Muharram in Darjeeling

My town is an exemplary embodiment of communal harmony. Sure we have our own set of other dire problems, but religious intolerance is not one of them.
Dàshain, Tihar, Losar, Eid, Easter, Christmas or innumerable other religious days are observed by the whole town with equal enthusiasm.

Hidak-phu: Story of the fast-disappearing Manipuri Hookah

‘Hidak-phu or Hidakki Chapu’, literally translating to ‘medicine pot’, is the traditional Manipuri hookah. 

The Thokchom household in Imphal is one of the last families to produce these. 

I've shot video clips and interviews as well for this.
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Little Kashmir on the Swaraj Express

Every year, the harsh Kashmiri winter prompts about 30 families from in and around Lal Chowk, Srinagar to migrate to Mumbai. These families spend three months in the city and survive by selling Kashmiri Handicrafts and, wallnuts and apples from their farms.

Last week, I happened to be occupying a berth in a Sleeper Class boggie, which was entirely filled with these families. Here are some paraphrashed lines of the fragmented conversations I had with two brothers - 24 and 14 - who were in the same compartment as me.

"Kashmir is beautiful...its heaven on earth."

The winters are definetely one of the reasons we migrate to Mumbai every winter, but its not the only reason. If the situation was more stable back home, maybe we wouldn't have to be away for so long. The people of Kashmir have given up faith and all we want is peace. We don't want Pakistan, we don't want to be with India either, because neither of the countries care. If we have an independant Kashmir, I swear to you, our lands are so rich, we can earn so much from just the tourism and our farms that a Kashmiri will have to work only three months out of a year - we will earn so much; thats the potential Kashmir has. Even if we were to stay with India, wouldn't it benefit India to improve the lives of Kashmiris. The potential is all lost. 

We never plan ahead. We don't know what will happen to us when we step out of the house in the moring - if we will come back to our families. They (the Indian Army) use pellets on us - thats used to control animals - are we animals? The media accuses us of accepting paltry sums like 500 and 1000 rupees to pelt stones - we are not stupid; we have families and dreams; our lives have got to worth more than that. If you grow up seeing your friends, vanish one byone, killed one by one; and Kashmiris who stand against the oppression getting labelled and hunted down, termed 'Terrorists', would the youth know of any other reality and in some cases build even stronger resolve to break away? Think of the psychological effects this is having in the generations growing up - generations who grew up in this violence.

The sun begins to set in the horizon, and we both stare out the window in silence - there is a sense of shared injustice and neglect which we mutually feel. We both belong to the fringes. We have both been asked to prove our loyalties many times over.
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Military Fashion in Chakrata

The year is 2015 and I find myself in the district of Chakrata in Uttarakhand. I have been hired as an on-set photographer for a feature film called 'Pinti Ka Sabun', commissioned by The Children's Film Society of India. 

The film crew members find themselves ill-prepared for the weather, and in the evening, we all head to the local market. While we weren't expecting Louis Vitton, what takes us by surprise is the number of shops that sell Military wear - caps, boots, bags, jackets - everything is Military. 

We are informed that Chakrata, being a military cantonment area, the locals are influenced by and also have easier access to this option. These products are cheap, durable and reflect the 'harsh' lives the residents of this district have.

A sheep herder in Mungaad Village.

Lady working in the jungle in Koruwa.

Peanut Seller in Naagh Thaat.

The elders of Mungaad Village, bask in the sun.

One of the more decorative Military Gear Store I found in Chakrata Market.

My Commando Cap!

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Polyandry/Poligamy in Uttarakhand

These images were taken in village called Mungaad in the Chakrata district of Uttarakhand.

According to the folklore in the region, the Pandavas spent their 'Van Vaas' in these forests. A direct result of this is the tradition of Polyandry where one woman has more than one husband at a time, usually all the brothers in the family. Uttarakhand is one of the few places in India where this is practiced. 

Polygamy may be practised for a lot of reasons; one of them being "families in areas of scarce farmable land to hold agricultural estates together. The marriage of all brothers in a family to the same wife allows plots of family-owned land to remain intact and undivided."

Just 24 years of age, Rajo is married to 5 brothers of the family, much like Draupadi in Mahabharata who is married to the Pandava Brothers.

The kids are raised collectively by the family and there is no pressure to know their children's paternal lineage .

Rajo was 25 when this photograph was made.

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Jaldapara Wildlife Santuary Park

No sooner was I back from the Sandakphu Trek when my school mate invited me to a trip to Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary. This place is of significance importance as it was the place where we were brought once on a school field trip. Contrast to that winter trip of 2008, this time around, better equipped and wiser, the elephant ride felt a little cruel. But the journey itself with two childhood friends made things easier.

While we had hoped to stay at the lodge within the sanctuary, the impromptu nature of the trip meant that all the rooms were already taken. Instead, we settled for this cozy little 'hotel' right opposite the gate of the Park.

The Elephant Safari (Jaldapara gives you the option of choosing between this and an open-air jeep) takes place in batches of around ten per hour. We took the comfortable second shift where it was still daybreak but light enough to be able to spot the animals. A local tout (resembled Nawazuddin Siddique, I swear) helped us book the spot for 800 per head.

With friends Tripti and Sangha, the generous sponsors of my trip!

By the Torsha river, we wait for the first batch of tourist to come back from the safari.

Torsha River.

The first spotting - a rhino grazing in a grassland across the river.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've shot video clips and interviews as well for this.
For those interested in watching the video, do become my Patron at Patereon.com.