Glimpses of Culture

A kaleidoscope of glimpses into various cultures within Asia. Each tribe, each ethnicity expresses its identity in various ways – music, dance, textiles, costumes, food, language, life format etc.

It is impossible for an individual to capture the complete essence of any tribe – either one’s own or another’s – but it is possible to experience the diversity and be nothing less than awestruck by the beauty of human society.

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Sometimes the customs and traditions are so different from the ones I have been exposed to until now, that it is hard not to be alarmed and to remain unjudgemental. But the only way to view any custom is to see it as a part of the complete picture, within the paradigm that has given birth to the custom. It is only then that the view is fair.

Every society has its reasons for doing what they do. The set of rules that have evolved have withstood the test of inter-generational transmission. Therefore they are always internally consistent within the system and provide answers to all of the issues faced by that particular society. When viewed from outside, a traveller usually only gets a limited view and she sees a single custom / tradition without seeing all the evolutionary factors and the paradigm within which this is perfectly valid.  Given that this  is merely a slice of the whole life model, which is  quite likely to be different from her own, this view is likely to cause the viewer some dissonance and sometimes result in an imbalanced judgement.

Of course it is not only the limitedness of the view that causes this bias. Sometimes the close-mindedness of the viewer also contributes to this.

It has taken me many journeys into the lives and minds of others to realise that unless the context is known and empathised with, the judgement is unfair and therefore invalid.

I try to make a deliberate effort to ‘understand’ and ‘empathise’ instead of judging.

It is in that spirit that I have written my articles. My respect for their lives is total (and unconditional) even though my information about their paradigm is not.

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The posts have been listed below in order of posting.  You could either choose to scroll down all the way and read all  or click on the titles that interest you.

Return to Ladakh

Anachronism – Mumbai the Mega city & Elephanta the ancient caves

The Ladies Compartment in Mumbai Local trains

Kalinga Diaries

The stylish priests of Jagannath Puri

Journey to the Past – the Science of Epigraphy

In the Presence of the Past

The Magnificent Stone artefacts of Odisha

Camels go on a Pilgrimage

A Rabari Gypsy Tribal Wedding Ritual

A walk through a Rabari Tribal Village

The Stunning tribes of Sarawak, Borneo

A Cultural Stay at Kuching

Bidayuh Tribal Longhouse in Borneo

Puppets & Puppeteers of Rajasthan

The Batak Calendar  of Sumatra, Indonesia

A Python for Dinner

A Dog’s Sixth Sense

Loss of Cultural Diversity

Colors of Mewar,  Rajasthan

Turban Art – The Crowning Glory of Indian Men

The Gangaur Festival – praying for Marital Bliss

The Classic Indian Village fair – Gogunda Mela

Alternate Sexuality Traditions 4 – The Garasia Tribe

The Blacksmith Gadalia Community of Rajasthan

Music of the Manganiyar Tribe

Folk Dances of Rajasthan

Women of India – the Weaker sex

The Holi Bonfire – Past & Present

Mizo Mosaic

The Chapchar Kut Harvest Festival of Mizoram

Alternate Sexuality Traditions 3 – The Lushai Custom

Bnei Menashe – The Lost Tribe of Israel in Mizoram

The Siddi Tribe of Gujarat India of African origin

The Komusa Wandering Monks & their Shakuhachi flute

My talk at Asian Civilisations Museum

Intense Spirituality – Body piercing at the Thaipusam festival

Back to the Future – Tribal Life in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Hilltribe Lifestyle 1: Glimpses of a contented People

Arunachal Hilltribe Lifestyle 2 : Hunter-Gatherer-Weavers

Arunachal Hilltribe Lifestyle 3 : Innovative housing

Arunachal Hilltribe Lifestyle 4 : A chance encounter with a Shaman Priest during a sacrifice ritual

Arunachal Hilltribe Lifestyle 5: The Gaanv Boodhas or Village Headmen of Arunachal Pradesh

Tribal signatures – Face Tattoos of the Apatanis

Fierce Nocte Headhunters

Head Hunting Trophies

Arunachal Pradesh Lifestyle – Innovative Housing

Traditional Sports – Kabutar Baazi or Pigeon Gaming

Ram Leela at Dassera in Mumbai

Traditional Sports of Ladakh – Archery

Traditional Sports of Ladakh – Polo

Mountain Adventures 18000ft above sea level – a landslide at the Khardungla Pass!

