Religion

Making Jou: Traditional Boro Rice Beer

Jou is the most favoured traditional brew of the Boro people in Assam. It has social, cultural and religious usage but jou for a long time was identified with the community. Particularly the Hindu caste society of Assam looked down upon the indigenous (tribal) people of Assam because of their traditional lifeways that involved making and drinking of jou. But for the Boros, no ritual and custom is complete without it. Traditionally, Boro women were expected to know how to make jou, and therefore, this community knowledge also is held by women.

The Keys of Heaven

The keys are a symbol of Leiden and are found everywhere. As a first time visitor I found them odd. As we talked to different people we were told that these are the keys of Saint Peter. Like the coats of arms in Ghana that talks about the belief of the people and acts as a cultural symbol, the keys of Saint Peter have become a symbol that people identify themselves with.

First Church Visited in Leiden: Marekerk

First church visited in Leiden: Marekerk. Architecture may be reminiscent of a Catholic church, but our guide told us that it is a Protestant church. The building is majestic, a round dome overlooking it, and it is still used by the Protestant community of Leiden. The past and current relations between Catholics and Protestants in Leiden are relatively complicated, and certainly competitive, as everywhere else. We did not expect it. Nor did we expect so many churches and stories in this city.

Chedema Baptist Choir

This is a choir from the Chedema Baptist Church singing on the occassion of the 69th Naga Plebiscite Day.

It talks of a creator, Christ in heaven, who be praised and  who blesses the congregation to stay together as one.

The Naga nation is that one holy congregation which seeks to remain as one, together in its mission to spread the word of God.

Bakhri (2)

Bakhri II
 
The community Bakhri (Granary) at Thuribari, Kokrajhar, is one of the few such Bakhris seen nowadays in Assam. Community Bakhri is representative of a communal living and sharing. Located in an open village space just opposite the Brahma temple, these three small raised mud houses look ordinary but the significance and relevance of them in Thuribari community life is clearly visible from the well-maintained condition of it. 

Pipariya Railway Station: Narratives

Pipariya Railway Station in district Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, India was primarily established as the railhead for the Military Cantonment town of Pachmarhi. The present excerpt narrates the politics of everyday spaces at the station in the initial days. The excerpt has been translated from Hindi (Text: Pipariya, 2000 by Narayandas Maurya). The picture is only for representation purposes.

Phool Waalon ki Sair: The Flower Seller's Festival

Phool Walon Ki Sair meaning "procession of the florists" is an annual celebration by the flowers sellers of Delhi. It is a three-day festival, generally held just after the rainy season in the region of Mehrauli. The grand procession that followed Mirza Jahangir’s return in 1812 witnessed the flower sellers of the city bringing floral chadar (sheets) and pankha (fan) as offerings. This became an annual event, with a large fair and a series of cultural performances held near Shamsi Talab.

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