By Rinchen Angmo
Someday we’ll stand in front of Singey Khababs (River Indus),
It’ll be a witness to us,
To our hopes and dreams,
To our tears and screams,
Peering at sorrow while navigating life outside home/in hostel
By Lungmying Lepcha
“Put yourself behind my eyes and see me as I see myself, for I have chosen to dwell in a place you cannot see “ -Rumi
I used to think that aamik (translated as eyes in Lepcha) is the only way one can perceive life. Aamik in Lepcha means eyes. It is an impactful word among my family members who mostly wear glasses for better vision. I believe it is with the aamik that we are able to peer at the world.
Read moreནོར་བུ། / Gem
By Manya Ohri
Read moreThe cold echoes from home
Written by Lungmying Lepcha
the cold
crisp
winds
from the breath of the mountain
knocks through my table and to my ear
to wake me up
from the still sleep I occupy
in the afternoon sun ,
The Dandelion: When we sat down to read!
reflections on the experience of reading in public with ladakh writer’s club
By Lhundup Gyalpo
Picture this: An alpine desert forest is yet to receive its share of rain. For now, all it boasts of is an overgrowth of shrubs and thorns; dull, prickly, and urgently jostling for every nook of the forest. In a busy yet insipid corner of the parched forest, a yellow dandelion blooms silently, perky yet serene, pleasing to watch, and assuredly present.
Read moreThe Lamp!
By Lhundup Gyalpo
Buddha Purnima, the full moon day of the 4th month of the lunar Calendar, is celebrated as the birth, enlightenment and passing away of the Lord Buddha. Of the many celebratory events that mark the day, one, in particular, is peculiar to Ladakh; the procession of Buddha’s scriptures. People carry thick and heavy volumes, usually wrapped in saffron cloth, over their heads and shoulders and tread across the rugged expanse of Leh town for almost a whole day!
Read moreThe Frozen Mirror
By Lhundup Gyalpo
A bunch of yellow and listless leaves rustled in a small eddy by the closed door. The wind blew in a melancholic whirl, whistling in a doleful hum. Nine thirty-two in the morning, the house was still dimly lit, bereft of light; a thick overcast kept the sun away in its sombre folds.
Read moreStills from Mussoorie
By Priya Srivastava
Read moreReminiscing about Kumathang
Written by Divya Sharma
Read moreStills from Arunachal
By Shreyansh Pradhan
3 june 2024
3 june 2024
On Dams and Electricity: A Story from Malana
By Sonam C
In the early summer of 2018, right after I had finished my Class 12 CBSE Board exams, I went with my family to the village of Malana. When I recall this time, I instinctively tell people “We went on a spiritual tour, like a pilgrimage.” Hardly, anyone believes that a group consisting of me, my sister, my mother, uncle and aunt, my cousin, her husband and her two kids travelled and trekked to Malana to pay our respects to the local god Jamlu.
Read moreRoots
A poem written by Lungmying Lepcha
I am because
we are
(A quote inspired by Cholhamu Lepcha )
It’s within me “deep inside “
We are not known by our surname
but by our anum Chu (mountains) ,
anom and anum
Aungkyongsong (rivers)
our mother Rungyu and father Rungeet
our eldest brother Anum Kongchen (Mt Kanchenjunga) and
to all the clans connected
within us .
A visit to Tashiding in 2022.
-Written by Rinchen Angmo
It’s been two years since my visit to Tashiding in Sikkim. Everytime I look back to that day, I feel grateful. And every now and then it’s important to reflect on all that one is grateful for.
Tashiding hill was visited and blessed by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century A.D. The monastery itself was built on the site around the 17th century A.D. according to a few sources. Perched on a hilltop, Tashiding monastery is a blessed treasure. The road goes upto a certain extent, after which one has to walk on a beautiful stepped path leading to the monastery. On the day I visited, the sky was clear and beautiful. We made our prayers at the various lakhangs. Then, one of the monks conducted prayers for us and then we made kora (circumambulations) around the monastery premises. We also paid our respects to the rock where Yeshe Tsogyal, one of Guru Rinpoche’s primary students, had meditated.
Read moreHow Lippa celebrates Losar
Written and photographed by Karma Negi.
Losar is the new year celebration in most parts of Kinnaur and Himalayan regions where there is an influence of Himalayan Buddhism. Losar breaks up into two words ‘Lo’ (Year) and ‘Sar’ (New). Every year it is celebrated according to the Tibetan calendar so it doesn’t fall on the 1st of January. The dates vary even amongst the regions that celebrate Losar.
In Kinnaur region, the Losar of Lippa is the most famous one; this year their losar was celebrated from 24th to 26th December. People from nearby places come to enjoy the three-day grand celebrations. Lippa is one of the biggest villages of Kinnaur. While travelling, we have to take a diversion from Akpa or Kiran Nallah on the National Highway 505. The village is a bit remote and reaching there is a task. The whole village is situated on a steep mountain, with a river flowing right below the village.
