Himalayan Fair News
Himalayan Fair Entrance
We had a great weekend at the Himalayan Fair, May 30 and 31, and we met some great people. The weather was perfect – nice and sunny and warm. The Fair was packed with over 60 merchants and non-profits offering goods and services from the Himalayan region.
Himalayan Handicrafts
There were booths with jewelry, clothing, weavings and rugs. Non-profit organizations included groups supporting schools and health clinics in the region.
One booth not to miss is the Henna Painting table. You can get your hands and arms painted at a reasonable price.
The food at the fair is always a treat. The longest line can always be found at the Nepalese Association of Northern California’s booth. They offer a big plate of vegetarian and beef momos, a type of pot-sticker, and salad for $5.
Momos Cooking
About 50 people signed our petition that we will be sending to the French Minister of Culture asking for him to allow an International Board of Scientists to oversee the preservation of Lascaux Cave, located in Montignac, France. The cave is being ruined by an invasion of black mold that was caused when a French worker installing a new climate control system brought bacteria into the cave.
The Sacred Sites International table was located across from another organization: The Dream of the Turquoise Bee and they are offering some wonderful small group tours to Tibet next summer. It is not too early to start planning ahead to travel with the Sacred Sites trip scheduled for July 31-August 16, 2011. The trip will be led by a former monk who will share his personal insights and connections with tour participants. We’re very excited about this trip which will include visits to several recently discovered sacred sites.
We had several conversations with people about how many sacred sites are located in remote locations and are only know to local people. A book that was referenced several times was Places in Between by Rory Stewart, a tale of his trek across Afghanistan where he encounters wonderful people and places including neglected sacred sites.
Another book that was mentioned to us, Benares Seen from Within by Richard Lannoy looks fabulous. It is expensive so check local libraries to see if they have a copy.
We met a historian, Robert Freund, who has dedicated his life to preserving the indigenous textiles of Mexico and we were reminded of how often arts and crafts relate to sacred traditions, oral histories, sacred symbols and ultimately to sacred places. Visit his website for resources, including films of traditional Mexican sacred festivals.