"What a better place to start with a story of undiscovered places but North East. It blossomed to me, of freshness, simplicity and friendships. It rightly spoke about what Jorge Luis Borges said “So plant your own gardens and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.” Hence I brought back my own leaves. In every form."

Thank You Sadhna for this absolutely beautiful picture and thought.

Sadhna Prasad is a freelance visual designer based in Bangalore.

"I love the gamosa for it's simplicity and beautiful patterns. The fact that it symbolizes hospitality and is gifted as a mark of respect and friendship makes it a special piece. Got the gamosa from a craftperson while visiting her house. I bought the jewellery from Dibrugarh I think. I was on a jewellery phase and wanted to have a bit of Assam in my collection." 

Thank you Ramya Mohan for this pretty picture. You surely are a true fan of North-East.

Ramya Mohan is Freelance Textile Designer based in Chennai.

Fascinating Faraways

"Ever since I read about the North Eastern states and the tribes back in my Grade 4 Social Studies book, I wanted to go there! With time, my curiosity about the region grew and so did the love for its cuisine, culture and crafts. Finally came this summer, and the much awaited travel. 17 days of mountains, lush forests, misty mornings, delicious food, stinging leeches, beautiful handicrafts, jittery sumo rides and some very lovely people!

The itinerary included backpacking through Meghalya and Nagaland; the regions of Khasis, Angamis, Aos and Konyaks.

Apart from the memories and photographs, I tried to bring back as much of the beautiful stuff with me as would fit in the luggage!

Woodcarving (Konyak Tribe) figurines (man & woman), and a carved box with a strap -  made from a single piece of wood - used as a lunch/ snack bag to hold dry meat and rice wine during festivals. This one came with some wild-boar tusks which I removed before bringing them on the outbound flight with me.

 Beaded jewelry (Konyak tribe) bought at village Longwa and village Mon.

Rice husking trays from Khasi Hills.

Soaking in the blissful monsoon

On the right are the Naga Weaves from Angami, Ao and Konyak tribes and meeting the last of the legendary Konyak warriors were experiences that truly make this travel one of the most memorable!"

Thank You Somya for sharing your wonderful experience of a childhood dream.

Somya Jajor is a design faculty in Dubai. 

"Tribe Stripes : This Karbi shawl is about 25 years old. It was gifted to my father when he visited Karbi Anglong in Assam by the village weavers. My mother gave me this shawl when I moved to Europe. I wear it everyday literally as it keeps me very warm and cozy from the cold. It's almost like my second skin and I have not got bored of it despite wearing it every damn single day. I love the tribe stripes and the colours of it brighten up the gloomy winter here !!!!" 

THANK YOU Kannakee Bhuyan for this nostalgic image, we can see how much you miss home.

Kannakee Bhuyan is a filmmaker from Assam based in Netherlands.

"I got this himalayan mask for myself from Sikkim. I have a personal fascination for masks because i feel there is a sense of universalism in how masks have evolved in human civilisations across the world and how it occupies a central role in religion, rituals, dance, story-telling, magic and drama. Masks give us the alter-ego, to transform someone beyond who we really are. It also hides our realidentities and invoke within us a super-identity. It makes us heroic, and this can often motivate us to perform beyond our call of duty, like our super-heroes do, often wearing masks. The real masks of the world are now getting slowly replaced by our social media masks where we can often be someone else from who we actually are, or remain completely anonymous too"

Thank you Ayan for this wonderful picture and such a deep thought.

Ayan Ghosh is a freelance photographer and researcher at Sahapedia

"My love for simple, natural and practical design and cooking comes together in these beautiful ceramics from Manipur. They are both elegant and robust. They stand out in their simplicity. You can feel the handcrafted black clay. Any food looks good in the bowls and on the plates because of the contrast with the black ceramics. The tea pot is again both outstanding in its beautiful design, cute as well soft because of its oval shape. Apart from all the aesthetics, they are also super practical; they can stand heat very well so you can put the tea pot directly on the fire. Now I just need to expand my set with big bowls (which I can make stews in since they can go on fire), salad bowls etc."

Thanks a lot Natalie for this beautiful insight all the way from Goa.

Natalie Lycops is from Belgium currently living in Goa.

"What you see is a glimpse of what I call ‘my little Manipur’ and no, these weren’t bought from a local craft fair, but carefully handpicked from my visit to the districts around Imphal.

I landed there with a bunch of students, to work with and for an NGO based out of a nearby village and that is where I unearthed these jewels of Manipur.

The Phanek (wrap around skirts) are from the Ima Market in Imphal, a market so famous, because it is run only by women. The market boasts of anything and everything from textiles to puja items, baskets, vegetables and fish and is a treat to the senses! You can see the ladies chewing the betel nuts, making a hearty conversation and attending to customers all at once. 

The basket is made from Kouna, a rare kind of reed that grows only in Manipur and has a great admirer in me for the kind of workmanship that is possible with them. So I had to pick a few of them and yes, I take them proudly to every picnic I go to.

