traditional

#1Pic1Day: Agama Tradisional | Traditional Religion (Mongolia, 2009)

Traditional Religion (Mongolia, 2009) Buddhism was the main religious tradition in Mongolia, affected every aspect of life of the nation, including culture, politics, history and economy. Tibetan Buddhism spread massively in Mongolia during the 16th century. Seventy years of communism in the country during the 20th century has led to decreasing impact of Buddhism tradition among the Mongols. In recent years, though, Mongolia has witnessed the revival of Buddhism. Temples have seen more visitors flocking, and there are more youngsters choose to be monks. The government has decreed Buddhism as “traditional” religion. Recently, Buddhist leaders in the country have been struggling hard to survive amidst aggressive Christianization programs by foreign missionaries. Agama Tradisional (2009) Agama Buddha pernah menjadi tradisi religius utama di Mongolia, memengaruhi setiap aspek kehidupan di negeri itu, termasuk kultur, politik, dan religius. Penyebaran agama Buddha Tibet secara massal di Mongolia terjadi pada abad ke-16, dan sempat meredup selama 70 tahun komunisme di negeri itu pada abad ke-20. Dalam beberapa tahun belakangan, Mongolia mengalami kebangkitan kembali agama Buddha, ketika kuil-kuil kembali ramai, dan semakin banyak generasi muda yang menjadi biksu. Buddhisme ditetapkan pemerintah sebagai agama “tradisional”. Belakangan ini, organisasi dan pemuka Buddhis di negara itu harus berjuang keras [...]

February 3, 2014 // 4 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Elang Emas | Golden Eagle (Olgii, Mongolia, 2009)

Golden Eagle (Olgii, Mongolia, 2009) The eagle hunters prefer to use female eagles as they are bigger and more aggressive compared to their male partners. The best hunting eagles have to be kidnapped from the wilderness, not those raised in homes. Elang Emas (Olgii, Mongolia, 2009) Para pemburu elang biasanya lebih menyukai elang betina karena ukurannya yang lebih besar dan sifatnya yang lebih agresif dibandingkan pejantannya. Elang pemburu yang terbaik adalah yang “diculik” langsung dari alam liar, bukan yang dipelihara di rumah. [...]

November 1, 2013 // 4 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Pemburu Elang | The Eagle Hunters (Olgii, Mongolia, 2009)

The Eagle Hunters (Olgii, Mongolia, 2009) The tradition of eagle hunting (burkutchu) is not about hunting eagles, but using eagle as their weapon when hunting in wilderness. Eagle hunting is regarded as unique tradition of the Kazakh (and also Kyrgyz) in Central Asia, but actually is better preserved in western Mongolia, where environment is comparatively less changed and the people is relatively more isolated to the outside world. Pemburu Elang (Olgii, Mongolia, 2009) Tradisi berburu elang (burkutchu) bukanlah untuk memburu elang, melainkan menggunakan elang sebagai senjata untuk berburu di alam liar. Berburu elang dianggap sebagai tradisi khas bangsa Kazakh (dan juga Kirgiz) di Asia Tengah, tetapi sebenarnya tradisi ini justru lebih terpelihara di Mongolia Barat, di mana alamnya masih relatif tidak terjamah, dan orang-orangnya relatif terisolasi dari dunia luar. [...]

October 31, 2013 // 0 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Parade Bangsa | Parade of Nation (Olgii, Mongolia, 2009)

Parade of Nation (Olgii, Mongolia, 2009) The western province of Bayan Olgii in Mongolia is dominated by the Muslim Kazakh minority. They still preserve distinctive culture and are proud of their strong identity among the Mongolian community. Parade Bangsa (Olgii, Mongolia, 2009) Provinsi Bayan Olgii di Mongolia Barat didominasi bangsa minoritas Muslim Kazakh. Mereka masih mempertahankan kebudayaan khas dan identitas yang kuat di tengah masyarakat Mongol. [...]

October 30, 2013 // 3 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Musim Pindahan | Moving Season (Khovsgol, Mongolia, 2009)

Moving Season (Khovsgol, Mongolia, 2009) As winter is not so far away, river streams are drying and grass in pastureland is yellowing, the Mongolian nomads start to pack their yurt and animals to move to their winter encampment. The nomadism is still way of life for many Mongolians, moving out is part of their nomadic routine. Musim Pindahan (Khovsgol, Mongolia, 2009) Musim dingin sudah menjelang, sungai-sungai pun mulai mengering dan rerumputan di padang sudah menguning. Para penggembala nomaden Mongolia sudah mulai mengemas kemah dan mengumpulkan semua ternak mereka untuk berpindah ke tempat permukiman musim dingin. Nomadisme masih merupakan cara hidup utama bagi kebanyakan orang Mongolia, dan berpindah adalah bagian dari rutinitas bangsa nomaden. [...]

