Author: Tanya Raj
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Postcards from Spiti
A land where imaginations find wings and hopes are restored that this Earth indeed is an awe-inspiring place and one need only leave their comfort to find it.
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Faces of Kyrgyzstan
The people of this Central Asian paradise nurture their traditions and keep the culture alive and vibrant with their unadulterated bond to their land.
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Postcards from Kyrgyzstan
The elements of earth, wind, water combine here with joy, kindness, and freedom. This land brought into my life the kind of happiness I had forgotten for a long time. Here are some snapshots to capture the essence of this place.
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A Love Letter to Kyrgyzstan
Hi there, This letter has been long due to you, isn’t it? For me, you epitomised the elements of nature – I came face-to-face with your concept of open spaces, open minds, and open hearts. I remember landing at Bishkek airport and taking in the landscapes below from the aircraft in awe; you were a…
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Faces of Spiti
Just like the essence of this land, its people embody the joy and resilience, core to life. Tsering (right) and Yangkit (left) work the fields against the backdrop of gorgeous snow-capped mountains. The day in these villages start early with milking the cows, cooking, working the fields, and returning to household chores again, including caring…
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A Tiny Infinity – Lahaul & Spiti
It has been more than a year and I have tried numerous times to put ink to paper in expressing those few days spent in the lap of absolute bliss. At first, it was the reverence and notion that putting any words to it might violate what I experienced in those mountains, and later, as…
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Kannangattu Bhagavathi Theyyam
The Kannangattu Bhagavathi Theyyam captured the essence of the Devi with such perfection that for a moment when I first looked at the performance, I almost forgot to use my camera. Through the entire dance, where the Theyyam went around the Kavu, whirling to the soft beats of the drums, I sat mesmerised at the…
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Vasoorimaala Theyyam
In a trance-like state, moving and swaying rhythmically, the Vasoorimaala Theyyam had an utmost calm on his face. Even though as a man, depicting a goddess, the Theyyam personified the essence of the Divine Feminine energy with the grace, calm, yet a power that seemed to emanate from his very being. During the initial few…
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Bhairavan Theyyam
The Bhairavan Theyyam had already finished his performance and was sitting in the grove dispensing blessings to the gathered crowd, by the time we arrived. Orange painted face, with yellow marked forehead, eyes covered with silver ornaments, and two silver pincers attached to the puffed-up cheeks. He sat there in all the regalia, but what…
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Sasthappan (Kuttichathan) Theyyam
Sasthappan, also known as Kuttichathan were two Theyyams that were dressed identically and performed the rituals, simultaneously. Wearing elongated rectangular waist adornments, they covered their eyes with silver ornaments, with only a small hole to look through. Their headgear consisted of two wooden flaps on either side of their cheeks. However, it was the peacock…