Across Asia Journal

Ambubachi Mela

Micah Hanson — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 03:39:14 +0000

[See image gallery at www.micahimages.com]

Shiva’s wife Sati (an incarnation of Kali) is said to have been dismembered into 51 pieces which fell across India, her genitalia, yoni, fell on Kamakhya hill. The annual Ambubachi Mela celebrates the mother goddess, Kamakhya’s, menstrual cycle. Apparently for goddesses “that time of the month” comes once [...]

World Music Day, Naga Style

Micah Hanson — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:33:29 +0000

[See image gallery at www.micahimages.com]

Aiyush was both covering and promoting a concert marking World Music Day in Dimapur, the Nagaland City on the border with Assam. I accepted his invitation to come along. Our first stop was a concert/contest for local bands, an event that Aiyush for good reason disavowed any connection [...]

Guwahati

Micah Hanson — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:00:46 +0000

[See image gallery at www.micahimages.com]

I had passed through Guwahati on a number of occasions always en route to somewhere else more interesting. But I had never really given the city a shot, being turned off by relatively high price of accommodation, at least that in which foreigners are permitted to stay. Despite [...]

Udaipur of the East

Micah Hanson — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 04:33:11 +0000

[See image gallery at www.micahimages.com]

Udaipur is Tripura’s historic heart. Not to be confused with that other Udaipur in Rajasthan. In and around Udaipur are several temples and palaces, some forgotten in a state of ruins, while others a focal point of pilgrimages to this day. By far the most active of the [...]

Agartala: The Drunken Sadhu

Micah Hanson — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:03:33 +0000

[See image gallery at www.micahimages.com]

Agartala is Tripura’s capital a flat urban sprawl surrounding the turn of the century Ujjayanta Palace. The weather in June was hardly ideal, hot and humid, though the pineapple sold throughout the city on street corners everywhere was absolutely delicious, an explosion of sweet flavor in every bite. [...]