Saturday, May 28, 2011

A Wedding Card

Received this 'Biya -Chithi '(wedding card) two days back .Chandra Master's son is getting married .Chandra master(he is a teacher) is one of the many 'village cousins' of my husband.Though my husband's family lived in Shillong for three generations ,they originally hail from this tiny village named Namkhola in Assam. Every third person of this village is a Saharia and most of us are related to each other in one way or another.
The card is  printed in Assamese script and is very simple as per the choice and budget of the family .Like any other Hindu wedding card the invitation provides the names of the bride's and groom's parents and their respective places of residence.It is a common practice in villages to mention the name of every possible close relative in the card along with the name of the host.This card mentions nineteen names altogether .Most of them are brothers,sisters,aunts,uncles ,brother-in-laws,sister-in-laws and even nephew and niece of the groom.We try our best to attend any
such marriage but  are going to skip this one as the kids school are open.My kids are disappointed as they  always look forward to go to Namkhola. .
To make up to this I spent most of my evening along with my kids looking at the old pictures of  our previous trips to the village.We stopped at each picture , talked about it.They asked me questions and  also expressed their own views on them.It was almost like we made a pleasant   virtual trip to the village.I am going to share few pictures here in this post.Namkhola(Mangaldoi Distt.) is almost two hours away from our city Guwahati .As we approach national highway we see these beautiful trees on both sides of the road.The tree with red blooms is called Krisnachura while the one with yellow is Sonaru.
Assam is known for its natural scenic beauty.
We always cross this Buddhist monastery on our way .The monastery is situated on top of a hillock ,the main building is not clearly visible from the road down but we do see this huge Buddha statue through this Bamboo groove.

As fish is one of the most integral part of an Assamese meal ,we often come across this  sight of women catching fish for the meal.

During winters we get to see a large population of migratory birds visiting this part of  the world . Bird flu scare never effects the enthusiasm of the bird watchers here.
This bird is called Hargilla (means the one who swallows bone) or Bortukula .These birds  are  rarely seen  now a days .I don't remember seeing one in my last two three visits. 

This is a Martyrs Memorial situated at Patharighat : it was a benchmark in the history of Indian Freedom Struggle.On 28 Jan. 1894 ,as a retaliation against the exploitative increase of land revenue there was a farmers' agitation at Patharighat. Unarmed but resolute they fought the British Military might .In a desperate attempt to curb the agitation British Authority massacred people,140 people achieved martyrdom and 150 were injured.The martyrs irrespective of their cast and creed were buried in a mass grave here.
No matter how many bus ,car ,taxi services are available ,we always see these overcrowded vehicles.
This is a very famous temple of our area .It is named as Khotora Mandir .The temple is always full of devotees who visit from nearby villages.And once we cross the temple we know that we are just fifteen minutes away from our destination.We have a RCC house there but the majority of villagers still  live in huts like the one below.Will show you around our village some other time.

Have a happy weekend  .

63 comments:

  1. A wedding card that took us through the village of Namkhola!!
    The 2 trees with yellow and red blooms is so picturesque!!
    Sitting on that rock and reading a book is what I so wanna do now!!
    The overcrowded buses, jeeps... is a common sight here too! How risky it is!!
    You have a great weekend too! :)

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  2. Bellissime immagini del vostro Paese. Non ho mai avuto la possibilità di visitare l'India, ma sono felice che possiate mostrare le immagini da condividere con chi vi segue.
    Baci Silvia

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  3. Thanks Shilpa :)It is not that risky as they move at very slow speed and stop at every fifteen to twenty minutes to drop the passengers.

    Silvia :thanks for visiting and also for the lovely comment. .I translated your message which says

    Silvia has left a new comment on your post " A Wedding Card ":

    Beautiful pictures of your country. I never had the opportunity to visit India, but I'm happy that you can show pictures to share with us .
    Kisses Silvia

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  4. thank you for the gorgeous virtual tour!! loved it!! hope to see it in person someday!!!

