RAJBURI, THAILAND: It’s 9:00 am on Sunday, Feb. 1, and the Domnoen Saduak canal is bustling with activity. Dozens of women paddle wooden long tail boats, heavy with colorful local fruits through the murky water, carefully weaving between oncoming motorboats filled with tourists. Additional boats serve as floating kitchens, a one-man show of paddling, slicing, chopping, and frying. The air is thick with the smell of grilled meat, pad thai,…
Paper Mache Artist Finds Success in the Evolving Craft Market
Nagoo displays his collection of paper mache crafts, created by himself, his wife, and sons. (Photo by Victoria Nechodomu/Nechodomu Media) It is an overcast Saturday morning at the National Crafts Museum in Delhi, India. The tinkering of metal work, the rhythm of drums, and the singing of folk songs set the backdrop for a creative atmosphere, where over a dozen artists in residence demonstrate their crafts. Mohd Shafi Nagoo is...
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Fishermen take Chances Fishing in God’s Own Country
The morning has just giving way to afternoon in Kochi, a small coastal town in the southwestern India state of Kerala. The sun is already unbearably intense, making the tropical air heavy and muggy. The beach here is a working beach, cluttered with nets, plastic tubs, scraps of wood, and sandbags. The massive, looming structures of Chinese fishing nets faintly creek as they are raised and lowered into the current….
Survival of the Sacred: Monkeys and Cows Struggle in Urban India
Jaipur, the “pink city,” is the hustling capital of Rajasthan, the desert state of India known as the land of kings and gypsies, palaces, forts, and temples. With a population of 6.6 million, this city is a mix of old and new, the famed ancient terra cotta colored homes lying at the core of the city. The streets are in constant motion with cars, overcrowded city buses, auto rickshaws, motorbikes, bicycles, foot…
Nepal’s Musician Caste Adapts to Changing Times
Ramchandra Gandharba plays his sarangi at a temple at the foot of the Himalayas (Photo Victoria Nechodomu/Nechodomu Media) Ramchandra Gandharba is one of a dozen instrument salesmen who can found wandering the streets of Pokhara, a lakeside tourist hotspot in Nepal. They all sell the same instrument: a four-stringed traditional Nepali violin called a sarangi. To the unknowing tourist, this instrument may serve as a simple wall decoration, or to...
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Tibetans in Nepal Seek Economic and Cultural Stability
Thousands of Tibetans have fled their homeland over the past several decades, and sought out life in settlements abroad. Of these 140,000 refugees, it is estimated that 20,000 currently live in Nepal, where they have limited legal status. With no land to call home, Tibetans in Nepal struggle daily for economic stability, while still trying to maintain and preserve their cultural identities. Refugees in a Foreign Land In 1959, Tibetans began fleeing their…
Temple Visitors fall Victim to Monkey Business
Visitors to temples throughout Nepal may find themselves overwhelmed by dramatic, ancient architecture, drifting curls of incense, and the ticking of prayer wheels spinning. However, no Nepali temple experience would be complete without yet one more element: monkeys. Accustomed to free handouts from temple visitors, these monkeys have free reign of many temples throughout Nepal. Their role in ancient Hindu mythology has earned them the title of "holy," and therefore...
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Gadhimai Festival: Thousands of Animal Sacrifices Raise Concerns about Cultural Practices
Hundreds of designated butchers work into the evening after a full day of buffalo sacrifices at the Gadhimai Festival on Friday, November 28, 2014. BARIYARPUR, NEPAL (NOV. 28, 2014) A crowd of 2.5 million assembled in the remote, bordertown of Bariyarpur, Nepal leading up to the sacrificial days of Gadhimai Festival on November 28. Known as the largest ritualistic sacrifice of animals in the world, Gadhimai has attracted a fair share of media attention, protest,...
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Musicians from Eastern Nepal find Growth and Success in Kathmandu
Subarna Limbu is a well-known Nepali musician and a bit of a legend, recognized for his 40 years of experience in some of the earliest modern rock bands in India and Nepal. He is said to have introduced the bass guitar to contemporary Nepali music. He has performed with early bands such as Diamond from Darjeeling and Brotherhood. Currently, he plays and sings with Prism at various 5 Star hotels. Thomas Thulung Rai…
Phedi Woman Sews to Secure her Future
PHEDI, NEPAL (Nov. 3, 2014) Sabita Lamichhane measures out the fabric for a traditional Nepali dress in her tailoring shop. (Victoria Nechodomu/Nechodomu Media) Sabita Lamichhane is one of the few entrepreneurs in the small village of Phedi, Nepal. She owns a tailoring shop, while also juggling her roles and responsibilities at home and in her family’s fields. Listen to the story above to learn about her journey towards her place as…