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Travel & Places
Canang Sari for the Honoured ‘Guests’
With basic principles of Balinese Hinduism revolving around obtaining balance and harmony of all elements in life and afterlife; between spirits and mortals, and nature that surrounds them, the Balinese are driven to perform Canang Sari 3 times a day to show their gratitude to the one supreme spirit – sang hyang widhi wasa.
‘Ngaben’ – Bali Cremation
The Balinese cremation or ‘ngaben’ is anything but a sombre event with hundreds of spectators, musicians and men carrying multi-tiered funeral pyre clowning around to confuse the soul from having any earthly attachments before it ascends to heaven upon the scattering of the ashes in the ocean. ‘Ngaben’ is the most expensive and extravagant rite of passage for any person.
The ‘Gathering’ of Sri Lankan Elephants
The ‘Gathering’ is a stunning natural phenomenon of wild Sri Lankan elephants ‘coming together’ as a coalescing herd from Wasgomuwa Park to as far off as Kantale on the receding shores of the Minneriya Tank during the dry season to feed towards its need of about 100 litters of water per day per adult elephant.
Domesticated Dromedary
The one hump camel – dromedary – have been domesticated from as far back as 4000 BC for its versatile usage that range from transportation, milk, dung, hair, skin and even meat by conquerors and nomadic pastroralists. Today, they are widely used in the tourism industry despite its ill-tempered temperament.
Great One Horned Rhinoceros
At a rate where more than 90 percent of the world’s rhinoceros have decimated over the past 40 years due to illegal rhino horn trade, and the stakes stacked up against them, will the Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros be a unicorn for future generations?
Dar Debbagh – Tannery Gate
The primitive tanning processes applied by the tanneries in Dar Debbagh uses a lot of water and generates large quantity of effluent that is detrimental to the waterways. However, steeped with legend, century old customs and a flourishing flow of tourism dollars, the practice that dates back to antiquity is unlikely to stop.
Lives as Brahmaputra Dies
Scientist predicts that the Brahmaputra and other Himalayan rivers flowing through Northeast India will stop flowing within the next 5 decades if the soaring global warming temperature is not arrested. This will cut off one-sixth of humanity’s water source; affecting over 400 million people’s lives in China, India and Bangladesh.
Miracle Healer or Merciless Killer
Endangered species from Africa’s forests are laid out for local buyers seeking sex boosters, spiritual and physical cures and exotic food while skins of jungle cats and reptiles are to Western buyers in UNESCO enlisted Djemaa el Fna. Can a membership with CITES curb illegal wildlife trade in Morocco? Or will culture, spiritual practices of the medicine man prevail?
all we have is the earth and sky
Over 18 million Indian children life, work, play, sleep, dream on the streets and sidewalks of Indian cities with a steady upward climb with more than 50 children escaping intolerable circumstances at home to begin new lives on their own on the streets. With least access to shelter, nourishment, health care and education, they work long hours and are constantly harassed and exploited.
Survival : Men vs. Cow
Urban poverty is a massive and growing issue, but it is often poorly understood, underestimated and unrecognised. Being the most populous city in Uttar Pradesh, Agra – the home of the grandiose Taj Mahal -has most of its 1.69 million people living under the poverty line and ‘homeless’. As resettlement projects takes place in Mumbai and Delhi, will Agra benefit from its experience?
Children Beggars
9 out of 10 homeless children do NOT beg as a way of life. Children who take to panhandling are usually victims of organised begging rackets, led by gang leaders who often present themselves as ‘benefactors’ and ‘protectors’ of homeless children that comprise of the poor, runaways and disabled. In order to reap bigger profits, thousand of these children are mutilated yearly
Raising Darchor
Projecting serenity by day and a ghostly effect under a moonlite night, the Darchor is a vertical Tibetan prayer flag raised annually during the Tuosui’ ceremony to spread good will and compassion to all. As such, they are often found high above ground levels such as rooftops and mountain passes to ensure the unobstructed wind passes over their surfaces thereby purifying the air with mantras.
