
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| Upper Shillong |
Mawlynnong was on top of our travel list for last couple of years . Had to hold our plans earlier for various reasons .Finally came the day when the time was right as everything was perfectly placed. We were on a five day trip to Shillong.My mother -in-law and dear Suniti ( our housekeeper Dulal’s wife) offered to look after my kids for the day so that Chandan and i could visit the place. Pranab ,Chandan’s childhood friend and Dulal accompanied us to this unforgettable journey. Mawlynnong is an over hundred years old village situated in the pristine East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya ,India. In the year 2003 it earned the distinction of being the ‘Cleanest Village Of Asia ‘ declared by Discover India Magazine .Though this beautiful and little village attracts visitors from all over the world throughout the year i would still prefer to call it under explored . A large part of North East India still remains undiscovered and there are very few travel guides to help the visitors coming to these parts .I will be posting my travel experiences through my pictures as a
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| Beautiful paddy fields in outskirts of Shillong |
series. In my view Meghalaya is one of the most beautiful , peaceful and safest place in India. No inner line permit is required to travel here. The nearest airport and railway station is approx. 128 km away in Guwahati . The state capital Shillong is well connected to rest of India through regular buses/taxis from Guwahati(Assam) .Mawlynnong is situated about 90 km from Shillong. Except for Sundays ,rest of the days it is well connected from Shillong through private taxis/sumos (at Khasi Hill Sumo stand Bara Bazaar). It takes about two and half hrs to reach there . We had our own vehicle and it took us about three hours to reach there as we stopped at many places throughout our journey.The drive was extremely picturesque.
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| Meghalaya has many rivers. Most of these are rain fed and are therefore seasonal |
We started our journey at 8.30 am .Being the most wettest place on earth Meghalaya is known for its unpredictable weather .Raincoats or umbrellas are must.We carried along drinking water ,some fresh local fruits and a good stock of snacks like biscuits ,sweets ,dry nuts and chocolates .The scenic drive from Shillong to Mawlynnong offers a spectacular view of changing landscapes .
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| The road diversion : right goes to Cherapunji and the left to Mawlynnong |
Starting early was a good move as we had enough time in our hands to stop at every beautiful view. The cloud covered mountains below prove that it indeed is The Abode Of Clouds , the literal meaning of the word Meghalaya .
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| cloud covered mountains |
We were lucky to have a clear view of beautiful surroundings as in monsoons most of the times it is obscured by thick clouds.
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| Beautiful waterfall cascading down hill slop |
The state possess numerous waterfalls with mesmerizing surroundings .The heavy rainfalls have created many natural rock formation and waterfalls ..Meghalaya has some of the thickest surviving forests in the country and therefore constitutes one of the most important ecotourism circuits in the country today.
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| A small but beautiful church |
We came across numerous churches on our way .I clicked this picture from moving car.The state has a Christian majority with 70% of the population practising Christianity .One of the unique features of the State is that a majority of the tribal population in Meghalaya follows a matrelineal system where lineage and inheritance are traced through women.
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| Rock textured hill |
As i mentioned earlier the landscape abruptly kept on changing ,it was like nature’s own slide show .
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| The Church At Wahlyngkhat |
I had to share picture of this beautiful isolated church . We stopped here and spent good twenty minutes ,exploring the area around . I have a tip for those who love photography ( not on photography skills) ,please bring extra batteries as one is not enough.
The weather was getting warmer. We were about to reach Pynursula .
We halted here to buy more bottled water .It is a very small town and half way point of the journey.Those who travel by private taxi services get a fifteen to twenty minute tea break here.
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| Road to Pontung Villge |
The road which leads to Pontung village also is the road towards Dawki .The road was under heavy construction .It was bumpy but not uncomfortable but same could not be said for private taxi/sumos who follow a faster speed.
After driving another 15 km we reached to this diversion .The way straight was towards Dawki and the right lead to Mawlynnong .Now the road ahead was very narrow . Both sides of the road were covered with ferns and thick shrubs.
Crossed this rusty old bridge over a small river .
Another breathtaking view .
The road had many diversions and with no sign board we took a wrong turn .We met these two good men who explained us the direction in fluent English.Throughout our journey whenever we asked for direction ,the response was in English.I almost forgot to mention that these gentlemen(don’t go by their clothes) were here for fishing and they had the most advanced fishing equipments with them.
