Mata Ni Pachedi: Understanding the ‘mobile temple’ of the Vaghari people

The art form of Mata Ni Pachedi is something that I had not come across before; it was awe-inspiring not only for its complex design, meticulous patterns and precision of practice, but the story of the community of makers and users.

A Flag, a Story and a Nation

One of the first women to ever weave the Naga national flag, Lathon Kemp, passed away on the 5th of January, 2021. The news of her death brings to mind the flag and the very important place it holds in the life of the Nagas. Although, it was hoisted for the first time on the 22nd of March in 1956 in the Parashen-Rengma region, the Nagas believe the flag to have a divine origin and not designed by any mortal. A red, green and yellow rainbow is spread out against a field of blue which represents the sky.

Tabaski Twenty Twenty (2)

The first activity on the feast day tabaski is group prayer in the public squares. Otherwise it will led in the mosques by the Imams who will be the first to slaughter their animals. After the immolation of the Imams from each zone, the rest of the community starts to slaughter their animal. Following the mechanical skinning of the animals, the meat is distributed at three levels: firstly, the share of the disadvantaged first, then the next of kin and the third part is for the family. This meat is consumed in different dishes, at least within the families.

Tabaski Twenty Twenty (1)

The feast of Aîd El Kébir or tabaski is a Muslim feast. It involves prayers and the slaughter of animals (preferably sheep). This year, it coincided with the Covid 19 pandemic and its consequences. This explained the soaring prices of sheep in the market. The animals were exposed in the parks and on the streets to customers. The prices varied between sixty thousand (60,000 F cfa) to four hundred thousand (400,000 F cfa and up). Because of the high price of sheep, within twenty-four hours (24 hours) of the event, some Muslims could not have the sheep of their choice.

The Prayers of the Talibés (2)

yalna laa baay laate, dugal la ci poosam yobu la aldiana !

yalna nga àjji màkka

yalna nga giseek seriñ tuuba yoomalxiyaam

yalna la borom bi bindal tuyaaba

yalna nga amm ay seex

yalna nga tabbi ci teenu xaalis ñu lay gene ngay bañ

May God make Baye Lahat put you in his pocket and enter with you into Heaven.

May God give you the grace to perform Hajj in Makkah

May God make you meet Serigne Touba in the afterlife

May God record this good deed for you...

The Prayers of the Talibés (1)

"May God preserve us from sickness that comes from elsewhere…”.

Monitoring 'Suspected' Covid-19 Infected Individuals

A hovering drone being used to keep track of 'suspected' infected persons as they wait for their turn to be checked and processed, Nizamuddin, New Delhi, India. Standing in a line are members of a religious assembly awaiting testing and quarantine processing, who came from across India and Asia. This continued after lockdown started, and appeals to authorities to assist in evacuation initially did not get any response .

A Shared Locale: Changing Pedagogy in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology, University of Mandalay (3)

Another female MA student is Ms. Myo Thandar Soe and she began the introduction of cultural anthropology in her presentation.

Celebrating Identity: Muharram

A procession of Tazias and street performers greet you while walking through the main market road, in Mehrauli, on the day of Muharram. The procession is organized by Auliya Masjid and Bakhtiyar Kaki Dargah situated in the neighbourhood.

Street Food in Dakar & Suburbs (3): What to Cook

For some vendors the entire preparation chain is a very serious matter, and therefore personal, especially for reasons related to Muslim (halal) precepts:

Humanities across Borders

A Humanist Model of Collaborative Higher Education

Religion