Month: April 2017

RootsandLeisure_JowaiMeghalaya

Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya | Places to visit in and around Jowai

Folks we are in Meghalaya today. Let us explore the Jaintia hills – starting from Jowai, which is the business and education hub of the region.  Jowai town in itself, is not the ultimate  ‘tourist location’ in the area, but it is surrounded by many local hotspots – so let us take you through some of them.  Jowai town is situated around 65 kms from Shillong (~2 hours ride). It’s a beautiful scenic town sitting shy on a plateau surrounded on three sides by the Myntdu river. “I love coming back to my hometown Jowai every once in a while – to escape from the noise, and to enjoy the fresh air and solitude. We have some really beautiful picnic spots – complete with luscious green grass and pink wild flowers. Aren’t these photos like a dream? Must visit! ” @orangesarelemons Syntu Ksiar is about 5 kms away from Jowai and is one of the most popular hangout spots for locals and tourists alike. People usually come here for picnics, and to enjoy an afternoon of fresh air and angling. …

RootsandLeisure_Thailand

Feeling Nostalgic | School Kids in Thailand on their Last Day of School

  “I was invited by a high school student to click photots on her last day of school  (Yupparaj Wittayalai School in Chiang Mai, Thailand). The students exchange gifts, flowers and photo collages, and take lots of pictures! It was a noisy day with excitement and nostalgia in the air. Overall a beautiful day. Happy to have helped capture those precious moments with their school friends”  ~ Photographer Madan FiveMonkey “We are really excited to be graduating but also sad that we will no longer see each other everyday. Maybe this is our last photo together! :'( “ “Take a picture of the two of us – me holding this big teddy!” “Hey I need one photo with the guys too!” “I think my friend needs some help here – too many gifts!”

Travel Diary of Anangsha Alomyan | Adventurer and Traveler from Assam

Weekends are always about the sudden urge to travel to some place new and getting away from the hustle of the city life. But then we always stop short of actually getting out to turn those travel plans into reality. Not all of us.  Meet Anangsha Alomyan, a 23-year-old student from Assam, a national level lawn tennis player, who’s an avid traveler and a big lover of the Himalayas. So Anangsha, tell us a bit about yourself. I am originally from Assam and am currently pursuing a masters degree in sociology from Delhi School of Economics. I have been interested in extracurricular activities since childhood. Most of the time, I devote myself to tennis and fitness, meeting friends and listening to music. And when I’m not playing doing any of that, I’m usually into photography or drawing. How did you develop a passion for travelling? Tell us about the places you’ve been to. I only started travelling exclusively since last year (in May 2016). I embark on trips depending upon my schedule. Sometimes I take …

RootsandLeisure_NagaFashion

Traditional Naga Accessories Making a Fashionable Comeback

Mixing the old with the new is always refreshing ; today a lot of people are creating some pretty unique and stylish looks by accessorizing their outfits with traditional handmade jewelry. They look pretty spot on, as though they were meant to be all along. Here’s a curated list of how these fashionable folks are taking mix-and-match to a whole new level – by adorning modern ensembles with ethnic jewelry.  You can also buy some Naga traditional jewelry in modern designs on our Shop [link] Awomi from Sumi Naga tribe dressed her black turtleneck top with traditional Naga earrings and a necklace in fiery red (Red is a dominant color in most Naga ensembles, accessories & gears.) Members of the ‘Tetso Sisters’ (talented musicians from Nagaland), are seen playing up their looks with tasseled earrings in green and white. Traditional earrings are generally crafted in red color, so these new colors add a twist to the original jewelry form itself. Jorlim playing match-up by blending her lavender colored earrings with her pale blue dress, and a pink lacy stole. The little girl is looking …

RootsandLeisure_Aben

Faces | Little Girl from Nagaland Finds Passion in Gardening

“The first thing our little Aben does after waking up is go straight to her grandmother’s garden and water the flowers. The excitement level is the same everyday. If left alone, she spends the whole day with her grandma – watering the flowers, and moving the pots around.” So folks – when was the last time you jumped out from your bed (early morning) excited about something? Aben seems to have found her passion. Have you found yours? Happy Weekend!

RootsandLeisure_DinaHazarika

Artist Who Etches Memories on Canvas and Plates | Dina Hazarika Chowdhury

Have you ever felt envious of individuals who can capture stunning moments and sights in a tangible way, allowing them to preserve and share them with others? We certainly have. That’s why we love to showcase the work of talented artists like Dina Hazarika Chowdhury, a fine artist from Assam who creates beautiful paintings on canvas and ceramic plates. Dina hails from the cultural hub of Assam, Tezpur. She grew up in a small family but was deeply influenced by the traditions of a large, extended family. Dina fondly recalls attending family gatherings at her father’s ancestral home in Sibsagar. Currently, she resides in Gurgaon after marrying two years ago. Dina Hazarika Chowdhury specializes in taking nostalgic memory snapshots of cities and rural landscapes and transforming them into beautiful artwork. Tell us how you arrived at this point – as an artist who is happily running her own venture from home. Well, I explored many (career) paths before settling on this one – into the world of fine art. At one point, I wanted to …

RootsandLeisure_ShalomResort

Experience Local Living by Checking into Shalom Resort in Nagaland.

