The Astitva Project – A Report on the Micro Project in Ladakh – Chapter 2
The Story They say that ‘when the weight of the paperwork equals the weight of the plane, the plane will fly’ – stressing the importance of the planning that must … Continue reading
Living in the Lap of the Himalayas
Notes from a visit in 2016. This village is roughly 200 km away from the nearest airport. The Indus has created a gorge for itself over the centuries with two … Continue reading
DAILY ART FIX – AN ARTWORK A DAY
An addict constantly needs a fix to keep him stable. Me – in moments of extreme stress I find solace & peace in viewing works of traditional art. In normal … Continue reading
AN ARTWORK A DAY – Perak from Ladakh
The spectacular Turquoise Perak from Ladakh, India
A LADAKHI LADY DONS HER HEIRLOOM JEWELRY
On the way back from interior Himalayas in September last year, we stopped at a tiny village in Skyurbuchan that had the only restaurant along the way, for a late … Continue reading
HALI Article on The Magnificent Perak Headdress of Ladakh
A glimpse of my article appearing in Spring 2014 issue of HALI – the world’s leading magazine focusing on Textile Arts: “Heading off evil at high altitude” on the Perak … Continue reading
Lifestyle & Beliefs of the Dard Aryan Ethnic Group of Ladakh
“It happens when it happens” Time is not a rare commodity and leisure is a luxury that all enjoy. ‘It happens when it happens’. No hurry. No time crunch. No … Continue reading
The Magnificent 11th Century Lamayuru Monastery – A photoessay
The Monastery Student Monks doing their laundry. And finally an invitation to lunch of Rajam & Rice with the student monks! Food for the Soul, Food for the … Continue reading
A Cup of Tea with the Lamaji of Lamayuru Monastery
Imagine a much revered 11th century Gompa (monastery). The drive to Lamayuru takes us through unusual & complex Himalayan landscapes. We arrive tired and saturated with all the beautiful views. … Continue reading
An Adventure on the mighty Indus River
The road to the Dard village wound along the Indus river. We saw several bridges along the way. And I was also shown a few hand pulled rope carriages that … Continue reading
Dances of the Dard Aryan People
The morning after we arrived, the village gathered together to arrange a small celebration. After several cups of butter tea and sweet tea with biscuits everyone helped each other to … Continue reading
Costume & Jewelry Culture of the Dard Aryan People, Himalayas
It seems to me that all Himalayan cultures have spectacular costumes! One that stands out as distinct and unique is the Dard ethnic group in NorthWest India. Spread over a … Continue reading
Living with a Dard Family
Sitting in a train in the city or a plane I often see people whose faces or expressions or language intrigue me. And I wonder what their lives must be … Continue reading
Aryan Diaries
My first trip to Ladakh in 2011 was an extravagant visual feast of culture. As a first-time viewer I was dazzled and overwhelmed so much that I could barely differentiate … Continue reading
Turquoise Art – The Blue Veil of Ladakh
An unusual Museum Quality Perak headdress from the Purang / Burang region. Authentic heirloom peraks are extreme,y rare now and among Peraks Purang Peraks are the rarest to find. The … Continue reading
The Fantastic Skeypuk Jewelry of Himalayan Interiors
The mystery of how coral got to the Himalayas has many explanations yet the mind continues to meander into the past seeking confirmations. While the mind continues to thirst for … Continue reading
Into the Hearts and Homes of the Dard people of Ladakh
The Dard people of Ladakh are a minority group. Their lifstyle is very different from the other groups in Ladakh yet this difference is highly respected in the very inclusive … Continue reading
WOVENSOULS | Antique Jewelry | Himalayan and Tibetan
Showcased below are a few of the pieces from the Tibetan and Himalayan Gallery.
Return to Ladakh
There is a ‘magnetic’ mountain on the road between Leh and Alchi. The magnetism is strong enough to pull parked cars upwards. It is probably this magnetism that took me … Continue reading
My Talk @ Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore
On Thursday, Feb 16th, I presented a talk on the magnificent Blue Veil to museum Docents, textile enthusiasts and museum enthusiasts at the Ngee Ann Auditorium at ACM in Singapore. … Continue reading
Ladakh Diaries
“LADAKH – THE HERMIT KINGDOM” PROVIDES AN INTRODUCTION TO LADAKH AND IS A PREFACE TO A SERIES OF SUBJECT SPECIFIC ARTICLES ON LADAKH. In the olden days, in the Hindu … Continue reading
