When a foetus is conceived inside a womb of a mother, a child is born in the cradle of water. Water flows through the umbilical cord to provide nutrition to a child. So, how can a mother not be connected with water? How can a woman not be connected to a river? Stories of rivers and women, of the intertwining of love, conflict, sorrow and laughter have been told and retold by our elders. But, our elders are dying and so are their stories of our waters. These stories talked about the wisdom of our ancestors who co-existed with Mother Earth in harmony. Women have been the custodians of this knowledge. This set of stories from the Northeast explore the confluence of young girls’ experiences flowing together like the tributaries of a river. These girls gathered virtually to create a safe space to own their expressions, accept themselves and their roots to eventually reclaim their stories and their water bodies. The workshop was supported by a small heritage grant from the British Council, Mumbai and co-hosted with the digital Living Waters Museum. | This exhibition was curated by Minket Lepcha who was also a lead facilitator of this workshop.
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