Assambirds

Avalokiteśvara: The Paragon Of Compassion The eleven-headed, thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara from Mount Jiuhua, Anhui, China. Image: Wikipedia Being the lord of compassion, Avalokiteśvara endeavours to rescue all living beings from suffering. The first time I saw a picture of Avalokiteśvara, I was enthralled by it. With eleven heads and innumerable hands, he stands with their eyes closed, holding a jewel between his palms, and fervently praying to someone. Later, by accessing the Internet I was able to find detail about the picture—to whom he has been praying and for what. (The world's leading universities have published papers on Avalokiteś...

My Trips To Guwahati Kamakhya Temple: It is one of India's archaeological gems and Shakti Pithas, situated on Nilachal hills, Guwahati. Guwahati is a sprawling metropolis, hub of Assam's financial world and home to some of Assam's richest archaeological gems. People go to Guwahati on business trips, thinks my mother. So, last year—some day in October—when I came back home from office and told her that I was going to Guwahati the next morning, she didn't seem to be worried. Instead, she asked me: "Are you going for official work?" "Yes." I said. "With your boss?" "No," I replied, "I'm going with ...

My Mother Celebrates Dhanteras Her Way Women buying metal utensils on Dhanteras ahead of Diwali festival at Boring road on November 2, 2021 in Patna, India. (Photo by Santosh Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) Hindus believe that buying materialistic things at Dhanteras—the day Goddess Lakshmi arrives, just before Diwali—can bring luck and prosperity. On this day the market can be seen packed with people: moneyed people buy gold, expensive clothes, cars, etc.; the middle class buy silver, utensils, electronic goods, clothes, etc.; but both classes buy brooms—which is considered to be a lucky object. At every Dhanteras, my mother, who is a pious wom...