Bactrian Camels of the Central Asian Silk Route – Ladakh

A night-out with the Nomads of Changthang

Mastering the Mind & Body – the Monk Warriors of Shaolin

The Ambubasi Tantric Festival

Church of Saint Francis Xavier of Assisi, Old Goa

Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an – a photo gallery of exhibits at Asian Civilisations Museum

Viva San Jao 2011

Invitation to a Lambani Gypsy Tribal Wedding

Exquisite Vintage Kebayas – costumes of the Pernakan Culture

Sikkim Diaries

Chanting Ceremony at Lingdum Monastery, Sikkim

Losar Celebrations – Bonfire at Kagyud Monastery, Sikkim

Procession at the Enchey Monastery, Sikkim

Little Lamas, Sikkim

Lama Dances at Thongsa Monastery, Kalimpong

Dancing with the Nuns at Phendzong Nunnery

Cross border handshake at Nathu-la Pass on the Silk Route

Yak Horn textile adornments, Sikkim

Street Shrines of India

The Hornbill Festival, Nagaland

Naga Lifestyle

Tribal Dances of Nagaland

Traditional Naga Bamboo Climbing & Fire Making

Tribal Textile and Bead Art of Nagaland

Sacrificial Lamb at Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati

Train Ride across rural Assam – Guwahati to Dimapur

Sumazau Dance of Sabah, Borneo

Journey of a Lifetime – Tibet

The Narakasur Festival

Lifestyle of the Qashqai Tribe, South West Persia

Nomads of Mongolia

Driving to Sindhudurg Sea Fort and back

The Eunuch Community of Bombay

The Dhunuchi Dance at Durga Puja

Thumbuakar Tribals of Borneo

Lucknow – Capital of Awadh & city of Nawabs

The Dragon Dance

The Magnificent Lion Dance

Janamashtami Festival

A cup of tea with nomads and gypsies of the Kutch

Alternate Sexuality Traditions 2 – The Tibetans

Textile Symbolism 1 : Hilltribes of Northern Thailand

Alternate Sexuality Traditions 1 – The Khmers

The children of Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Time Travel Tour Operators

Kissing a Bengal Tiger

Common Memes between Tribes

Into the Arabian Sea at Mumbai

Through Rural Gujarat

Life in an Ashram

Goan Village House

Monsoon at Miramar, Goa

Dances from another place

The Fishing Nets of Cochin

The Lambani Gypsy Tribe

Lifestyle of the Hilltribes of Northern Thailand

Travelling Godmen

Colors of San Jao festival, Goa

Rajasthan Folk Art

Mountain flight to Mount Everest

Pashupatinath – celebration and sorrow

New posts are constantly being added to this list and will appear at the top.

jm

The Stylish Priests at Jagannath Temple

Who said that men’s fashion has to be bland and boring?

Jagannath temple in Puri is one of the 4 important pilgrimage spots for any Hindu.  The temple is old & magnificent.   It is famous for the Rath Yatra festival which lasts for a few days -  the procession in which the Gods are taken out of their shrine to visit another temple.

But even during the rest of the year, the place is vibrant with pilgrims and tourists. And priests.

Years ago I had heard from friends that the priests there harass the visitors and crowd you and overwhelm you into succumbing to their offers of assisting in conducting prayers for you inside the temple. The complaints and the grumbles  that I had heard reminded me of the crowd of tourist guides seen in Agra at Fatehpur Sikri.  So when I went to Puri – I had this negative notion in my head based on the words of others.

As usual, this negative notion turned out to be entirely incorrect.

The priests or Pandaas as they are called, are omnipresent But they were silently and quietly present and not at all in the way. They added a wonderful and welcoming atmosphere to the area around the temple.  In a separate blog I will talk about this wonderful atmosphere of the temples in Orissa – one that is imprinted so strongly on my mind that I can revisit the entire experience  using the bridge of a single  thought.

But just speaking of the Pandaas for now:

They were all dressed traditionally and in my opinion so very stylishly!  A dhoti and a gamcha provided the perfect provided the perfect garment format for the weather here. And the colors & weaves provided the perfect combination or ceremonial attire and simplicity.  Such vibrant colors and eyecatching contrasting combinations are usually only seen on women. But here in Puri the Pandaas  outshine everyone else.

A few pictures :

 

 

And so as I strolled and lunched and was rickshawed around I would wait to catch a glimpse of another Pandaa … in a new combination or a new fashionable accessory!

If only we saw these beautiful colors on men everywhere!

jm

Feb 2013

 

 

 

 

(I realise that it is important to protect my mind from the negativity of others ….negativity infects one too easily and could take a lifetime to wrench oneself free of a single thought. Imagine had I not personally experienced this place, I would have spent my life thinking that the place is full of nuisance-causing hard-selling priests – a view totally opposite of my own experience – what a wrongful judgement that would have been.)

 

 

Kalinga Diaries

Kalinga. Now called Odisha (Orissa).

The poorest state in India financially. Yet, among the richest states culturally.

Every Indian has heard of Orissa through its arts – either the dance, the woven saris, the metalwork, the tribal wall paintings, the pipli patchwork, the pattachitra or the palm leaf paintings – each an art form that is ancient, developed and gorgeous (except the pipli patchwork that does not appeal to me).

