A Poster

Changpa Tribesman at Pangong Tso with his Herd of Pashmina Goats
A Changpa tribesman with his herd of Pashmina (aka. Changthangi) goats leaving for morning grazing at high-altitude Himalayan valley of Pangong Tso (4,350 m ; 14,270 ft), Changthang plateau, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Highland grazing is followed during the months of July to early October.

Pashmina (also known as Changthangi) is a special breed of goat, indigenous to the high altitudes of the Himalayas (above 13,500 ft in Changthang plateau of Ladakh), are traditionally herded in small numbers in cold and remote mountain areas where temperatures plunge to as low as −30 °C. The sought after Pashmina wool (Kashmir's famous Pashmina shawls) is the finest in the world, legendary for its softness and warmth, is made with the fur of these goats. The real Pashmina is the wool from the neck and the underbelly of the goat. Each Pashmina fibre (10-15 microns, also known as pashm) is about one-sixth the width of a human hair. One goat sheds approximately 80–170 g (3–6 ounces) of the fibre and one shawl requires about 24 ounces of wool, the annual output of about four goats. Too delicate for machine driven looms, Pashmina wool is spun and woven by hand.

The traditional producers of Pashmina wool in Ladakh region of India are a tribe known as the Changpa. The Changpa rear Pashmina goats in these harsh climates and lead a nomadic life. Unfortunately, the annual Pashmina production in India hardly crosses 40 tonnes - less than 0.5% of the total world production. The woolen shawls made in Kashmir are mentioned in Afghan texts as early as 3rd century BC.


A land of high passes, Ladakh is a high altitude desert, spans the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges and the upper Indus River valley. The main source of water is the winter snowfall on the mountains as the Himalayas create a rain shadow, denying entry to monsoon clouds. Ladakh, a region of India in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent, practising a culture that has kept its traditions alive for almost a millennium.

Images of India

© All Rights Reserved

Gaya, the second largest city of the Bihar state of India, is that ancient city which has been mentioned in the great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, and continues to be a major Hindu pilgrimage site for the Pind-Daan ritual. Gaya is sanctified in the Jain, Hindu, and Buddhist religions.

Gaya is an ancient city, with a Buddhist documented history dating back to the 6th century BCE when the sage Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, 16 km from the modern city. Even before this time, Gaya was a place of pilgrimage for people from around the world. Gaya flourished in the Maurya Empire (321–187 BCE), which ruled from the city of Pataliputra (adjacent to modern Patna) over an area that extended beyond the Indian subcontinent. During this period, Gaya witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties in the Magadha region, where it occupied an important place in cultural history over some 2,400 years between the 6th century BCE and the 18th century CE.

Pind-Daan is a ritual which is conducted after the Cremation of an individual. According to Hindu belief, performing Pind-Daan in Gaya gives an ultimate relief to the deceased souls and paves them the way for their departure to the ultimate world of peace - the path of salvation. It is also believed that the soul will not have to face the tortures of hell nor fall again into the cycle of rebirth if this activity is performed.

Pind-Daan is performed in any of the holy rivers of Hindu culture. People choose the location for performing this ritual based on their capacities and belief. There are many significant places where it is said that this activity gives its best results; Gaya being the most prominent one. The fame of ancient Gaya derived from the account in the Ramayana of the Lord Rama coming here to the banks of Phalgu River (called the Niranjana), accompanied by his wife and younger brother, to offer Pind-Daan for their father Dasharatha.

Vishnupad Temple (Temple of Vishnu's feet), is one of the ancient and most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu, located in Gaya on the bank of the river Phalgu, marked by a footprint of Lord Vishnu, incised into a block of basalt. The construction date of the original temple is unknown, the present-day structure was rebuilt in 1787.

Vishnupad Temple, Gaya
Images of India

Piṇḍas are balls of cooked rice mixed with ghee and black sesame seeds offered (daan) to ancestors during Hindu funeral rites and ancestor worship.

Tags:   salvation rituals custom Hindu Hinduism Gaya Bihar India विष्णुपद मंदिर Vishnupad Temple Viṣṇupada Mandira Pind Daan

© All Rights Reserved

Folk dances of Assam (India)
Assam is home to many ethnic groups. Many fairs and festivals are held in Assam. Nearly all tribal festivals are held in spring and celebrate cultivation or harvest. Among festivals in Assam, the Bihu is most noteworthy; it brings together all Assamese people, regardless of background.

Most popular traditional folk dances include the Bihu dance and the Bagurumba (both danced during festivals held in the spring), the Bhortal dance, the Ojapali dance etc.

(Dance performances at the Kaziranga National Orchid And Biodiversity Park)

Tags:   Kaziranga ethnic dancers folk dancers tribes women Assamese Assam spring Bihu dance Bagurumba dance India Indian

© All Rights Reserved

Chakraberia Sarbojonin

Durga Puja - the ceremonial worship of the supremely radiant mother goddess, is one of the most important festivals, is celebrated every year in the month of October with much gaiety and grandeur in India and abroad, especially in Bengal, where the ten-armed goddess riding the lion and killing the Buffalo-Demon (Mahishasura) is worshiped with great passion and devotion. In Durga, the Gods bestowed their powers to co-create a beautiful goddess with ten arms, each carrying their most lethal weapon. The tableau of Durga also features her four children - Kartikeya, Ganesha, Saraswati and Lakshmi.

Experience Kolkata Durga Puja..... An Experience of A Lifetime!
October 2-5, 2022

© All Rights Reserved

Royal Wedding Celebrations at Hyde Park!

A party atmosphere in Hyde Park as thousands of people watched the royal wedding on three giant screens!

Tags:   child portrait candid Royal Wedding Celebrations Hyde Park Royal wedding day party people UK England April park buckingham palace William Kate festival celebration enjoy joy common people sunshine EU British Photographer photo image Nikon D3100 DsLR interesting tele macro close-up Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro Nikon D3100 Tamron 70-300 Di Lens Tamron AF 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di LD Macro Children Of The Commonwealth children kid kids youngster

© All Rights Reserved