Dunghri Mela. Mother and child. The mother is wearing a traditional Kullui ‘pattu’, which is an un-cut length of tweed cloth, pinned below each shoulder. The pins are often attached to each other by a chain.
On the way to Dunghri Mela. A deota’s ‘rath’ being carried. (see 1.3.5)
Rath’ being carried to Dunghri mela. (see 1.3.5)
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The old ‘guar’ (oracle) outside Hadimba’s temple. He was a ‘harijan’ & not allowed inside.
Manali village. Cattle grazing beside the river (Manalsu). Village children in charge. (comment:- today children and young men are reluctant to herd cattle/sheep, it is considered demeaning) These small black cattle are the local breed.
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Manali Village. Young girls one in tweed ‘pattu’ and one in tweed dress, standing on paved courtyard, slate roofed buildings behind.
Manali village. Young girl in tweed dress. Note: Manali village is not Manali bazaar. These days Manali village often referred to as ‘Old Manali’.
Manali village. Carved timber balconies. Child crossing from balcony onto slated roof. Flagstone steps.
Manali village. Slate roof, timber balconies, stone paved courtyards. Gourds climbing on to roofs. In 1970 Old Manali and most villages looked like this. By the 1980s access to new building materials meant rapid change in locations with road access.
Manali village. People on timber balcony. A loom and some fleeces. Cattle below.
View from Gulab Das’s guest house, down to Goshal village & across to Vashist village. A neighbour standing on rock in foreground
Manali village. Little girls in tweed ‘pattu’. Building behind timber ‘bonded’ construction, with stone.
Manali village. Two girls, both wearing tweed ‘pattu’. Timber balcony & slate roof behind.
Dunghri Mela. Young girl laughing, wearing undyed tweed dress.
Dunghri mela. Back view of a woman & of a young girl facing the camera, palms folded. They are sitting in the forest behind the temple. Both are wearing tweed ‘pattu’. Other women in shadow the forest behind.
3 Kullui men in tweed jackets and Kullui caps, sitting outside Hadimba temple in Dunghri forest.
Hadimba deota’s palanquin with ‘mohra’. There is An opinion that the central one, without decoration, is very old.
Duff Dunbar House. The chaukidar & his wife outside the byre. She has un-pinned her ‘pattu’ top & is holding its pins, showing them to me. Rahul’s Mothercare seat behind them.
At the time of Rahul’s hair-cutting. Hadimba temple and kitchen area, through the ‘deodar’ trees. The photo conveys the ambiance of the place. I have a large print of this at Wilmington.
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Two girls on the path through the ‘deodar’ forest to Hadimba temple.
Duff Dunbar’s chaukidar & his wife sitting outside the byre. Mothercare chair behind
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Dunghri Mela. Two ‘gaurs’ (with uncut hair) talking. 2 young boys in smart local tweed jackets.
Dunghri mela. Trumpeters outside the Hadimba temple. The sounds would echo temptingly through the forest. A Buddhist lama is looking on from the veranda.
Dunghri. Dunghri mela. Trumpeters outside Hadimba Temple. The sound would echo enticingly through the forest.
Dunghri mela dancers, monal pheasant feathers decorating their caps.
Manali. Above Gulab Das’s. West Himalayan Holiday all day picnic. Dolls, babies and tulips. One of my favourite photos.
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All of these are taken from colour transparencies. They are of ceremony around Hadimba temple in at the old mela ground in Dhungri forest. A romantic setting, so colourful on all colour with the dark and mysterious forest. At this time we were living at Duff Dunbar above the temple. The ceremonies would last for several days. It usually began in the evening with an arresting drum beat and trumpet calls, that I found irresistible. The meeting of the ‘deotas’ and the ‘rath’ could sometimes be tempestuous. As the day wore on the dancing became more vigorous and would often last into the night. The man who had removed his top is xxx of becoming a ‘gaur’ oracle of the ‘devi’. The man behind him is ready to support him if the ‘devi’ so possesses him that he cannot stand.
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All of these are taken from colour transparencies. They are of ceremony around Hadimba temple in at the old mela ground in Dhungri forest. A romantic setting, so colourful on all colour with the dark and mysterious forest. At this time we were living at Duff Dunbar above the temple. The ceremonies would last for several days. It usually began in the evening with an arresting drum beat and trumpet calls, that I found irresistible. The meeting of the ‘deotas’ and the ‘rath’ could sometimes be tempestuous. As the day wore on the dancing became more vigorous and would often last into the night. The man who had removed his top is xxx of becoming a ‘gaur’ oracle of the ‘devi’. The man behind him is ready to support him if the ‘devi’ so possesses him that he cannot stand.
‘Doetoas’’ ‘raths’ being carried from the Hadimba to the mela ground.