Finally we were about to touch the prettiest village we had heard so much about .
As planned we decided to see the Living Root Bridge of Riwai first.It was one of the most amazing thing that i had ever seen in my life
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| the one way distance between Shillong and Mawlynnong as per our car meter |
To Be Contd. Click on the links below for next parts :
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| had tried to capture the arrival of Bordoisila March 2009 from our terrace |
It was a Saturday most probably in the month of March approximately thirty five years back.My dad was newly posted to this small town of Assam.The town had a tiny market comprising of not more than five to six shops.I still remember it had a small general store ,one tea shop ,a vegetable stall and another meat and poultry shop. It was a ritual to visit the nearby town Tejpur which was just forty kms away every Saturday for our weekly shopping.We were returning to our house after one such very initial trip.The weather was bit cloudy but pleasant .All of a sudden the sky turned almost black .A fierce and strong wind changed the whole weather in few secs.There were thunders and lightening in the area and we could hear and see the flashes of thunderbolt .Soon it was accompanied by heavy downpour .It was impossible to move further . My dad parked the jeep on the side of the road by positioning it in such a way that it faced into the wind.The jeep was shaking badly and all three of us (me ,my sis and brother) were pretty scared .My dad was cool though .He looked back at us and said ,” don’t worry ,it’s Bordoisila ,she is visiting her mother’s house .Everything will be fine in few minutes”. Thousand questions cropped up on my mind ..who is she ?why is she so angry ? why is she doing this ? But at that moment
i was too scared to ask any question.Soon the weather calmed down and we reached home safely. Later that night mom narrated us the legend of Bordoisila. All this time i was waiting for the right pictures to write this post .I am posting it today even if the pictures are not right , will update the post later once i have them .
i was too scared to ask any question.Soon the weather calmed down and we reached home safely. Later that night mom narrated us the legend of Bordoisila. All this time i was waiting for the right pictures to write this post .I am posting it today even if the pictures are not right , will update the post later once i have them .
Bordoisila is a wild ,fierce wind which announces the arrival of spring season in Assam.It occurs in the month of March -April ,just before Rongali/Bohag Bihu one of the most famous festival of Assam.The wind carries dust,dry leaves,twigs and plastic wastes in case of cities/towns and anything that comes on its way.It is soon accompanied by huge mass of dark clouds and heavy rainfall .It softens the dry fields .Many times it leaves behind a trail of destruction.
Legend has it that just like a young, married woman would hurriedly, fly back to her mother destructing literally anything that comes her way; Bordoisila comes to Assam. The meaning of the word “Bordoisila” still draws a lot of controversy. People from upper Brahmaputra valley may define it as derived from Ahom word “Sila” means a kind of kite. “Bordoi”, could be her name. Then down the valley they say “Bor-” means big, “-doi-” means water in Bodo language and “-sila” from ‘Shikla’ in Bodo which means girl.The Bodo word for Bordoisila is “Bardwisikhla” which breaks down to “Bar-” meaning wind, “-dwi-” means water and “-sikhla” means girl in Bodo language. It represents the mythological Goddess of Nature, and it marks the beginning of the festival month of Bwishagu (Spring season).
As a traditional belief in Assam people offer her a special comb to comb her hair and a wooden stool to sit her on.The comb is made of Bamboo and is called Kakoiphoni ,it was used for combing hair in ancient times by Assamese people .The stool is called Borpira .Some keep in their courtyard a bamboo strainer which is used for clearing dirt from the grains specially rice .It is called Salooni ( as the word Chalni in Hindi).Many throw rice in their courtyard ( sutaal) to calm her down.
Bordoisila returns from her mother’s home after the end of the month ‘Bohaag’ (April – May) which is the first month of the Assamese calendar , and the same is repeated again. This time instead of being angry she becomes emotional and burst out into tears. Blame it on Global warming or other climatic phenomenons ,it’s frequency and occurrences has seen some drastic changes over the years .If i am not wrong Bordoisila never showed up in it’s true spirit here in Guwahati this year
Updated : Thanks to Rupam Sarma for providing me the picture below
Updated : Thanks to Rupam Sarma for providing me the picture below
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| Sharmin |
It’s an honor to have Sharmin as my guest writer today.