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  5. A very nice post with some really valuable information...really enjoyed it.My favorite picture is the second one.What do you call that yellow flower in Assamese?.We call it konna/kanikonna in Malayalam.
    That flower is one main thing for our Vishu(Assamese Bihu) in Kerala.
    Keep writing :)

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  6. Such a beautiful post Kavita... The wedding card is lovely though I cannot understand Assamese...
    And the journey that you had looks fantastic, the blooms, the Buddha, the Hanuman and the seen-everywhere-in-India overcrowded vehicles... Great, loved it... Have a great weekend:)

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  7. A lovely 'dekho' of Assam. Your posts are always informative and a visual treat. Have a gr8 weekend urself.

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  8. Nona - thanks .

    Deepak -thanks.

    Sonu -thanks.The yellow blOoms are called Sonaru in regional language .And thanks for telling its Malayalam name.

    Arti -thanks for liking the post:)

    Abha - thanks a lot to you too :)

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  9. olá bom dia querida !!!!
    passei para te desejar um excelente dia da sabado,
    com muitas coisas boas e muitas alegrias!
    bacione

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  10. fascinating, loved the virtual tour of your husband's village...so good you could share with your children.

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  11. I haven't caught up with your blog for ages but these pics are great, so atmospheric.

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  12. Amiga,

    Seu país é muito bonito.
    Belas fotos, belas recordações.

    Bom sábado!!!

    Beijinhos

    °º♫
    °º✿Brasil
    º° ✿♥ ♫° ·.

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  13. Many thanks for such an interesting and informative post. I'm just sad that it has taken 10 minutes to download the first image. I think I'll have to come back and view the rest later - Blogger, or should I be blaming Internet Explorer?, have a lot to answer for.

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  14. Absolutely fantastic! It's cool to know that!
    Thanks for sharing, you're wonderful! :)

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  15. Wonderful pictures..so colorful and looks alive !

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  16. Wonderful pictures and description. The wedding card shows how strong are the bonds in our villages.

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  17. The USP of the post was the linking of that simple wedding invitation card and a landscape that was as rustic and simple and beautiful as the card!

    The photographs reminded of the Kerala villages of the Sixties and Seventies....

    It was a great trip!

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  18. I really enjoyed this post, Kavita. If we had to list every uncle, aunt and cousin on our wedding card, we'd need several cards. I loved seeing all your photos. Each one was so interesting. That bird is huge and amazing. I'm noticing that the bird life here in Hawaii has changed in the last 30 years also.

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  19. Awesome clicks! the wedding card reminds me of Gujju card..you know, there is RSVP on the card..there are three options - single/couple/family - now, if you want to invite only one person, you cancel the other two options..thus it's mentioned clearly in the card how many people are supposed to attend the wedding! I can't add anything anymore!!

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  20. absolutely beautiful... i just love the variety in posts...
    this was another refreshing post of yours :) made me homesick ... i miss the freshness here

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  21. wonderful post....
    last week i was in Guwahati n Shillong so could see some beautiful views like you have posted here....

    and BTW thanx for ur visit at my place n the appreciations...hope to see you more often now.

    regards,
    irfn.

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  22. Pleasant! A wedding invitation card could evoke such memories!

    It is almost thirty years since I went by road from Kohim to Dimapur to Shillong and to Gawhati. I traveled by a Willys Jeep. But did not then have a camera to pick up memories from the journey. Your pics have done that.

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  23. Wedding invitations always bring us to places and people we know, love or are related to. Your rural scenes are so idyllic, scerene and poeaceful They somehow transport us back to the basics of living where there is no hurry berry. Tks 4 sharing.

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  24. Casa de fifa :Thanks and love to you too.

    Lin Floyd :time with kids is my favorite thing.Thanks.

    David l. MaCaulay :Nice to see you .I was away for sometime,will visit yours soon.Thanks.

    Magia :Thanks a lot dear.

    Petty Witter :even i was facing many problems with explorer,i have switched to another browser .Thanks for the visit .

