“Winter is the time to spend holidays with my grandchildren, pack a picnic lunch and go fishing. We used to do this often earlier but with everyone in the family so busy these days, family gatherings are rare occasions to be cherished.”
“One of the most interesting places you can visit here in Nagaland is the colony paan shop. The shop in this photo is a small paan shop (with the owner) in Jakhama village, Kohima. These colony paan shops are like the local meeting hubs, where informal catch ups take place and titbits are exchanged. You’d probably end up collecting the latest news from all the nooks and corners of the world! This is a great leveller too; the old and the young, the wealthy and the not-so-wealthy, the school kid and the businessman, all rely on these shops to meet their daily needs.” ~ Shanthungo
One fine Saturday, we bumped into an old friend from college days and as we got talking about how our life has progressed, we (obviously) had to mention Roots and Leisure. She was pleasantly surprised to know that her seniors from college in Ahmedabad (us! :)) are the ones behind the growing community; she has been following us for a while now. She got really excited, and immediately offered to share her own travel story with the R&L readers. Wati Pongener had made a recent trek to one of the most beautiful local attractions in Nagaland – the Dzükou Valley* “The air in Dzükou was so fresh that I could not help but think if I have been breathing wrong my whole life – before that moment! Every time I inhaled lungful of air, I imagined myself being cured of all the diseases from years of breathing polluted air.” (*Dzükou valley is situated at the border of Nagaland and Manipur just behind the Japhu peak. Its ecosystem could be classified as one of the last spots …
Christmas is a great time to visit Nagaland. It is filled with the joyous spirit of Christmas, Weddings, the excitement of the young folks visiting their hometown for the holidays and many other celebrations – and all of these involve lots of food and merry cooking! Today we have a pork recipe from one of our founders – Sungdi’s (outdoor) kitchen; it’s a pork recipe that will have you wishing you were there right beside her – to enjoy the cooking process and of course, to taste the delicious-looking dish! Here’s the recipe of a pork dish cooked in a Naga outdoor kitchen with Asian spices for a lovely twist in flavour. Enjoy! Prep time: 15-20 mins. Cook time: 1 hour (approx.) Ingredients: Smoked pork Onions Green chilly Soya Sauce Barbecue sauce Green chilly sauce Chilly powder Ginger garlic Tomato Capsicum Directions to cook: Pre-cook the smoked pork in salt and water. (Water quantity should be just midway to the pork level) For the sauce: Sauté the tomatoes till it turns soft and brown. Then put in ginger, …
“I love this photo that I took while I was sitting by the fire, drinking ‘pika cha’ (black tea) with boiled Naga dal – just what my grandma used to offer me back in the days (while I was still in school in Kohima), when I used to visit her. While sitting there, I had those moments of pure bliss, reminiscing of my chats by the fire side with my grandma. No other thoughts – just those beautiful memories. And I recommend everybody to try it this winters. Just sit by the fire alone (no phone!) with a cup of tea and try to go back in time – those good ‘ol days where we had no mobile phones, and we actually used to chat and enjoy the warmth of the fire and the tea. So thankful that I got a chance to experience such days, because of which I have these lovely memories today- and not just hundreds of photos that actually don’t mean much. Instagrammable maybe, but what else?” ~ Holito Swu, Kohima
“I was super excited to attend the first ever Cherry Blossom Festival here in Shillong. This photo was taken last year at the festival. The whole scene out there was so captivating; the serene and peaceful atmosphere at Ward’s Lake is what I loved most about my experience there. I would definitely recommend attending this festival to anyone who’s looking to have a good time,in a beautiful surrounding. It’s an amazing place and mood to be in!” ~ Shan Rabha, Shillong Most popular for its cherry blossoms, Japan draws a number of visitors during the spring season each year. But now, a festival in Meghalaya is hoping to spark a new trend: watching the Himalayan cherry tree blossom in autumn. The tree, which is endemic to the region and typically grows wild, makes the Khasi Hills come alive every November with its delicate reds and pinks. Starting November 8th,Wed-Novemeber 11th,Thurs,2017,the Cherry Blossom Festival in Shillong will celebrate the flowering with guided night walks, live music gigs, a beauty pageant, and booths showcasing the cuisine and craft …
“The story of Kunta Kinte inspired a generation of people to delve deeper into understanding their history and roots. I am from a different generation and of a different race but this book inspired me to return home and seek out my own history. (I am a Rongmei Naga, born to a Gangte mother, who grew up in a mixed community town, living in a state that is not Nagaland, speaking as many as 5 languages). While the pursuit didn’t answer all my queries, it made me reconcile myself with the perennial question of my identity- that it is not based on my historical grouping but on what I do with my life while I am alive.” .. and we believe that knowing your roots can help identify your unique skills, to contribute to the new communities you join. I keep recommending this book to people and somehow I also end up losing my copy. Yes, there are people who don’t return books they borrow. I was pleasantly surprised by @pem5398 yesterday. I had recommended this book to her, …
Lusano of ‘Lusano Designs’ has come a long way since she started her label in 2014. Her first international show, a bridal show, was held in Abu Dhabi in 2016. She was also selected to showcase her designs for IRW India Runway Week season 3 under the IFFD ( Indian Federation of Fashion Design Council). Today we have chat with her to know more about how it all started. R&L: Hi Lusano, please introduce yourself to our readers. Lusano: Born and brought in Nagaland, I completed my schooling in Delhi and then went on to finish my fashion designing course from INIFD (International Institute of Fashion Design), Delhi. After that, I signed up for an additional month of pattern-making course as I am fascinated with how the details of patterns can change the whole garment. R&L: What are the key inspirations behind your designs? Lusano: I started working on my brand collection (well actually just ‘my collection’ since I didn’t plan on a ‘Brand’ yet ) in my final year at INFID. At that time, …
Folks! It’s time for another music festival in this beautiful part of the country – in the North East of India. Brace yourself for BACARDI NH7 Weekender 2017 – the Shillong edition, to be held on the 27th and 28th Oct. Looks like many of us are headed to “Wenfield, The Festive Hills” – Thadlaskein, Lad Mukhla, in Jaintia Hills – the venue for the happiest music festival! What are our folks saying about the festival? In order to give you guys a good enough view of the festival – in terms of what to expect, we reached out to a bunch of festival goers, to share their experiences, and how they are planning for this year’s event. Soyingo Ezung, 27, Entrepreneur | Owner, House of Candy “One of the coolest events to take place in India hands down. Very well organized and very safe event – but nonetheless, be safe and don’t forget to enjoy! Keep a lookout for the local musicians – you will be amazed at all the talent India has – in every …
The succulent craze is taking over the world (well the Instagram world atleast!). We know atleast one friend, who is crazy over succulents – and it’s a growing tribe! So we reached out to some of the people in Northeast, India, who are somewhat obsessed with growing succulents as a hobby.We caught up with them to check out their collection, their most prized item from their collection, and of course, to hear from them directly as to what it means to grow succulents as a hobby. Note : Succulents are plants that store water in their stems, roots, and leaves, and they exist in beautiful shapes – some of them imitating interesting flowers, forms – and hence making them an interesting collector interest 1. Imchawapang Walling “Succulent and cactus as a hobby is very addictive and needs a lot of patience but the joy and pleasure you derive from keeping those delicate plants alive is worth all the effort. Eulychnia castanea cv. varispiralis cristata, is my most prized item. It’s a very rare crested form very much sought after …