Have dreamt of coming to Orissa for many years. And am here finally – beckoned to the place by a tribal festival.

Some irresponsible photographers with no moral conscience portrayed the women here in a bad light and so photography is disallowed. The strictness with which this is enforced even in the festival is very heartening but it is also a major disappointment.

But there are unexpected surprises – like ancient temples in the midst of the city, ancient palm leaf manuscripts dug out from the trunks of an old shop, a little-known museum that has a fantastic collection of ancient stone artefacts and more.

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Above all – the most striking view is that of the common people. Families whose members are  well integrated across generations and completely involved in each other’s lives are a delight to watch. Old wrinkled bent grandmas join the family outing supported by their sons and grandsons.  The outing is a special occasion and even in the lower middle class income segment, the women and children have dressed up well with full ‘shringar’ to join the crowds at the Mela on Sunday evening. Young people are all seen with their families, talking, laughing and completely engaged in each other without any   ‘I don’t belong here’ misfit sentiment  or the haughty  ‘I’d rather be somewhere else’ attitude. Everyone is homogenously one with each other. Everyone is exactly where they want to be – enjoying the Sunday evening with people they are settled with. The pace is slow and relaxed as people soak in the sights and examine all the objects available for sale. Even with noisy children creating a ruckus as their fathers try to rein them in, and mothers look on gently, there is a sense of peace. No one – neither the urban folk who have come to visit nor the tribal folk who live hard lives – seems unhappy or disturbed or engrossed in unsolvable problems.

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Urban folk seem to have a sense of innate respect for the tribal folk. The urbanites ask questions about the roots and herbs in a tone of reverence that one might use with a wise man. They walk about the  staged tribal village homes and study every aspect with  interest.  This respect and reverence surprises me. For, in my urban world, or in other states that I have visited, most people only see the financial & developmental status of the tribals and judge them to be ‘lesser’ mortals. In that world, tribals are seen as a group that ‘needs help / development / financial aid / support / education’.  Whereas here, in Bhubaneswar, tribals are being seen as exactly the opposite : a source of learning, a source of wisdom and a group to be respected. Very refreshing!

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Dinner is an absolute delight with vegetables tasting like they used to when I was a child. Having grown up vegetarian I have had enough of veggies and am no fan of this food group. And so, when I found myself enjoying the great flavours of cauliflower and lady fingers and brinjals I surprised myself! After two days of relishing simple meals I began to look forward to dinner and too often I caught myself thinking about what I would eat at meal time! Craving for vegetables???!!   Here in Mumbai I am back to eating the fantastic tasty dinners that my dear maid cooks for me, and though she is a fantastic cook, the raw vegetables themselves lack flavor. Maybe the locals in Orissa farm differently. Maybe their land is different.  As I have my morning cup of tea, I am wondering when I will get my next dose of  flavorful Odisha vegetables!!

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More about my travels in Orissa to follow in the articles to be published in Feb:

Irresponsible Photography

Tribal People of Orissa

All-consuming Tribal Dances

Fashionable Pandaas (pundits / temple priests)

Ancient Palm leaf manuscripts

The Magnificent artefacts of the State Museum of Orissa

In the presence of the Past – Ancient Caves

A journey to the Past : The Science of Epigraphy

Wall Art & Shrine Art of Orissa

Puri Pattas  of Orissa

Woven Art of Orissa

Temple Erotica

A drive through Cuttack

jm

jan 2013

 

Camels go on a Pilgrimage with their Tribal Masters to pray

I am in Kutch. One of the districts of Gujarat. Which is one of the 28 states of India.

This little portion tucked away in a corner of India bordering the desert is an amazing mosaic of diverse cultures. Of tribes and sub tribes – and their unique ways of life.
Being here reminds me that India is so so delightful! That the wonders never cease. Every trip exposes me to one more unknown facet – one more awing legend, one more practice, one more stimulating, mind opening practice!

One lifetime is certainly not enough to even get a glimpse of all the cultural aspects of India .,… the idea of reincarnation sounds very attractive now ………it will allow me enough time to see all of this beautiful country!

So let me begin again. I am in Kutch.

On a nearby hill there is a temple, home to a Goddess, commonly called Maata.  Rabari tribes have immense faith in this Maata and once a year a fair is held at the temple in her honor.

So families from all over the region arrive at the temple to offer worship.

Sounds like any other fair in India?

Now comes the unique delightful part :

The devotees – who are tribal herders, walk miles and miles from their villages to come to this remote temple to worship. But they do not come alone. They bring their women and children. And they bring their herds. Of goats and sheep and camels. To worship and ask for blessings.

What blessing might a sheep ask for I wonder. Goddess please make my wool siky? What might the camels ask for? I cannot even begin to imagine! And I would ask them but I do not know the camel-dialect that these herders are so fluent in.

