Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India
When I was a kid, living in Shillong, India, we would often attend church services in the outlaying areas. All ten of us would pile in the old yellow Willy's jeep and head far into the hills to remote villages.
I often joke that I have a lifetime pass and won't need to attend another church service as long as I live - and I mean it. I am exempt. Sundays alone could easily involve three separate services, morning, afternoon and end in evening services by kerosene lantern.
I'd spend my time drawing cartoons of the preacher and eagerly offer to take crying babies outside. I'd lay on the grass playing with the kids and torturing ants with my magnifying glass while the congregation belted out the good old familiar protestant hymns in Khasi.
This image is from a brittle slide in my Dad's old box probably from the mid 1960's.
Beautiful
ReplyDeleteLike you I have built up a lifetime pass as well. Growing up when we were not home you could more than likely find us in church. Even on vacation with my grandparents they would find a church to attend, and they enjoyed trying something different when we went. It bothered me to go with them then, but now I think it was cool. These days I usually only enter a church to take pictures, and like Andy Warhol said, churches are pretty.
ReplyDeleteI like your attitude about attending church as a child. Way back then I learned how to faint at will and in our non-AC church in summer my fake faint spells were very effective. Mom would shake me a little to wake me up and then allow me to go outside to cool down. Use to drive my brother and sister mad as they knew I was acting. Mom probably did to, but I was her favorite (first born and all that) and was allow to get away with it. I also learn how to spit up at will too.
ReplyDeleteGrew up in a small church where 50 people in the pews was a good day. I have never developed a liking to the mega-churches that are more common these days and have made a habit to avoid them. I believe I could enjoy a service at Khasi Hills.
ReplyDeleteLes - we did too. It was the petty politics that wore me out.
ReplyDeleteJoe - I was good at it. Our house was on the church property so if our dog howled or the monkey got lose I was out and to the rescue!
Beach Bum - yes, you would enjoy it. Lively singing.
Can you recall the name of the village in which the Church is?I presume it's somewhere in the Bhoi or War area,which because of their proximity to the Plains of Assam & Bangladesh have access to bamboo,unlike the Pine-filled area of Khynriam & Pnar where any structure if not of concrete or semi-concrete is of tin sheets and/or pine wood.
ReplyDeleteNamrata - no label on this slide but I agree it is unusual and unlike the other little church photos I have. You are probably correct.
ReplyDelete