On International Mother Language Day, a note by a Sylheti from Shillong
At a time when an anglicised creole is the new lingua franca and I am identified and counted as a Bengali, I remain a Sylheti, from Shillong.Continue Reading →
'Mera-Merir ghor jole re...' on an apartment balcony in western Uttar Pradesh
Recreating a fading Makar Sankranti tradition from East Bengal and Assam.
Shillong would've been named Yeodo, but because of Tokyo
Interesting trivia on why the city of Shillong has been named so. Part four in the series of Shillong Stories…
A rare sight: Seeing the Himalayas from Shillong
Shillongites were basking in the sights of the snow-capped Himalayan peaks 250 kilometres away.Continue Reading →
Durga Puja in Shillong: Live blog
For my fellow Shillongites am putting together this little live blog, featuring posts on how people back home are celebrating.
Shillong: Atop the abode of the clouds
In Shillong, rain is a recurring feature all the year around and umbrellas a constant companion.
150 and rocking: Shillong – a city amidst the clouds
Shillong. A city atop the abode of the clouds. A city that is a town in size but a metropolis in demeanour. A city that is now 150 years old.Continue Reading →
A fidget spinner spins in ball-bearing carts sliding down Shillong slopes
The fidget spinner is easily the toy of the year 2017. And with a 5-year-old who keeps abreast of all…
APJ Abdul Kalam: The unofficial Google doodle
The ‘People’s President’ Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam died of a heart attack in my hometown Shillong. He was 83.…
Adieu Hindustan Ambassador. An unofficial (and animated) Google doodle
The good ol’ Amby has finally shuddered to a halt. And here’s an unofficial Google doodle (albeit a little late) honking in honour of the grand old lady of Indian…Continue Reading →
1962: Newspaper front page from 50 years ago when China attacked India
It’s been 50 years since the ‘Himalayan Blunder’ of 1962 when the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) unexpectedly rampaged into Indian…
Vintage photographs of Shillong from 1948 (also Vallabhbhai Patel calling people of Assam lazy)
64 years later, Shillong is virtually unrecognisable. I could only recognise the Governor House on Bivar Road, then known as…