So here they all gather together on this particular day every year, humans and herds, to pray to their goddess, asking for blessings and offering gratitude.

And here I am with my camera to witness the event.
A few photos from this unique and delightful gathering.

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The fair had just begun, and worshippers were just arriving – but I had to leave….

jm

October 2, 2012

Additions to the Wovensouls Antique Textile Gallery – Tribal Bags

A few tribal bags that were acquired on my travels…..

Some are  bags originally used by tribals. Others are made using antique or vintage tribal textiles. All gorgeous. All very chic. And each piece is one of a kind.

Sling bag with antique beaded textile with Jobs Tear seeds from Hilltribe of Northern Thailand

Exquisitely hand-woven antique sling bag from the hilltribes of Northern Thailand, accessorized with beads and tassels

Detailed images of these bags and about a dozen other bags showcased in the wovensouls gallery here!
jm
Sep 2012

Quill Art of the First People

 

A short slideshow on the Quill Art of the first people of North America.

But first some interesting facts about quillwork :

Quillwork, the oldest form of embroidery of the First People uses porcupine quills to create motifs! Porcupine Quills!

These are dyed with the juice of berries and then folded or braided to give it the form required to decorate various forms of clothing and household articles.

The method used to acquire quills from porcupine was a clever one : a blanket was thrown over the porcupine who then raised its quills into the blanket! No pain – no danger!

Quills from the the tail of the porcupine are different from those on the rest of its body and were used for handles or fringes. The ones from the neck were used for embroidery with the ones from the belly being the thinnest were used for the finer sections of the embroidery.

A glimpse of some of the fascinating art created out of this unusual material!

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All pictures are of articles showcased in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto and taken with my cellphone camera.

jm

Sep 2012

 

Meeting Lambani Textile Artists

Awhile ago, while doing research for an art installation project, I met these textile artists who work for themselves – who create their gorgeous art mainly for self-consumption and not for commerce.

Their reluctance to make a piece for an outsider was reflected in the entire conversation – as they quoted a million reasons for not wanting my money.

These women work when they have time, alongside their daily household duties. They create because they love to. They create for the ones they love. They create because it gives them pride.

The strength of their reasons and values is quite likely the reason why their work is so beautiful.

The amount of all the needlework that goes into a piece requires many days of work in addition to the knowhow required to craft it and  the meticulous imagination of an engineer proceeding without drawings. Sharp eyesight and discipline are  of course is taken for granted!

In the home of one of the artists, I met the whole family.  The lady in the first image created a skirt for her little granddaughter. No doubt the girl would soon outgrow the skirt and it might be worn only a few times despite the hard work that went into creating it, but the women believed that creating it for the child was far more valuable than creating such an article for sale!

A completely different world of values – both delightful and refreshing – ensconced silently within a world of ‘modern’ art that is measured mainly in financial terms.

May these little tribal capsules of isolated values remain safe from and unadulterated by the values of the ‘modern’ world for a long long time!

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In the end, I walked away empty-handed without any contract with them to create a large piece of art. Simply because they were not interested in the few thousand dollars on offer.

Walking away empty-handed never felt so good!

jm

Sep 2012

Costumes of the First People – a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum

Feel like watching a fashion show?

Visit the Royal Ontario Museum and view their rexhibits on the costumes of the First People.
These works of textile art are housed at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto and allow us to visit a very fashionable past. Despite the toughness quotient of their clothing, the tribes of the first peoples of the North America paid special attention to dressing up their dressing. With articles that made them spectacular – feathers, quills, wool, skin and more!
A brief glimpse to whet the appetite for a view of that vanishing culture through a visit to the museum!

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jm

Sep 2012

Textile Art of South East Asia at the Asian Civilsations Museum

An album from a forgotten visit in 2007 to the Asian Civilisations Museum …. taken with a camera I do not even remember.

A photography experience that probably made me realise the disastrous results of ignorance of technology.

But even the bad images do not fail to convey a small glimpse of the beauty of the textiles.

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Pidans, dayak Beadwork, Suva tube skirt, and several other excellent pieces are available in the wovensouls gallery.

jm

July 2012

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Tribal Textile Art of Kutch – the Bhuj Folk Art Museum

A self explanatory photo-essay showcasing the mirrorwork & embroidery of various tribes in the Kutch region of Gujarat India.

But first an introduction to the two lovely ladies from the Rabari & Jat tribes respectively – the creators of the textile art showcased below.

The images were taken on my phone camera on a quick visit to the Folk Art Museum in the city of Bhuj on a recent trip.

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The genetic migrations exhibited by these tribes are as complex as they are interesting!

The wovensouls gallery has a large collection of similar antique and vintage textiles.

jm
July 2012