Guwahati Assam

Christmas carols wafting through the classrooms and therapy rooms reminded us that Christmas was close. Delegates from all seven of the remote north east Indian states watched tinsel being draped on the courtyard trees as they sipped their sweet Indian tea.  Naturally it was Assam tea as we were in Guwahati the state capital of Assam. Our host was Arman, the talented and generous Director of the Shishu Sarothi Centre for the rehabilitation and training of persons with multiple disabilities.

North of Bangladesh, this beautiful region is tucked away from the rest of India and surrounded by Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan China and Burma. The delightful colleagues we worked with at the workshop were proud of their culture and heritage, many bearing very close resemblances to the people of Burma and our friends in Cambodia.  Despite the stories about the activities of the Maoist separatist movement that appeared regularly in the Delhi newspapers our colleagues reassured us that the region was peaceful and urged us to visit their charities in the surrounding mountainous states.

After the workshop we managed to see some more of Assam. Arman suggested we visit a very old temple in which the priests practice worship that amalgamates elements of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. A venerable imam, with smiling eyes, guided us around the temple to chant at alters wreathed in incense and aromatic smoke from lighted tapers and oil lamps. Here we chatted with friendly locals worshipping at the temple. Tolerance, welcoming nods and easy charm seemed come naturally to the Assamese we met, illustrated perhaps by the kids singing Christmas carols in a region where the people have only a glancing awareness of Christianity.