October 21, 2013 // 5 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Pelajar | Student (Little Pamir, Afghanistan, 2008)

Student (Little Pamir, Afghanistan, 2008) A Pamir Kirghiz girl studies Dari language in school tent in Little Pamir, which is the first school ever established in Pamir, in summer 2008. As there is not yet building and facility provided, the school is held in people’s tents and also nomadic following the movement of the nomadic tribe. Pelajar (Pamir Kecil, Afghanistan, 2008) Seorang gadis Kirgiz dari Pamir Afghanistan sedang belajar bahasa Dari di tenda sekolah, yang merupakan sekolah pertama dalam sejarah yang didirikan di Pamir Kecil pada musim panas 2008. Karena ketiadaan bangunan dan fasilitas lainnya, kegiatan belajar diselenggarakan di dalam tenda penduduk, dan juga berpindah-pindah mengikuti gaya hidup suku-suku nomaden. [...]

October 18, 2013 // 1 Comment

#1Pic1Day: Siapa Itu di Luar? | Who’s Out There? (Little Pamir, Afghanistan, 2008)

Who’s Out There? (Little Pamir, Afghanistan, 2008) Some little kids from a settlement in Little Pamir were curious on the guests coming to their yurt. Raised in such harsh natural environment, Afghan Kyrgyz children have adapted and grabbed certain abilities to live in such environment. For example, they already know how to ride donkeys and horses since a very young age. Siapa Itu di Luar? (Pamir Kecil, Afghanistan, 2008) Beberapa bocah kecil dari permukiman di Pamir Kecil tampak penasaran terhadap para tamu yang berkunjung ke tenda mereka. Anak-anak ini dibesarkan dalam lingkungan alam yang kejam, sehingga telah beradaptasi dan memiliki kemampuan spesial untuk bisa hidup dalam lingkungan seperti itu. Misalnya, mereka sudah bisa mengendarai keledai dan kuda pada usia yang sangat dini. [...]

October 17, 2013 // 4 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Musim Dingin Sepanjang Tahun | Winter throughout the Year (Little Pamir, Afghanistan, 2008)

Winter throughout the Year (Little Pamir, Afghanistan, 2008) A Kyrgyz boy brings his camels to grassland. The Afghan Kirghiz ethnic still maintain the disappearing nomadic way of life at Afghan Pamir, the tip of Afghan Wakhan Corridor bordering with China, Tajikistan, and Pakistan, at elevation more than 4,000 meter. The place, known as bam-e-dunya or Roof of the World, is described by Marco Polo as a place where the snow may come at any time of the year and where birds cannot fly through due to its height. In summer, snowfall is not uncommon. Musim Dingin Sepanjang Tahun (Pamir Kecil, Afghanistan, 2008) Seorang bocah Kirgiz sedang menggiring unta-untanya ke padang. Orang Kirgiz di Afghanistan masih mempertahankan tradisi nomaden, mereka mendiami Pamir Afghan, pada ketinggian 4.000 meter dan terletak di ujung Koridor Wakhan dan berbatasan dan langsung dengan China, Tajikistan, dan Pakistan. Tempat ini dikenal sebagai bam-i-dunyo, atau Atap Dunia, dan dideskripsikan oleh Marco Polo sebagai wilayah di mana salju bisa turun kapan saja dan burung pun tidak bisa terbang di atasnya saking tingginya. Salju di musim panas sama sekali bukan hal yang luar biasa. [...]

October 16, 2013 // 4 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Gadis Ataukah Nyonya, Lihatlah dari Kerudungnya | Available or Not, Just See the Veil (Little Pamir, Afghanistan, 2008)

Available or Not, Just See the Veil (Little Pamir, Afghanistan, 2008) The Afghan Kirghiz ethnic still preserve traditional Kyrgyz costumes, which already disappeared in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. The veil (jooluk) of Kyrgyz women shows their marital status. Red means unmarried and white means married. Gadis Ataukah Nyonya, Lihatlah dari Kerudungnya (Pamir Kecil, Afghanistan, 2008) Orang-orang Kirgiz yang mendiami Afghanistan masih mempertahankan tradisi berpakaian Kirgiz, yang sekarang sudah sangat langka bahkan di negara Kirgizstan. Kerudung para perempuan disebut sebagai jooluk, juga berfungsi untuk menunjukkan status perkawinan. Kerudung merah berarti gadis, kerudung putih berarti sudah menikah. [...]

October 15, 2013 // 1 Comment

Ashgabat – The Golden Age

“It is not real gold. Every year, in January, workers have to replenish the color. Is that real gold, then?” -Jeyhun, A student from Turkmenabat The Golden Man At this hazy day with some degrees of rain, the Ashgabat train station was full of people queuing for tickets. It was messy. There were 8 counters, all with a horde of people trying to be the first in front of the small window, where behind the glass, a Turkmen lady – the ticket seller, shouting harshly to the people. It was typical of ex-Soviet service. The ticket sellers are the kings. The buyers should be nice to be served. There were lockets for same-day departures, and pre-booking. I was queuing in front of a locket just to be told I should go to another counter for pre-booking. Another 30 minutes were wasted. The ticket lady said that all tickets for Turkmenabat for day-after-tomorrow departure were already sold out. Not gave up, I went to another counter for last try. I was worrying though, as the closer it was to Navruz – the Persian and Central Asian New Year – transports were hard to come by. The third ticket lady told me [...]