    Tame Lion:Glad you like it .Thanks.

    Dr. Antony :Thanks a lot Dr.

    Onkar :you are absolutely right .Thanks.

    Balachandran: You got it Mr. Balan .Thanks .

    Kay :lol,i know how large your family is .Our selfish attitude is causing much harm to the environment,i hope we realize it soon.Thanks.

    Neha : wow ,this is for the first time i am hearing about the options .One way it is good to know the exact number of people attending the ceremony .Might help prevent food wastage.ThankS

    Rajlakshmi :Thanks for the compliment.No matter where we are home is always the best place to come back to.

    Irfannudin :You were here ? you must have seen the mass forest wipe out at Guwahati-Shillong Highway.It made me very sad .Thanks for your previous visit which led me to your blog .I really liked your blog a lot.Thanks.

    Anil Kurup :Thanks .I always get caught up in such things .Simple is beautiful to me.

    Thomas Cb Chua :Welcome to my page .Thanks for your visit and nice comment

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  25. Gosh, what a wonderful post!
    I so enjoyed it, Kavita.
    All the pictures were great!
    Thank you!

    Margie x

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  26. Good morning, Kavita! How are you? Here this Sunday morning I start with your really beautiful post. I admire with your, strength, because you really did great this post, you and your family I want a nice day and all the best.

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  27. Thats wonderful pics kavitha,loved them all.Wish i get a chance to visit the village :)

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  28. Wow, the pictures are so beautiful especially the one of the red and yellow flowers. And good to hear about your village too.

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  29. ahaa..
    thats superb post...
    some nice shots too...
    now, the wedding card was for you, but these picts are my "invitation card" for me .. the place is alluring me...

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  30. So pleased that I was able to open these photographs today. All are wonderful but I especially like the one of the Buddah statue.

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  31. Simple card but nineteen name, my God. Nice pics.

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  32. Wow!
    A person from Assam, I am thrilled, though I am not an Assamese, but having lived there for five years when i was young, I am kind of emotionally bound by anything or anyone from that State. Such a virtual trip, it was. I am sure everything must have changed beyond recognition, though I feel I must visit it once.
    But I am always disappointed that nothing seems to be as I had imagined, whenever I visit places of my younger days,much much later in life.
    That is life I suppose, things change, people change, and I must also be prepared to see the changed places, and not hold on to my vague memories.

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  33. so many have already showered praise..i can just join them..btw, u r so encouraging..god bless u n fmly my dear friend..

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  34. Those yellow Sonaru flowers look just like the Golden Shower Trees in Hawaii. They are blooming right now. So beautful, Kavita!

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  35. lovely pictures dear!Would love to see this place..that colourful tree..OMGD..lovely...

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  36. Card looks great. Pictures are awesome. I love your posts with the pictures. So good to know more about Assam.

    Sorry I am late as I was out of town for long weekend. Just came back.

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  37. I hv always loved North-east, and ur posts make me do so all the more.
    Am def. visiting u sometime Kavita :)

    And amazing hw beautifully u took us through the post, starting from a greeting card :)

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  38. Loved the post and the pictures. Lovely description. The overcrowded transporting medium is common down south as well... It was a nice peep into what assam is like.

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  39. Thank you for showing this invitation and speaking about its tradition. Here, where I live, such cards have only the name of the couple who is getting married and the guests being ivited (sometimes also the parents of the young couple but that is rather rare)

    great pictures of the village

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  40. Margie:Thanks.

    Steve:Thanks.

    Saritha :Thanks :)

    Rachna:Thanks.

    Deeps:Thanks.

    Petty Witter:Thanks.

    Holy Lama:Thanks.

    Rama:Thanks.

    Rachna:Thanks.

    Gigi :Golden shower is a beautiful name.Thanks.

    Harman:Thanks.

    A :hope you had a great outing.Thanks.

    Swaram:Sure,i am waiting .Thanks.

