Assambirds

The Envelope from London: My Personal Connection to Shackleton The photograph depicts Shackleton (right) in the raw environment of the Antarctic. It highlights the desperate reality the men faced once the pack ice destroyed their ship Endurance. A single envelope from London, which I received on 27th January 2001, sparked a personal journey into the harrowing history of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his legendary Endurance expedition. I received the large envelope postmarked from London on January 27, 2001. Inside was a piece of history: a photograph of Sir Ernest Shackleton, accompanied by a handwritten note from the Picture Library of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS). My journey to this photograph began in December 2000. After readin...

The Secret Guests In Our Garden Two Common Tailorbirds huddle together on a slender branch under the large, green leaves of a Hibiscus plant; Golaghat, August 2021. Image: Mithu Das At twilight in Golaghat, August 2021, my mother found two Common Tailorbirds perching under our hibiscus leaves. I caught the moment on my Nikon Coolpix. There is a specific kind of magic that happens during the twilight—at the moment when the world begins to quiet down. In August 2021, in the heart of Golaghat town, I was settled into my evening routine with a cup of tea when nature decided to tap on my window. It wasn't a literal tap, but a whispered discovery from my mother. She hurried into my room, her eyes bright with excitement. S...