Sharmin, is a freelance writer and stylist based in Dubai. Her work has appeared in several magazines, with a focus on health, beauty, travel and the culinary arts. She has published more than 200 features till date. Her passion for food from Assam, where she hails from has led her to create the Assamese Cuisine And Recipes fan page on Face Book, which currently boasts over 12500 members. She also enjoys travel and photography .
I first met Sharmin through my blog .Few mails later realized apart from our love for Assamese Cuisine we also shared a common ‘Shillong Connection’. It was then that i came across her popular fan page on Face Book .On asking her that what inspired her to start this page her answer was – away from Assam ,and with no access to any Assamese cookbook ,I realized that there was no barely any resources on the web on Assamese food and with the modern kitchen in use, many traditional recipes were no longer used.The page was created to show case our wonderful cuisine to the world and to preserve some of out ethnic recipes for generations to come .I believe, food connects us to our culture, It reflects our history . It is is everything we are .Since than she has my greatest admiration for her work and for the person she is.Today she shares with us this wonderful
photo feature and recipes related to Bora Saul , an integral part of Assamese Cuisine. Thank you Sharmin .
photo feature and recipes related to Bora Saul , an integral part of Assamese Cuisine. Thank you Sharmin .
BORA SAUL
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| johabora saul |
Bora Saul, a variety of sticky rice found in Assam, plays such an important role in Assamese culture that it is not surprising to find many festivals and traditions revolve around this particular rice. Bora rice is believed to have been introduced to Assam by the Ahoms. During the Ahom reign in Assam, a sticky rice mortar was made by adding Egg and Black Lentils to mortar materials. The resulting material was used in Ranghar (meaning Amusement House), a double-storied pavilion located in Sibsagar, Assam and many other structures. The grains can still be found in its original form even after hundreds of years of its construction.
Types
There are over forty types of sticky or glutinous rice in Assam. They are classified into two groups, Bora and Chokuwa, based on their Amylose and Amylopectin content, starches responsible for their sticky quality. Birain is also another class of glutinous rice, popular in Barak valley of Assam. This group of rice is called glutinous in the sense of being glue-like or sticky and not in the sense of containing gluten. They range from Black, Red to White. Popular varieties of Bora are, Bogabora, Johabora, Rangabora, Kolabora and Rupahibora.
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| kola bora pitha |
Uses :No Assamese festival is complete without snacks made from Bora Saul. The rice is ground to make rice flour.This flour is then made into snack items called Pitha , which are an integral part of the festival called Bihu .Snacks such as Hurum, a type of puffed rice ,Cheera a type of beaten flat rice and Mah Korai ,a combination of black lentils ,sticky rice grains,sesame seeds and nuts made fropm Bora Saul ,Sunga Saul ,anothetr Assamese favorite ,are all an inevitable part of Assamese festivals.
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| bora saul with jaggery and cream |
Sticky Rice is also served as dessert, where cooked sticky rice is combined with sugar or jaggery and curd made from buffalo milk. In certain parts of Assam it is eaten for breakfast with sugar and curds or mustard oil and salt.
It is also used for preparation of indigenous rice beer. The thick, milky alcohol can be enjoyed with a meal or by itself. It is said to have medicinal and curative values. It is also offered to deities by certain tribes and is an essential part of their certain religious and cultural ceremonies.
Recipes
1 : Maah Korai
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| mah korai |
Ingredients
1 cup White sticky rice (Bora saul)
½ cup whole black gram (Mati dail)
3 tbs white Sesame seed
1 tbs grated ginger
1/2 cup peanuts
1/4 cup chopped toasted coconut bits
Salt, to taste.
Dry roast the ingredients
separately,
other than the coconut.
Mix together in large bowl.
Season with salt and serve.
2 : Til Pitha
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| til pitha |
Ingredients
500g Sticky rice (bora saul)
200g jaggery, grated
200g Black sesame seed.
Soak the rice for few hours
until soft .
Drain the excess water and
grind the
rice to a fine powder.
Sieve, cover with a damp
cloth and
keep aside
Toast the sesame seeds and
crush them
while still warm.
Mix the sesame seed with
the grated
jaggery.