    Ashwini:Thanks

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  41. कार्ड और तसवीरें हमसे साझी करने के लिए आभार. अरुणाचल में रहता हुआ कई बार असम से गुजरना हुआ. प्रकृति की विशेष अनुकम्पा है इन प्रदेशों पर.

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  42. Kavita,

    Thanks for lovely trip to interior Assam. Beautiful photographs. This revives my memory of our stay in Shillong and some visits to Assam too.

    Take care

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  43. Beautiful photos, I can see why the children are disappointed they will not be able to make the trip.

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  44. The pond scene might have been straight from the rice fields of Kerala, perhaps not the fishing net. A variation of those fishing nets are the famous ones in the coastal city of Kochi. Loved the yellow 'konna' flowers too! Beautiful post.

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  45. I'm just stopping by to wish you a Happy Memorial Day evening,Kavita!

    This is a great post. Thanks for sharing, I learned a lot today.

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  46. Beautiful images. Very true, this place is true scenic beauty.

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  47. A very different type of wedding card and looks quite impressive. Very beautiful pictures specially the red and yellow tree which is very colourful and the gorgeous bird. Thanks a lot for the marvellous tour I had through your wonderful post.

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  48. beautiful description there .. I hope you go to the wedding then we will be able ot see the wedding tooo :) through your eyes ..

    Assam is indeed beautiful I had my Ncc Trek there ages ago ..

    Lovely pictures ... thank you for sharing

    Bikram's

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  49. Beautiful village. It was nice of you to show us all how the village is. The combination if orange and yellow flowers is a treat for the eyes. I so loved that picture.

    The Buddha is serene. :)

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  50. A glorious trip! Yes! Is that a shower tree or just similar? They are in bloom now here :)




    Aloha from Honolulu

    Comfort Spiral

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  51. That is some wedding card. I enjoyed your pictures very much. I always enjoy reading about other countries, thanks for sharing. Have a nice week.

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  52. Rich history and tradition end up in these beautiful customs!

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  53. Abhishek Mishra :Dnahnyavaad .

    Jack:Shillong is also known as Scotland of East .Thanks.

    Patty :we plan to make a trip to the village very soon.Thanks.

    ? :i have heard that both the states are similar in many ways.Thanks.

    Dell Girl: always a pleasure to see you.Hope your grandson is doing great.Thanks.

    Rajesh:Thanks .

    Babli :The card was very simple but all the nineteen name it had made it interesting to me.Thanks.

    Bikram:If i attend one i sure will share.Thanks.

    Insignia :it is one of those 'straight from the heart' post.Glad you liked it.

    Cloudia:Thanks .Your shower tree post is gorgeous.Mahalo .

    Margaret :Thanks .I hope your husband's health is improving .You are in my prayers.

    Prasan Vadan :Dhanyavaad .

    Phivos :Thanks a lot.

    Sailor :Welcome and Thanks.

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  54. I don't know how I missed this post, Kavita! Was a bit busy attending 2 weddings and 3 receptions in 12 days!

    Assames letters resemble Bengali letters a lot! You reminded me of my native village. Most of the people there were related to each other, somehow, like you say here! And we include the village name in our name, after our surname, like my mama's name Madhwa Muni Rao Pavanje!

    Loved the village photos! Still lot of greeneries are there!

    The statues of Hanuman is quite huge! Your children will always remember their village after they grow up...they will remember it fondly! My children do!

    Enjoyed reading your post, Kavita!

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  55. wow!!!


    amazing shots! esp the second one is very b'ful :)

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  56. L
    I
    N
    D
    O
    !

    Bom fim de semana!
    Beijinhos.
    Brasil


    °º♫✿
    °º✿
    º° ✿✿♥ ♫° ·.

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  57. thanks Dr.. u r real sweet.:)

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  58. Your posts are like visiting places with you. A very interesting write up and I too fell in love with your village

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  59. I have been unlucky - all my relatives are in town! But I plan to settle down in a village after 2-3 decades! :)

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