As an Indian Naga, I pray for unity: guitar sensation Imnainla Jamir

Village Square: Congratulations on becoming a national sensation. Can you tell us how you became a musician? Jamir: Thank you. I’m from Mokokchung, a beautiful town in Nagaland and that’s where my journey started. My hometown has always been vibrant and musical – full of wonderful and talented musicians. As a kid, I recall going… Continue reading As an Indian Naga, I pray for unity: guitar sensation Imnainla Jamir

Four hurdles to social change in rural India

About two thirds of India’s population is rural with a per capita disposable income almost half that of their urban counterparts. This sharp income inequality is a cause for concern.  Rural India is also, by default, the reserve army of under-employed people who provide a bulk of relatively cheap and unskilled labour for the economy.… Continue reading Four hurdles to social change in rural India

Ladakh’s Chipko: Mothers out on streets to save ‘sacred’ juniper trees

Little grows in the tiny village of Hanupatta high up in the Himalayas running through Ladakh but for the evergreen juniper trees that dot its otherwise cold, rocky and barren landscape. It is the junipers that give Hanupatta an identity and its few residents a deep sense of pride.  Many consider the tree to be… Continue reading Ladakh’s Chipko: Mothers out on streets to save ‘sacred’ juniper trees

Heaven’s the limit for Kashmir’s Khatamband ceiling woodwork after years in near-hell

His father’s crestfallen face made Ali Mohammad Najar drop out of school and lend a hand in his family’s  trade – the craft of making Khatamband wood ceiling tiles, a legacy handicraft of Kashmir that, like the region’s stunning carpets, had its own cultish following.  Khatamband once enjoyed the patronage of royalty and the super… Continue reading Heaven’s the limit for Kashmir’s Khatamband ceiling woodwork after years in near-hell

Shark Tank 2022 tows the rural India line

Nervous entrepreneurs – as well as cocky, over-confident ones – pitch their business ideas, along with their hopes and dreams, before the sharks of the start-up world on many different TV shows these days.  Sometimes a bloodbath ensues.  À la “Ye sab doglapan hai!” (this is all hypocrisy) – as one shark panelist lashed out… Continue reading Shark Tank 2022 tows the rural India line

Ice hockey – a popular winter sport playing out in Ladakh

Ice skating enthusiasts practice on a frozen pond which has now become a public ice rink. Guphuk remains a much-loved destination for skaters in Leh. Men and women of all ages flock to socialise and learn ice skating at an elevation of 11,562 feet above sea level (Photo by Dawa Dolma) Ice hockey was started… Continue reading Ice hockey – a popular winter sport playing out in Ladakh

Ills of eucalyptus drive Odisha tribals back to legacy crops

Groves of tall eucalyptus trees stand out in the rugged, tribal landscape of Koraput district in southern Odisha. But they may not be there for long.  This Australian native is “alien” to this land, planted decades ago as a “cash tree” because of its prized hardwood, craved by the paper pulp and furniture industries, and as… Continue reading Ills of eucalyptus drive Odisha tribals back to legacy crops

Bayalu Chitralaya: Karnataka village eyes reclaiming artistic past

Nestling in the foothills of the Western Ghats, Sonangeri in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka might seem like any of the villages that dot India’s vast rural landscape. But then, Sonangeri is no ordinary village. Despite being inhabited by ordinary villagers leading rather humdrum lives, it enjoys a pride of place in the country’s artistic… Continue reading Bayalu Chitralaya: Karnataka village eyes reclaiming artistic past

Farming sans chemical pesticides, courtesy solar-powered insect traps

Like many other farmers, Shivaputrappa Kumbar of Hunasihal village in Koppal district of Karnataka used chemical pesticides to tackle pest menace. It not only cost him Rs 5,200 per crop, but also deteriorated the quality of soil in his land.  The solar-powered insect trap proved to be a viable alternative to chemical pesticides. He is… Continue reading Farming sans chemical pesticides, courtesy solar-powered insect traps

To buy supplies, millet is money in Koraput’s barter system in Odisha

Indian mothers are known to set aside small, spare cash and coins in containers, nooks and under mattresses. The small savings come good during exigencies. Tribal women living in the woody hills of Koraput district of Odisha do it too.  But their “cash” of choice is mandia—the Odia word for ragi or finger millet, the… Continue reading To buy supplies, millet is money in Koraput’s barter system in Odisha