Heat an unseasoned griddle
(tawa)
Take a handful of rice power
and
spread it in sweeping motion
to form a
disc of roughly 4″diameter.
Sprinkle sesame and jaggery mixture in
the center. Roll into cylindrical shape.Move it to the side of griddle.Remove when crisp.Serve with tea.Black sticky rice (kola bora saul) can be used to make the above recipe, although not common.
For more recipes from her you can check here too … Easy Eats .
UPDATE :Because many readers wanted to know if Bora Saul is similar to Thailand Sticky Rice ,Sharmin sent me this picture where the similarity is quite evident .I am adding same picture to the post .
Bless you, my darling, and remember you are always in the heart – oh tucked so close there is no chance of escape – of your sister. ~Katherine Mansfield
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| A sculpture from Goa with real gold paint . |
It all started with an album uploaded on facebook by my dear sister Mamta .The album displayed few of her conservation work .It was flooded with comments in no time .Partha S Mukherjee who is an active member of International Council Of Museum ICOM commented : Good job! I hope you have kept a detailed documentation of all the restoration work you have done so far.The comment caught my eyes as it echoed my
thoughts.As I am always fascinated by her and her work ,I called her up later requesting her to think about it seriously .She took the call and now for the last ten days both of us are working together online on this.Initially i got myself involved just to support her but as the time passed the beauty of it got me totally interested in her work .Now i am totally hooked . The documentation will take months to complete.In this post i am sharing with you few things about Mamta and glimpses of her work as an art conservator.
thoughts.As I am always fascinated by her and her work ,I called her up later requesting her to think about it seriously .She took the call and now for the last ten days both of us are working together online on this.Initially i got myself involved just to support her but as the time passed the beauty of it got me totally interested in her work .Now i am totally hooked . The documentation will take months to complete.In this post i am sharing with you few things about Mamta and glimpses of her work as an art conservator.
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| paintings by Raja Ravi Verma:before and after restoration |
Mamta completed her masters in Conservation and Restoration of work of art from Delhi’s National Museum Institute of History of Art ,Conservation and Museology after doing her Bachelor Of Fine Arts in Sculptures from Fine Arts & Craft College Lucknow .Later she did her internship on sculpture art at National Museum Liverpool ,London.She is married and has got two kids .Right now she is working as visiting faculty and organizing seminars ,preparing policies and database and keywords under the HOD conservation.She is also associated with Jamia Milia Islamia University and Conservation Lab National Museum Institute Delhi.She is a freelance sculpture artist and art conservator.
A Damaged Tanjore Painting On Wooden Base Done With Gold Leaf And Original Stones
This profession is devoted to the preservation of cultural heritage for the future.It includes examination,documentation,treatment and preventive care.All this work is supported by research and education.The goal is to keep the property in its original condition as possible for as long as possible.The antiques she works on are mostly owned by Royal Families and other Art Collectors.
The Same Painting After
Working on these kind of antiques and original work is a huge responsibility as most of the art work is generally appreciated in value and are collectibles.
This Is The Original Vintage Film Poster Of The Classic Hindi Movie Guide
This is one of her most favorite work (up)
Above : Wedding Doli /Palanquin Of Celebrity Ritu Nanda (Raj Kapoor’s daughter)
Above : An Oil Painting By Famous Painter Raja Ravi Verma ( 1848 -1906)
Raja Ravi Verma was an Indian painter from princely state of Travancore Kerela. He is considered among the greatest painter in the history of Indian Art.His paintings fetch amazing prizes in the art market .
Above :The same painting after restoration
Above :Silk Cloth Painting :Before
Above :After
Above : This broken glass painting is owned by Nafisa Ali .It was restored successfully .This kind of work needs lots of patience and hard work.
Before Restoration:Thanka Painting
After Restoration
This Picture Needs Some Real Good Restoration .Here is Mamta and our former President Abu Kalam Azad shaking hands .She had done a project on conservation of dome painting at President’s house ,Ashoka Hall ,New Delhi.
At Liverpool :her topic was laser cleaning of stone sculptures .She is the first Indian who learned it from Father Of Laser Cleaning ,John Larson.
Mamta i am proud to have you as my sister.May God bless you with all his love , luck and care.
I hope you love this surprise post.
My other room 
