The Assamese: A Portrait Of A Community
�Aami kun? Who are we?�<br><br> So begins journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty�s enquiry into the diverse cultures and peoples of Assam. Her book looks in detail at all the varying aspects of the land and its people�the astonishingly diverse physical appearance of the Assamese and what it reveals about their origins; the multiple kingdoms and rulers of the region from antiquity onwards, of whom the Ahoms are the best known; the Assamese language and its rich linguistic provenance; the folk beliefs and celebrations of Assamese culture, such as the three Bihu festivals, which cut across boundaries of caste and religion; the significance of the mighty Brahmaputra, the Red River, in the lives of the people; the quintessential food, drink, and cooking techniques to be found across the region; the many distinctive forms of cultural expression that are found nowhere else in the country�clothes, jewellery, literature, music, dance, cinema, drama, and art; and, finally, the politics of the state and how it informs the nature of contemporary Assam.<br><br> Full of colourful anecdotes and unforgettable pen portraits, <i>The Assamese</i> is the first major attempt to provide a comprehensive and nuanced portrait of one of India�s oldest and most distinctive communities.
Categories: Fiction