Given my obsession for tea, I could not stay away from the tea cups, when I spotted them in an emporium in Imphal, even more so because they boasted of being Lungpi pottery. Yet again, a craft and raw material specific to Manipur alone, these pounded black stone potteries are a family favourite.

The north-east of India has always had a special place in my heart. Having travelled to most of the states, I still long to go and explore more each time. The vibrancy, the simplicity and the rootedness always cast a spell on me and invite me back.

These artefacts are a reminder of the diversity that our country has to offer and they embody the place, its people and their stories."

Thanks a lot Tulip for this wonderful description about NorthEast. This is simply beautiful.

Tulip Sinha Neel is a faculty at Shristi School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore

"The rocks from the bank of the Teesta are a memory from a spontaneous stop there, on our way to Gangtok, Sikkim. The perfectly weathered rocks have been polished by the water over time and were a perfect takeaway as a memoir of the tranquil time spent there.

The book is from Rachna Books, awarded the best bookshop in India. The books are handpicked by him and the superb curation is what makes this bookshop such a delight. One finds rare or even some quirky books which Raman, the owner picks and stocks. We had the privilege of being at their Bnb, so this book apart from its literary value is a pleasant reminder of Bookman's & Rachna Books, Gangtok."

Thank you Maithili for this lovely picture and the story, reflects the serene beauty of this region.

Maithili Kabre Mandal is owner at Maithili Kabre a premium jewellery label from India.

"After many requests a friend of mine who travelled to Nagaland for work got me this necklace. It was perfect, just the way I had seen in books. I come from a textile background and have obvious likings for textiles, jewellery and craft. I love collecting unqiue things. I had heard so much about Naga Jewellery and so wanted have one of my own. I love the colors of this piece and it gets me compliments every time I wear it."

Thank You Vrushali for this stunning image.

Vrushali Kabare is currently working as a designer at VIP Bags in Mumbai.

"I was walking down the road from Dawki and mentally as I was thanking the universe for showing me how gorgeous this place was, I pass this sweet woman who was carrying a basket. As I stopped for a moment and stood there starring at it, she generously offered to give it to me. I forced some money into her kind hands, and now it hangs as a priced possession in my room".

Thank You Poornima for your story; surely assures that there are still generous people in this world.

Poornima Sukumar is a founding member at Aravani Art Project that aims to embrace the Transgender Community by creating consciousness, well being through art, awareness & social participation.

"We were on this beautiful river island called Majuli in Assam and were having a traditional lunch at one of the tour guide's home. It was a quaint bamboo house, very typical of the region. I asked the wife of our tour guide, that where I could buy a shawl similar to what she was wearing. She replied she makes them. I was overjoyed hearing that. Turns out, this was the last piece in the particular color she had woven. This shawl speaks to me. I am so obsessed with it that I wear it in music sittings, air travels, conferences or just a home. I feel it's fabric has become an extension of my personality. I am so grateful to North-East for it's rich culture and hospitality."

Thank you Deepak for this beautiful story and we hope you keep inspiring people for years to come.
 
Deepak Ramola is Founder & Artistic Director at Project FUEL who conducts life skills workshops by turning everyday life lesson into an interactive excercise.

"An ardent collector of tribal adornment from various cultures of the world, my most favourite from the collection are the statement neck pieces from the Konyak tribe, the headhunters of Nagaland followed by Tuaregs and the Maasai.

I love to accessorize more than I love dressing and these neck pieces add so much to my personal style and a sense of identity living in a land away from home.

I have had so many curious strangers complementing me and asking where i get them from when I walk in the streets wearing these statement pieces, (one at a time obviously!) as they are peculiarly unique. It swells me up with immense pride to tell them, it is from my homeland- NorthEast India. All the pieces are from Nagaland except the Masai crown." 

Thank you Kannakee for this absolutely stunning picture, all the way from Netherlands.

Kannakee Bhuyan (originally from Assam) is a filmmaker based in Netherlands.

"I spent three months in Nagaland a year ago. There’s something truly magical about the North-East. Within every ridge and crevice, lies a story, a memory... Their melodies are strung with tales of valour and humanity. I bought these shawls as I was leaving Nagaland. In its weave, I discovered poetry. There’s purpose and an ancestral identity immortalised in every colour. It reminds me of my time there; of kindness peering through the eyes of azu; of a drifting memory piercing through the heart of a wanderer".--- Thank you so much Akshatha for this beautifully woven story.

Akshatha Shetty is founder at Rest Of My Family where she with her friend are telling stories with an effort to re-discover their lost connection with rest of their human family.

#withLovefromNorthEast is a self initiated project by us (NEST by Arpit Agarwal) where we are documenting products/ things which are from North-East India or North-East Inspired and your story behind it. This is an initiative to tell people about little treasures from our part of the world.