Wakhoo: Journey from a sleepy village of timber traders to ‘Pencil Village’ of India

There’s no authoritative siren signalling workers to factories dotting the picturesque village of Wakhoo in Pulwama district of south Kashmir. It’s just the bright morning warming the land that is cue for hundreds of villagers to file out of their homes and go to work. Surrounded by rich paddy fields, orchards bearing the sweetest apples… Continue reading Wakhoo: Journey from a sleepy village of timber traders to ‘Pencil Village’ of India

With nowhere to go, new year brings no cheer to landless Adivasis in Madhya Pradesh

As the world celebrated the advent of another New Year, hundreds of landless Adivasis in Shukrawasa – a tiny village set amidst vast green fields and undulating hillocks in the Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh – found little reasons to cheer. Going by their bleak past, there was little to suggest that 2023, or for… Continue reading With nowhere to go, new year brings no cheer to landless Adivasis in Madhya Pradesh

Women adopt organic farming to transform a Karnataka village

Surrounded by a lush green cover of coconut trees, Handanakere in Karnataka is a quaint, agricultural village located approximately 150 km away from the state capital Bangalore.  Traditionally millets and vegetables have been the primary agricultural produce from the region. But for most households this agricultural income has proved inadequate.  Like other parts of the… Continue reading Women adopt organic farming to transform a Karnataka village

Get your photograph featured on Village Square homepage

Are you a photographer who loves rural India and its colours, beauty and diversity as much as we do?  Do you have photos capturing ordinary and exciting moments of rural life?  Then share with us your photos of rural India and get a chance to be featured on the Village Square homepage under our new… Continue reading Get your photograph featured on Village Square homepage

Odisha’s humble sabai grass makes fashion statement

The freshest style in handicrafts these days is fusion – mixing and melding together different styles.  But it is a balancing act finding the right amount of each form to fuse together.  This is what Akshita M Bhanj Deo has achieved – successfully integrating Odisha’s traditional dhokra (metal) art with sabai grass craft for her… Continue reading Odisha’s humble sabai grass makes fashion statement

Youth revive traditional black pottery of Manipur

Black Pottery and Nungbi Khullen in Manipur’s Ukhrul district have always been synonymous with each other. Nestled along the national highway (NH 202) that runs between Nagaland and Manipur, the quaint village of about 350 households located 38 kilometres from the Ukhrul district headquarters is the chief producer of black pottery in the state. The… Continue reading Youth revive traditional black pottery of Manipur

The ‘faere’ tale of Kashmir’s smoked fish dish

Kashmir is replete with snowy vistas, flowery meadows, gurgling rivers and the placid Dal and its sibling lakes – all which inspire its people’s warm hospitality and their famed wazwan feast of 30 courses or more. But seasons shape the distinctly delectable everyday Kashmiri diet and winter brings on a whole new fair.   Or –… Continue reading The ‘faere’ tale of Kashmir’s smoked fish dish

In pictures: Coffee cultivation at an unlikely place

A worker plucks ripe coffee berries in the Darbha block of Bastar, Chhattisgarh. Bastar is located at an altitude of 650 metres above sea level, making it suitable for coffee cultivation. Right now the total area under coffee cultivation in Bastar is 320 acres. After the berries ripen and turn cherry-red in colour, harvesting starts… Continue reading In pictures: Coffee cultivation at an unlikely place

Discover the hidden gems of Manipur

If you are looking for one reason to travel to Manipur on a holiday, the “Land of Jewels” will give you many.  The green, salubrious mountains of the Barail range, gurgling streams and rivers, a lush valley – the hidden gems unfurl themselves in unexpected ways, bit by bit, if you give them time.  And… Continue reading Discover the hidden gems of Manipur

Smashing gender discrimination one theatre skit at a time

“Are women not equal to men?” thunders Muniya to the audience. Muniya belongs to a group of six tribal women who are raising difficult and, at times, uncomfortable questions for people in remote villages of Bihar.  They are powerful, they are confident and they are undaunted by large crowds. They are part of a Theatre… Continue reading Smashing gender discrimination one theatre skit at a time