Assam: Day 5-6

 

The last day in Assam was spent with a dear friend Anuradha Kuli Pegu and her family in their newly built farmhouse. They gave a taste of Assamese hospitality at its best. Home cooked spread of food  accompanied by homemade rice wines served in traditional brass plates and cups was a unique experience. The next morning I joined them on their terrace for a yoga session with their instructor. The sun was rising but subdued by the morning fog. An hour and a half of yoga and pranayam gave a refreshing start to the day. After a big brunch they gave us a tour of their workshop. Anuradhaji is currently the topmost name in handloom Assamese weaves. And for a good reason. All Assam weaves are not equal. When you hold her saree in your hand and any other saree from Assam in the other you will know the difference. The intricacies of the design, the color palette aesthetics and the finishing of the product sets it apart from others. It is the superlative quality that commands the price of a Naturally Anuradha product. 

She procures the raw materials like turmeric, lac etc for natural dyes from Meghalaya and prepares these dyes on her property. Various yarns like cotton, mulberry and eri silks, linen and the prized Muga silk are dyed right there and bundled into spindles. The warp and weft fibers are set up on the loom and then woven by trained weavers according to specific patterns. She even has a tailor on the property who sews blouses and other garments. The hillside surrounding the workshop has numerous trees including fruit trees like jackfruit, avocados, mangoes, kiwis, papaya and the trees that the muga and other silk worms feed on. Her talent as well as energy is boundless. But above and beyond it is the wonderful human being that she is. Unbelievably down to earth and humble, kind and caring. 

Couldn’t have asked for a better host, guide and experience. We took leave of the family and headed to the airport to catch our flight to Mumbai.

Another surprise awaited me at the airport. While I was in the women’s line for security check 5-6 ladies ahead of me I spotted someone who looked like one of my medical school classmates. She turned around and we exchanged glances and both our faces lit up with surprise filled joy. We hugged spontaneously but had to keep proceeding with the security process. Then caught up with each other at the boarding gate. This friend Pratima was one of my guardian angels during my medical school years. It’s a long story. Best reserved for another time. Suffice to say that I was filled with more joy than I can express to meet her in Guwahati out of the blue. 

Saree is classic weave from Anuradhaji, a silk cotton Assamese weave with Dimasa motifs. Last time I wore it was in San Francisco.