Looking for some unexplored nooks to escape into nature? Good news! Because we just discovered a hidden gem right here in Nagaland. It’s a beautiful eco-friendly space called Shalom resort in Dimapur, Nagaland. Explore Shalom Resort – a beautiful retreat tucked amidst the hills at Gaili Village in the Peren District of Nagaland. Gaili village, also known as Hepuluzam, is located in Peren district which is around 37 kilometers (a one and a half hour drive) away from Dimapur. The place has five beautiful cottages that offer a stunning view from each balcony. The resort also has two morungs (traditional huts) of Zeliang and Kuki tribe that comes with a personal cooking space of your own. Don’t you think that already sounds awesome? Do not forget to check out the long stretch of land decorated with pebbles, seasonal and wild flowers, sheds, ponds, swings, and see-saws. Inside Zeliang Morung hut – with attached cooking space. Do not miss the beautiful view from the bamboo balconies Apart from the surroundings of nature, the Shalom offers a variety of activities and facilities like trampoline, archery …

Preciousmelove | Shipping Out Unique Fashion Items Made in Nagaland

Preciousmelove is an all girls team from Nagaland running a clothing and accessories business including dolls and vintage clothes. The team is led by Zuboni Humtsoe, a young dynamic entrepreneur and is supported by Humtsoe’s elder sister, Lozano Humtsoe. Zuboni is also the recipient of the prestigious ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016’ owing to the success of PML and its role in empowering women involved with the project. The team at R&L sat down to interview the talented sister duo to know more about Preciousmelove’s work. About the founders: Zuboni, a political science graduate from Kalindi College, DU, is the proprietor of Preciousmelove, with a brief work experience at Convergys India which helped her understand the nuances of customer service. A dreamer like no other, she hustles and handles various facets of business from marketing, management, creative direction, content writing, designing, photography to public relations. Zuboni says she has taken inspiration from entrepreneurs like Walt Disney, Mark Zuckerberg and Ratan Tata. On the other hand, Lozano worked as part of the cabin crew in Kingfisher Airlines for …

RootsandLeisure_Mangka

Meet Mangka Mayanglambam – An Inspirational Manipuri Folk Performer.

Indian classical music has reached international fame and recognized at a global level. But, the Indian folk culture, talking of the existing in predominantly rural communities today, does not enjoy the same celebratory status. Partly, because tribal and folk music is not taught in disciplinary formats similar to Indian classical music. Fortunately, that’s changing today, as Indian youths are picking up folk music to express themselves on various platforms and sustaining their roots and culture for the ages to come. Today at R&L, we showcase an important folk performer, Mangka, who’s a musical revolution that state youth forums are rejoicing over. She has put Manipuri folk singing on the international map and is the voice that has popularized Manipuri folk song form, Pena. Meet Mangka Mayanglambam – Folk Song Artist and Performer at the Laihui Ensemble from Imphal, Manipur. Mangka acquired the knowledge of folk music from her father, Mangangsana, a renowned Pena artist and recipient of Ustad Bismilah Khan Yuva Puraskar in 2008. Mangka started learning Moirang Sai and Basok (a rare traditional female performing …

RootsandLeisure_TialilaKikon

Spilling Intricate Poetry on Paper : Tialila Kikon on her new release ‘Paper Cranes’.

“There’s nothing more rare, more precious than a heart that can appreciate and uplift another” – Tialila Poetries are unstoppable gateways to innumerous human emotions and feelings that otherwise don’t find an outlet within us. These spontaneous creations go on to hold even more importance when they stand to represent a collective cause. One such important Indian contemporary poet, is Tialila Kikon. Kikon’s work picks up twigs of life, love, hope and humanity, and builds simple yet sanguine poetry with them. Her poems were published in ‘Feminist Voices Across Cultures: A Poetry Anthology‘ and some of her Tanka poems appeared in ‘Winter Writes: Poems, Stories & Sagas’. She also has a Kindle eBook published by the Whitesboro Group of Writers, New York. Her poems ‘Indeed’ and ‘Children of Conflict’ were selected among 300 other poems submitted by poets from around the world and displayed at the Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre, Vancouver, Canada on 12th March 2016 at the WIN-UNESCO World Poetry Month Celebration on the theme of Love and World Peace. In this short …