A small yet proud-hearted state of Nagaland lies at the border of India and Myanmar, on the steep slopes of Naga Hills and Patkai Hills. In any other place of the world these hills would have a proud designation of mountains, but here, in the shadow of Himalayas, their 2000 meters look dwarfish…
Nagaland
Posted in Rainbow
Tagged India, indigenous minorities, Naga, North East India, encyclopedia
Pictures from the state of Manipur – with lots of rebels and abundance of military forces, trying to keep them in order.
There are two major groups of people, living in the state – peoople of the plains, Meitei and some others. And the hill tribes – kuki, zo, paite, and several clans of nagas.
Only pictures here. The main entry is only available in Russian, sorry.
The beautiful face of Manipur
Posted in Rainbow
Tagged cycling, India, indigenous minorities, Manipur, Naga, North East India
Our last little story on Meghalayans, before we plunge into the dusty clouds of Manipur.
Bethel
This woman also has a talking name, Bethel – and she is to some point a very picture of the whole khasi people.
Read more
Posted in Rainbow
Tagged cycling, India, indigenous minorities, North East India
Probably the most creative and cheerful people in India are the long-haul truck drivers. India comes second only to Pakistan in the elaborated beauty and diversity of trucks.
Painted trucks light up the deppressive charcoal drawn scenery
Posted in Rainbow
Tagged India, North East India
Some pictures from the state of Meghalaya in the North-East of India – indigenous cultures, archery counters, charcoal landscapes.
In winter dry season it’s really hard to believe this is the wettest place on Earth with average annual rainfall as high as 1200 cm.
Rice Terraces in Meghalaya
Posted in Rainbow
Tagged cycling, India, North East India
Just after the breakfast we made a discovery. Trying to cut through the jungle with no path would be a bad idea, so we returned to the path junction, where our sylvan friends turned yesterday. We expected to find anything there – a hut, a field or some fishing spot – but a real manufactury! Here, in the middle of jungle!
Posted in Rainbow
Tagged Arunachal Pradesh, jungle, India, indigenous minorities, discovery, North East India
So we deepened into the Jungle, wandering who could have cut this marvelous smooth path up here?
The answer came soon and quite unexpected: just as we stopped for a rest break, a strange cavalcade of halflings caught up with us. The tiny people were barefooted, carried huge wooden logs on their backs and were absolutely not scared away by our gloomy looks with huge backpacks.
A strange procession in the jungle
Posted in Rainbow
Tagged Arunachal Pradesh, jungle, India, indigenous minorities, North East India
Ships of the Changtang plains – yaks.
Far, far away from the roads of silk and tea, on the very edge of the Roof of the World – on North-Eastern outskirts of Changtang – lies a boundless ginger land. Thousands of blue pads of lakes are scattered in the swash of hills, where dreamy clouds and cloudy yaks graze in peace. Time here is as thick as ripe honey, and air is as brisk as meltwater.
There, on ginger plains beneath the very sky, since the dawn of time live people free like birds. Their tents flutter on the wind like sails and they know not attachment to their place nor to belongings. The name of the highland country is Amdo and it is inhabited by nomads.
On the Great Bend of Yarlung Tsangpo, in the sacred lands of Pemako, live Memba people – one of those lucky to be officially recognized 56 ethnic groups of China. A very small one, though. Geographically, Memba are also Tibetans, they have a lot in common with the peolple of U-Tsang, and Buddhism is also a fundamental spine of their being. Still this is a different ethnicity. You won’t see the traditional white Tibetan houses with decorated windows, the altitude is too low for the wooly yaks. And they plant banana trees here instead of barley.
Eternal mists raise from river gorges and cloudy forests, and whenever they melt away a Fata Morgana of fantastically beautiful Gyalha Peri and Namcha Barwa levitate in the thin air above the villages.
Gyalha Peri at dawn
Posted in Rainbow
Tagged Brahmaputra, indigenous minorities, Pemako, Tibet