Strokes of Hope
Be it traditional tantric influenced, middle-of-the-road, or avant garde art, Tibetan artist are fiercely express their identities breaking away from ‘mystics’ and ‘ethnic’ works. External influences – social, pyschological and economic changes in the world – seems to be the driving force for most, but in some cases its purely individual expression.
Save Tibet
The Tibetan Autonomous Region is the poorest Chinese region with annual per capita income of less than USD 100. Where central subsidies and investments are channelled only to the Chinese administrators and settlers, couple with fierce discrimination and oppression, Tibetans have imposed self ‘exile’ to harsh, arid and rural areas defending for themselves, their freedom, culture and religion.
9 Emperor God
During the Daoist Nine Emperor Gods Festival or Kow Ong Yah that falls on the 9th day of the 9th moon in the Chinese lunar calendar, mediums goes into deep trance and perform unbelievable feats including immersing themselves in hot oil, piercing themselves with sharp, long spears and swords, in addition to walking through fire unscathed.
Celestial Misalignment
Indian astrology is a branch of Vedic science that has been widely believed and commonly to the point of being funded by the State for research, is now wanning in popularity. Nonetheless the negative effects of marrying a Mangal Dosha, or ‘manglik’, remains a concern and movies have been resorted to to downplay this superstition.
Sculptured Dough
Dough sculpturing dates back to the Han Dynasty as sacrifices for the dead. A dying folk art and tradition, little of it is known outside China and its importance as a study in history and folk lore has eroded. Struggling to remain relevant, dough scultures now takes form of popular pop culture genre and modern fictional characters.
Jama Masjid + Feathered Friends
Whilst the pigeons in Jama Masjid are free, a stark reality occurs just hundreds of meters away at the Jama Masjid bird market and across the road behind the Red Fort at INA Market; feathered species of all kinds are cooped up waiting for an exchange of swabs of rupees for their lives and freedom. Although the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972 exist, enforcement is lacking.
Hayya ‘ala-Salāt at Lal Qila
At the call of the Azan (Arabic: أَذَان), Muslims around the world make haste towards prayer – Hayya ‘ala-Salāt. Salāt (Arabic: صلاة) is obligatory for all adult Muslims, and its supreme importance is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam. Ritualistic in nature, it is to be performed in prescribed conditions, procedure, and times; hence the use of Azan as a summon.
Jumu’ah
“When it is Friday, the angels stand at every door of the mosque and record the people in order of arrival, and when the Imam sits on the pulpit for delivering the sermon, khutba, they fold up their sheets and listen to the mention of Allah, the speech.” Prophet Muhammad (as reported by Abu Hurayrah)
Visiting Luang Phor Khoon
Wat Ban Rai shot to fame for its ‘notoriety’ for 2 reasons: Luang Phor Khoon’s willingness to embrace commercialisation, and its open door policy that recruits novice monks with colourful past, spoting body art and nicotine fixes. Known for his magical powers, Luang Phor has a large following and impressive monastery.
Dāna – Bodhisattva and the Art of Giving
Dāna (donation) is one of the central practices in early Buddhism that is said to have the effect of purifying and transforming the mind of the giver where generosity arising for the act of giving leads to being reborn in happy states. Built on interdependence between donors and renunciants, the act of dana has enabled Buddhism to survive, flourish and expand.
Theravada Buddhism Forest Monk
Buddha: Born in the forest. Enlightened in the forest. Taught in the forest. Died in the forest. 2,500 years later, the Theravada forest monks continues the practice, teachings and codes of monastic conduct expounded by Buddha in more than 200 forest monasteries throughout Thailand and the West – Europe, Australasia and North America.
Buddha’s Apprentice
The custom of sending the second male child to the monastery prevails in Tibetan influenced parts of India. These children generally fell into 3 categories: pious believers, children of poor serfs and those sent to temples to meet a quota. Although life in the monastery is difficult and dull to many young children, modern day comforts have made their presence.