The Gotipua folk dance tradition from Odisha is practiced in the heritage village of Raghurajpur on the banks of the river Bhargabi. Here young dancers are trained from the age of five to sing and dance to praise Lord Jagannath and tell the story of Radha and Krishna.
Rasagola, or rasgulla, as many call it, is a traditional sweet from east India; Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The main ingredient is Chena – cottage cheese, obtained by heat and acid coagulation of milk and cooked and caramelized in sugar juice. Discover history, myth and folklore of Rasgulla in Odisha, India.
The Maha Bodhi Tree, world’s most famous pilgrim tree, marks the location where the Buddha attained enlightenment, and is the destination for the Buddhism’s pilgrimage. Discover Myths and Legends of the ancient sacred fig tree at the Maha Bodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya where Buddha sat for enlightenment under the Maha Bodhi Tree.
… INDIA : TREELORE – Bodh Gaya where Buddha sat for enlightenment under the Maha Bodhi Tree
In the month of Shravan, cities and towns of the Gangetic plains are inundated with people, dressed in orange, bearing saffron flags, marching to loud music, and carrying a stick sling with pots or bottles tied to either end. They are fetching Ganga water and bringing to the local Shiva temple, a ritual that marks the end of summer and beginning of monsoon. They are the Kanwariyas. Discover the Kanwar Yatra – Mythology of the pilgrimage of Lord Shiva’s Kanwariyas.
Harela is celebrated for welcoming the rainy season, the new harvest and to commemorate the wedding anniversary of goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. Discover Myth and Folklore of Harela or the day of green – Festival of the Kumaoni people of Uttarakhand.
Kites have their own place in History, Myth & Folklore of Bali. Especially during the Bali Kite Festival the people show their art of flying kites- Layangan.
… INDONESIA: Bali Kite Festival – History, Myth & Folklore of the kites in Bali
The river Ganges meanders through various northern and eastern states of India, streams through Bangladesh, and vanishes into the Bay of Bengal. Ganga is a river and a goddess indivisible from each other. Her water has the power to cleanse — as most Hindus believe — every kind of sin. Bathing in Ganga liberates the soul as does dying in it reaffirming the Hindu notion of Moksha – salvation. Discover the Mythology of the Ganges river or Mother Ganga.
Discover Myth and Folklore of the beauty Padmavati, the siege of Chittorgarh and human sacrifices – Jauhar and Shaka done by the Rajputs in war time.
Discover Myths and Legends of Lumbini Buddhas birthplace, the birth story of Gotama Buddha and Lumbini in historical travel accounts. Lumbini is a Pilgrims nirvana.
Deep in the depths of a lake in Scotland called Loch Ness, lives a mystery. It is a creature that hundreds of people claim to have seen. Some believe it’s a large dinosaur-like creature with a long neck and flippers, a gigantic snake, or a dragon, others imagine it is simply a large catfish or even some fallen branches from the nearby forest. Discover Myth and Folklore of the Monster of Loch Ness – the creature, whether it exists or not, has been a legend for hundreds of years.
… UK | SCOTLAND: Myth and Folklore of the Monster of Loch Ness
The Little Mermaid, or “Den lille havfrue” is one of the most popular fairy tales by the Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen.
Aphrodite Αφροδιτη was the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. The pomegranate, the myrtle and the apple are trees associated with Aphrodite on Cyprus, discover treelore and mythology.
… CYPRUS: TREELORE – Trees associated with Aphrodite on Cyprus
Myth has it that Aphrodite, the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation, arose from the sea foam on the south-western coast of Cyprus. References in ancient authors and archaeological evidence may prove that Aphrodite and her cult originated on this island. What is certain is that throughout antiquity the Great Goddess, in different aspects was worshiped on Cyprus. There were several sanctuaries on the island dedicated to her, the most famous in Paphos. Discover Myth and Cult of Aphrodite on Cyprus.
At Bardia National Park in Nepal, a lone rhino swishes out the elephant grass. We stand very near, quite at the riverbank peering behind tall grass, hearing – observing – now it is slowly reaching the water, peacefully munching. Floating happily into the river. Discover Myth & Folklore of the One-horned rhinoceros also known as the Indian Rhinoceros.
… INDIA | NEPAL: There be Unicorns – Myth & Folklore of the One – horned rhinoceros
Read about sacred Rituals done by Taoist priests and spirit mediums, caught in meditative trance, during the festival. It starts with the welcoming of the gods into the temple where they are worshiped for nine days, and ends when the gods are sent off on the ninth day. The festival is known for the temple processions that take place during the celebrations. Discover Myths and Folklore of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Georgetown – Penang.
… MALAYSIA: The Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Georgetown – Penang
Across the Himalayas the yeti is known by many names and was seen as real, familiar for generations in a half-dozen countries from Tibet to Pakistan. A region flush with wildlife, where tigers, bears and wild dogs roamed thick mountain forests, icy mountaintops and remote river valleys. Here, if nowhere else, the yeti was simply one more creature. Discover Myth and Folklore of the Yeti.
Discover Myth and Folklore of Buddhas Tooth Relic and the Kandy Esala Perahera Festival
Kumara, enthusiastically comes into the house and says: ”Take camera, come, come”, I had no idea what to expect and run out into the scorching sun. We escaped the heat of the dry season to Valparai, deep into the Western Ghats, mountains, of Tamil Nadu. Discovering it was Thaipusam – Tamil Nadu’s Lord Murugan festival.
Malana, is an isolated village of Himachal Pradesh, having their own parliament and constitution. The people of the village don’t consider themselves to be Indians, but Aryans so special you can not even touch them or their belongings. And they grow marijuana – it is everywhere. Discover Myths, folklore and taboos of Malana.
Discover treelore from Nepal – The Toothache tree of Kathmandu, where you can pray to Danteshwori Devi, the Goddess alleviating toothache. If you cannot ask your pain away, try visiting the dental clinics nearby.
Komodo dragons are the world’s largest living lizards, they only live on a hand full of islands in Indonesia. The crocodile and the Orah, as it is called by the locals, are the closest we have to dinosaurs. The dragons have long been a source of major fascination for the peoples of Flores who share their islands with them, till today. Discover History, Myth and Folklore of the Komodo Dragon.
… INDONESIA: Here be dragons – History, Myth and Folklore of the Komodo Dragon
Orang-utans, being uncannily like humans and highly intelligent, at the same time as being large and extremely strong, have long been a source of major fascination for the peoples of Sumatra and Borneo who share their forests with them. Discover Myths and legends of the Orang-Utan in Indonesia.
… INDONESIA: The people of the Jungle – Myths and legends of the Orang-Utan
Explore Makemake and the incredible competition that took place on Rapa Nui to choose the Tangata Manu or Easter Island birdman whose clan would rule the island during one year. Discover Myths and Legends of the birdman cult on the Easter Island – Rapa Nui
… CHILE: Myths and folklore of the birdman cult on the Easter Island – Rapa Nui
Myths and legends from Chiloé possess a multitude of creatures and a distinct and interesting history of male witches, Francisco Goya’s painting of witches did much to shape perceptions of sorcery in Spanish- speaking societies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Part of the attraction of Chiloé is the wealth of mystery that permeate the misty, foggy reaches of forest and remote beaches, where creatures and male witches dwell.
Violeta Parra was a folklorist and an ethnomusicologist, a poet, a musician, a painter, a sculptor and a tapestry maker. Above all, however, her work captured Chile’s history, its culture, and its pain.