March 17, 2007 // 1 Comment

Osh – Goodbye Tajikistan

Finally… the truck. And a new country Maybe it was because of the falling stars. When I woke up very early, about 7, as I couldn’t sleep at all the whole night, I saw two trucks were having custom check in Khurshid’s border post. These were trucks owned by Kyrgyz drivers from Kyrgyzstan. My Kyrgyz host helped me with a negotiation (‘chakchak’ in Tajik) with the drivers, and they agreed to take me as far as Sary Tash for 20 Somoni. Sary Tash would be the first Kyrgyzstan city to be approached from here. I was not the only passengers of the trucks. There was already an old Kyrgyz man with his family. The trucks were taking sheep and yaks. The drivers didn’t have document to transport these animals to Kyrgyzstan, so the numerous checkpoints along the road had to be really fuelled by money to smooth up the way. This is the way the business done. Tajikistan’s Pamir region is famous of its animal products, raised by the Kyrgyz and Pamiri Tajik herders. Animals are brought from the mountain areas in GBAO to the bazaar city of Osh in south Kyrgyzstan, where they may gain profit. Then to return [...]

November 4, 2006 // 0 Comments

Karakul – Out of Murghab

A new day, and a new month, starts in Murghab The new month has just started, and I have only 4 days left on my visa. I met these two guys in the bazaar of Murghab, one with visa expiring today (November 1). The guys were from America and Israel, and they have been waiting for onward travel to Kyrgyzstan. They were there in the bazaar yesterday but failed to depart. Today is the second day (and supposed to be the last day) attempt. Murghab is somehow a depressing place to wait for transport. As now the oil price has skyrocketed, one’s a month salary is only enough to cover the distance from Murghab to Osh or to Khorog in a public transport for one time. People don’t travel anywhere. There are many drivers but not passengers. The drivers hang around the bazaar the whole day to get passengers, and except the two travelers, and me, there is nobody else to share the cost. Some drivers even didn’t have petrol for their vehicles. The cost is always calculated in terms of liters of oil, with 3.40 Somoni/liter standard in Murghab. In Langar I even saw a driver asked the passengers [...]

November 1, 2006 // 0 Comments

Noraseri – Funeral

Haji Shahab just passed away few hours earlier February 25, 2006 Here, 17 kms away from Muzaffarabad, is hilly areas surrounded by snow-peaked mountains. From here, the glorious snowy mountains of Nanga Parbat can be seen in clear days, flying in the blue sky, towering and dominating the atmosphere. Here is the mountain area of Noraseri, where the NGO I am working with has several projects of building permanent shelters for the earthquake victims. And my work is to take documentation pictures of the projects. But the rain has started since yesterday night, not so big, but continuosly. The weather in the morning was very cold, that everybody in the camp had to halt any works. The rain has made the trekking path in the villages dangerous. And indeed, this is the best weather to just stay lazy and sleep in the tents (not intending to be lazy though… but given chance by the weather ). Gool Muhammad, the cook, who has experience of working in Greece (Urdu: Yunan, Indonesian: Yunani) was a very excellent cook, and he deserved to boast his ability. I was staying in a tent together with some ‘seniors’ of the team. Aslam Shahab, a Pakistani [...]

February 25, 2006 // 0 Comments

Lahore – Sufism

Regale Internet Inn 150 Rs Berputar… berputar… berputar… Bagi kita, sufisme mungkin sudah tidak asing lagi. Kisah-kisah tentang Syeikh Siti Jenar sudah sering kita dengar berkali-kali. Dan penggabungan antara mistisme dengan religiusme Islam sudah bukan merupakan hal baru lagi di Indonesia, di mana Islam berbaur kental dengan hembusan nafas kehidupan Pra-Islam (Hinduisme, Buddhisme, dan animisme). Lagu adalah bagian dari spiritualisme kaum Sufi Menari demi sang Kekasih tercinta Di Pakistan pun sufisme merupakan bagian dari kehidupan Islamnya. Setiap hari Kamis siang, pemusik-pemusik sufi berkumpul di Masjid untuk memainkan musik-musik yang membius hati. Tak kurang dari 40 grup musik dari penjuru-penjuru desa datang ke sini, dan setiap grup menampilkan pertunjukan dari 5 hingga 7 menit. Alunan akordion dan gambus seakan merupakan ekstasi bagi sebagian penonton, yang tak hentinya menggelengkan kepala dengan cepat mengikuti alunan musik, bahkan ada pula yang menggulingkan tubuhnya dan berputar-putar secara cepat seperti orang yang telah hilang kesadarannya. Penonton yang “tersihir” pun membuat hujan uang di atas para pemusik, menaburkan ratusan lembar uang 10 Rupee di atas kepala pemusik, dan aliran ini tak berhenti hingga panitia berusaha menyadarkan penonton ini. Uang, musik, tarian, gelengan kepala bak tercandu ekstasi, serta semprotan minyak wangi yang disemprotkan petugas dengan tabung semprot pestisida [...]

December 15, 2005 // 1 Comment