Time Travels Ltd.

Dedicated to Kris who like a beautiful chorus of a bird filled our hearts with joy and left us yearning to hear more. God bless you with peace                                                          In the Presence of Light There is a crowd in the banks Gathered before a thick fog to thank the one who sustains The Dhansiri river runs its course down with the gravity of nature The dawn is here  It appears like a chariot drawn by pink and crimson horses Young and brazen forward she comes baring her breasts The oil lamps burn on top of baskets filled with offer   And the trucks wheel up to the sand mines to carry their load of civilization Some Women take a bold dip into the cold river  With their prayers to perform an ancient ritual Steadfast to their abstinence and fasting That starte...

                       Sabitri Heisnam (LEFT)  in the play 'Pebbet' at Northeastern Hill University Shillong,  Meghalaya             Ima:  A verse in dedication of Ima Sabitri Devi The harmony of humanity in her lips Ima swirled like magic A child like playfulness springs her toes Ima brought us warmth and surprise Offering us her harvest of joy We must be selfish not to understand Ima’s love Tightfisted to embrace the language of the heart The cacophonic insanity of our virulent civilization has drowned her melody Ima, oh Ima, weep no more I shall awake free from this memoir of terror To kiss the harmony on your lips To welcome this morning that shall be no man’s property

March 2014 We arrived at the New Tinsukia Station on the 20 th of this month. Manoj who is my sister in law’s husband was accompanying me to the one and half day trip to Sadiya in the Eastern Upper Assam district of Tinsukia. Manoj has relatives living in Sadiya. He was taking me to the Gurung settlements of Pathi Pathar and Gurung Basti in Chapakhowa town of Sadiya. After travelling for more than three hours on the kuccha road we arrived at the Saikhowa ghat at the bank of the Brahmaputra. A fifteen minute sail on the ferry with a heavy load of passengers and goods got us on the opposite bank where a relay bus was waiting to take us to the town of Chapakhowa. Awaiting departure at the Saikhowa Ghat in Sadiya , Assam The Gurungs I encountered in Sadiya had all the anthropological DNA of the Gurungs I had encountered in Lamjung Nepal. Yet, at the same time they had developed other unique cultural traits different from the Gurungs of Ghalegaon and Ghanpokhara in Lamj...

Chota Gitka(left) and Bada Gitka (right) live with their grandfather. Their parents are divorced. They earlier went to a local English medium school but spend most of their time with their grandfather unable to pay their school fees. Kuchu in the middle is 4 years old. Her parents live with us here in Lahorijan Camera : Canon PowerShot G12 Shutter speed : 1/60 sec Aperture : f/5.6 ISO : 160 Focal Length : 6 mm

Mori araj suno, dastagir pir   O my Lord, pay heed to my appeal   (repeat) Mori araj suno Mori araj suno O my Lord, pay heed to my appeal Rabba sachiya, toon tay akhia see   My true Lord, you had said Ja oye bandiya jug da shah hain tu   “Go man, you are master of the world Saadian nemataan terian daulataan nenh   My bounties on earth are your treasure Saada naib alija hain tu   You are the viceroy of your Creator” Changa shah banayaee rab saneyaan   You made a fine king indeed, my sweet lord Paulay khaandayaan waar na aundi eh   All I have gotten are endless beatings Mainu shahi naeen chaidi rab saneyaan   I don’t want kingship, my Lord Mein tay izzat da tukkar mangna haan   All I need is a morsel of respect Mori araj suno, dastagir pir   O my Lord, pay heed to my appeal   (repeat) Mori araj suno Mori araj suno O my Lord, pay heed to my appeal Meri mannain tay tairian main mannan ...

9.8.2014   We  arrived in Makhel 30 Km. south of the capital Kohima after a rough and bumpy ride on the Hero Honda Super Splendor bike .  Steering clear and keeping out  all the potholes that cover the disfigured NH 39 between Kohima and Mao,   affronted by  swarm of Indian army  convoy trucks and buses blowing storm cloud of dust and diesel fumes and tackling rude and rowdy policemen at the border checkgate  was intense both body and mind .   Sacred Banyan Tree at Makhel  Makhel is a name of a small hamlet here in Mao which also belongs to an important family of the Naga tribes with the  same name- Mao aka Ememei. My wife Akatoli was accompanying me to this short trip to Makhel.  I had first heard of Makhel from my hostel roommate  Joseph(Kaihrii) a resident of Makhel back during our post-graduation days in Shillong. Since then the legend about Makhel had always intrigued me and that feeling stayed wi...