Jal Tarang: Music from Water

That's the Jal Tarang. An ancient Indian concussion instrument comprising of a set of porcelain or bronze bowls (cups) of different sizes filled with water (coloured spectacularly here). The set consists of 15 or 22 bowls (cups), mostly only china bowls as preferred by artistes today. Water is poured into the cups and the pitch is changed by adjusting the volume of water in the cup. The number of cups depends on the melody being played. The bowls mostly are arranged in a half-circle in front of the player who can reach them all easily. The player softly hits the cups with a wooden stick on the border to get the sound.

Must be quite a task to tune this instrument!

This was in a Mumbai mall on Indian Independence Day 2009 and I was perched up in a higher floor to catch that 'top view'.

Our Petunias On A Rainy Day

The chill that descended with the rains reminds me so much of Shillong...

The 'Mekhala Chador' Comes of Age

During the last trip home it was a pleasant surprise to see the new avatar of the Assamese ‘Mekhala Chador’, the two piece form of the saree. It was in the newly done up silk store of ‘Silkalay’ in Guwahati, Assam that I came across these lovely new designs of the Mekhala Chadors put up in a very professional display on mannequins.
The unique blend of the traditional and modern made out of the finest Assamese silks of ‘Mugaa’ and ‘Paat’ is indeed impressive and will go a long way in preserving the affinity for this ancient attire even among the younger generations.

Okay, okay, I will try to get hold of some lovely live models to do the shots next time!

Xewali (Night Jasmine)

The 'Xewali' or 'Parijat' or The Night Jasmine... I wished I could write in Assamese to express the divine enchantment this fragrant flower brings with the onset of winter in Assam. The private ritual of the ladies of the household to pick up the dew soaked foliage and bringing then into the home in the morning for offering the deities or merely for the fragrance is something which, I am sure, every Assamese holds close to his/her heart.
Folklore and mythology has it that this is one the five divine flowers brought into the earth from the gardens of King Indra of the heavens and believed to be eternally so pure that it can be offered to the deities even if fallen to the grounds. No wonder, it has been inspiration to so many a poets and lyricists in Assam and around.

'Bokakhator Puri' - Simply Irresistible!

Any feeling of extreme urge to splurge on this exquisite cuisine (sic) is purely intentional. I am sure, dead sure that 90% of Assamese or residents of Assam simply cant resist this!
This 'puri' and watery potato curry served with a chilly chutney served in a particular non-descript restaurant on banana leaves in the town of Bokakhat in Assam is an irresistible favourite of any traveller passing by.