Infinity Magazine, India and Silk Making
Infinity Magazine Summer 2015 featured two articles about my travels to India (on Rongali festival and Kolkata Gems), and also featured this photo on the cover (read the articles here).
Here’s the story behind the story:
This cover photo was taken this spring when I attended the arts and culture festival, Rongali Bihu, in the remote, northeastern state of Assam, India. I am pictured with a lovely Assamese woman who wanted to have her photo taken with me, because here, in Assam, it is still a novelty to see foreigners. I want to point out that her gorgeous, traditional sari is made from Assamese silk. In fact, we are standing in a exhibition of silk-making.
This is how silk is made:
Silk-making exhibit, complete with silkworms in action (on leaves) and their silk cocoons.
Stages of silk-making, on exhibition.
The end result: beautiful silk fabrics!
Cover Photo credit: thank you to my guide, Dipankar Borkakati.
In Pictures: Rongali Bihu Festival in Assam, India
SHANNON’S TRAVEL BAG: travel tips for women
Shannon travels to India. This is part 3 in a series of articles.
In Pictures: Rongali Bihu Festival in Assam, India
I’ve just returned from an amazing 2-week trip to India. As I wrote in my previous post, the first stop on my journey was attending the Rongali Bihu Festival in Assam, the north-eastern state in India that is located south of the eastern Himalayas – and where “Assam tea” comes from. Rongali, meaning “colours,” is a special celebration of the Assamese New Year and coming of spring, with the hopes of peace and prosperity. Rongali is one of three Bihu festivals that take place throughout the year, with Rongali being the biggest in Assam.
On April 3-5th, 2015, the community in Guwahati, Assam, held a multifaceted Bihu festival highlighting the arts and culture of the Assamese communities and tribes. This included folk dance, rock and Bollywood music (including Bollywood star, Papon), handicrafts, fashion, traditional sports and oh-so-yummy food.
Assam, the gateway to the northeast, is unexplored – and more than ready for tourism. The festival was designed as a much-needed tourist draw that, under one platform, features the essence of Assam, a state which boasts a number of wildlife sanctuaries, the Brahamaputra River, is home to the one-horned rhino and Royal Bengal Tiger, and is large tea-growing region. “This is a springtime Bihu where there are a lot of festivities, and people are singing and dancing, and making merry,” says Rongali Festival organizer, Shyamkanu Mahanta.” This is a typical way of focusing on our own culture to promote tourism.”
Here are some highlights:
Several Assam tribes prepare to perform Bihu dances in competition (50+ dance forms)
On stage…all dance groups had their own distinct costume and dance form. Truly amazing.
Festival organizer, Shyamkanu Mahanta, and emcee, a famous Assam actress/dancer, Barasha Rani Bishaya.
A closer glimpse of the lovely star emcee, Barasha Rani Bishaya.
Dignitaries in attendance, including Tourism Minister of Assam, Ms. Sumitra Patir (seated in the lovely traditional Assamese sari)
Then this happened…I was interviewed by “DD News” TV Delhi. I was also in a number of Indian newspapers – read more about it). The traditional dress I am wearing actually came with me from Toronto!
And there was a thrilling dance drama performance of the classic tale, Kaliya Daman, in the famous form called Ankia Bhaona, which has been performed in India for 500 years. All actors are male, including female roles.
Fashion show of saris by a local Assam designer Mehzabin Ershad. Loved this!
Designer Mehzabin Ershad reacts to the roaring cheers of the crowd.
Famous Assam singer, Manas Robin, one of several artists who performed; with a former TV journalist attending.
Manas Robin rocked the house. I really enjoyed his music.
My new travel friend, Tom Peters, former editor of a major Canadian newspaper. I had pitched him many news stories over the years, though never met him until the flight from London to Delhi (lesson: never burn bridges!)
Some of the vendors… above is an exhibition on how silk is created from worms.
To my surprise, I became somewhat of a celebrity, with locals wanting to take photos with me.
Assam is known for its silk.
“Gamochas” Assamese traditional hand towel and fabric.
This girl is donning traditional Assamese fabric.
Smoking meat, fish, veggies the Assamese way.
Drummers from the Meishing Tribe.
Yeah, I’m a groupie.
Tourist plays a traditional Assamese game. You are blindfolded, spun around a few times to disorient, and then you have to guess where the pot is – and hit it once with a stick. Great for laughs (yes, I did it, too)!
Towering over crowd is my fabulous and trusted guide, Dipankar Borkakati, who took good care of me. Thank you, Dipankar.
Lovely women from Assam Tourism managing the heat and humidity better than me.
My guides, transportation and accommodations in India were provided by Vasco Travel, whose team worked tirelessly on perfecting every detail, even checking in with me daily.
Where to Stay: Hotel Dynasty (4 star) is situated on the banks of river Brahamputra, and in the business centre of Guwahati, Assam, with facilities including a spa, health club, bar and restaurant, and more. Rooms from $106 CDN and up (www.DynastyHotel.in).
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Read my first article about my India travels here.
Read my Q&A with India travel expert, Vikas Abbott from Vasco Travel.
Stay tuned for the next article in my series on India…
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For more information about Rongali Festival and 2016 plans, visit www.RongaliAssam.com.
Traveling to India? Vasco Travel (www.vascotravel.net), based in Delhi, is the industry leader in in-bound travel to India (in Canada, Vasco is represented by Canadian Travel Services www.CanadianTravelServices.ca). For flights, visit Air India (www.airIndia.in), a Star Alliance Member (my route was Toronto-London-Delhi-Guwahati). Resources: India Tourism (www.IncredibleIndia.org) and Assam Tourism (www.AssamTourism.gov.in).
Rongali Festival in Assam, India & my unexpected fame
SHANNON’S TRAVEL BAG: travel tips for women
Shannon travels to India, part two in a series of articles.
My unexpected fame at the Rongali Festival in Assam, India
I have been traveling across North East India for the past 10 days, with my first stop in Guwahati, the largest city in Assam, a major tea region and also home to Kaziranga National Park UNESCO heritage site. I came to Guwahati to attend a special arts & culture festival, Rongali (meaning “colours”), which honours the start of the New Year here.
A combination of a happily hectic travel schedule and limited internet access means I am only now able to post my articles and blogs – from my hotel in Kolkata.
(that’s me learning to dance with the Meishing Tribe)
What I discovered is that attending festivals which highlight the arts and culture of a community is a great way for travelers to experience a place and people in a short period of time. In a way, it is like “one-stop-shopping.” On April 17-19th, the Rangoli Festival brought together many of the regional tribes and community members to showcase their dance, music, art, crafts, food and traditional sports. It also featured a number of well-known Bollywood and Assam singers, artists, actresses, fashion designers and many other local celebrities.
Then there was my unexpected fame.
(India Telegraph)
The North East of India is an area that is relatively unexplored — and vast — and many people, particularly those living in smaller communities, are not accustomed to seeing foreigners. I found myself being celebrated and, to surprise, also became a local celebrity. Many wanted their photos taken with me, and even the media were interested, which I found myself, or my photo, in at least 3 major daily newspapers and also doing several TV interviews about my experience at the festival.
Oh, there is also the Assam Tribune:
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=apr0415/city051
A fellow journalist, my friend Tom Peters, who also attended the festival and traveled with me from London to Guwahati, said it best: India is a place where photos best tell the stories. More to come…
And now I must get to the airport for the next leg of my trip: Delhi!
Special thanks to Vasco Travel, the leaders in travel to India, who provided my guides, ground transportation and accommodation. The team worked tirelessly in perfecting every detail, even calling me daily.
