A sojourn with nature & culture in Kumaon (A Photo blog)

A sojourn with nature & culture in Kumaon

(A Photo blog)

As the clouds envelope the valley

            This summer like the past few years, I again retreated back to my pod in the lap of the Kumaon hills and enjoyed a few days of bliss in the nature.  Like previous year, when I experienced the magic of ‘Jagar’ and had detailed the same in my blog then, this year too there was a brief interaction with the Kumaoni culture in form of various marriages that I got invited to during my brief visit.  I was also witness to cutting of huge trees that were posing problems to residents, especially threat of falling on houses during rain storms that were due shortly and I was able to record it in my mobile phone alongwith Jagar and a thunderstorm, whose videos I shall be sharing in this photo-blog.  Let the images & moving images do the talking in this blog of mine - 

In the lap of  nature - a butterfly sucking nector

On an Oak tree - Oriental White eye

Coal Tit singing away to glory on a Pine tree

Tipped on an wire - Grey Bushchat (Male)

On the Pine tree trunk - Chestnut belied Nuthatch

As the band begins to play - it is the time for the rituals to start

Sisters lead the celebrations of marriage

Ceremonial gifts for the bride to be packed

Now all the family members join in the celebrations - invitees of the village enjoy

Tucking in some more gifts for the bride to be

Sisters perform the 'Kajal' application on brother's eyes and doting mother stands by his side

Mother blesses her son as per the rituals

All hands raise in blessing - a colorful & joyous occassion

Mother releases her son from the 'debt of mother's nurturing' 

The ceremonial journey to bride's place starts in a Palanquin 

The bridegroom brigade re-assembles near the marriage pandal

Ceremonially ready to receive the bridegroom at the marriage venue

HERE ARE THE LINKS TO THE VIDEOS  -

As the clouds drift across the valley

As the thunderstorm intensifies at night

Felling of tree by Forest Department