Krishna Devi ran for office in the panchayat elections and lost. But the 31-year-old from Choru village in Tonk district of Rajasthan didn’t lose heart or confidence. She will contest again the next time. Her conviction stems from the fact that she is a financially independent rural woman – a farmer who earns more than… Continue reading Rural women farmers plough their way to financial freedom
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Be in the pink this winter with Kashmiri noon chai
This winter, if you’re feeling cold, thirsty or even a bit of “deja brew” – then get a pink-purple “par-tea” started. You may take these puns with a pinch of sea salt, but you can’t do without sodium if your regular beverage fix is a totem of Kashmiri culture – noon chai. For the uninitiated,… Continue reading Be in the pink this winter with Kashmiri noon chai
Alu Kurumba art depicts the tribes’ connection with nature
Eluthu Paarai is an ancient 3000-year-old rock art site in the Kothagiri region of the Nilgiris district that was first discovered by an American anthropologist, Allen Zackerel, in 1984. Archaeologists maintain that they are definitely prehistoric, belonging to the Neolithic period in particular. However, the local Kurumba tribe believes that this ancient art is the… Continue reading Alu Kurumba art depicts the tribes’ connection with nature
She thought baul brings poverty, today she is a baulini of international acclaim
Rina Das Baul, a school dropout of Paruldanga village in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, recounts how baul music took her to perform on international stages – in her own words. Music has always been a part of my life. I was born in a family of musicians as my grandfather and father are… Continue reading She thought baul brings poverty, today she is a baulini of international acclaim
Money blooms in India’s ‘flower village’ of Nikamwadi in Maharashtra
Are gardeners made or born? For an answer to that proverbial question, head to Satara, Maharashtra and take a look at the chrysanthemum and marigold farms of Nikamwadi village. Colourful field of flowers spread as far as the eye can see with fiery yellow and orange carpets. About two decades ago, farmers of this village… Continue reading Money blooms in India’s ‘flower village’ of Nikamwadi in Maharashtra
How pearl farms bring money to a parched village in Maharashtra
Drought is a part of life in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, where cracked dirt lines fields and empty irrigation canals in the driest summer months, and dust devils punctuate a landscape in shades of brown. Growing a crop is near to impossible and yet, this parched land produces precious pearls. Surprised? Don’t be. Driven… Continue reading How pearl farms bring money to a parched village in Maharashtra
Manipur’s decreasing bamboo supply hurts artisans
A. Itomacha Meitei of Patsoi village in Imphal West district of Manipur has been making traditional bamboo baskets for four decades. The 53-year-old makes two to three baskets of different sizes every day and sells them for Rs 250-350 at the local market and to wholesalers. Meitei claims he could double his production of baskets… Continue reading Manipur’s decreasing bamboo supply hurts artisans
Manipur’s folk-rock band hits the right notes
“Who are you and where do your roots lie?” This simple question triggered Augustine Horchuingam’s quest to discover his roots and it all started at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai in 2012. Augustine was helping his friend Asa Kazingmei who was showcasing his creation, ‘Immortal’ at the Lakme Fashion Week as a gen next… Continue reading Manipur’s folk-rock band hits the right notes
Synchronised farming, collective marketing boost farmers’ income in Odisha
Households in Hatadihi, a village in the Keonjhar district of northern Odisha, earn their livelihood mainly from agriculture and allied activities. Vegetable farming is most popular in the region, and the majority of farmers cultivate their holdings independently. Farmers procure their inputs and sell their produce in the local markets itself. Distress sale of produce… Continue reading Synchronised farming, collective marketing boost farmers’ income in Odisha
In pics: ‘Jesus da langar’ at a Punjab village
A simple, wholesome meal of Poori channa, vegetable pulao, mixed vegetable and jaggery rice is served free to 500-odd people on the Christmas day at the local church of Birbalpura village in the Amritsar district of Punjab. “Though every Sunday Yesu da langar, kadhi rice, is served at the church here. But the one served… Continue reading In pics: ‘Jesus da langar’ at a Punjab village
Humble broom sweeps poverty from tribal hamlets in Odisha’s Koraput
For some the humble broom, the “jhadu,” makes a political statement. For others, the brain instantly sees Harry Potter and his Gryffindor teammates flying through the air on their broomstick adventures. But in the forest villages of Odisha’s Koraput district, the modest broom isn’t about wizardry. It is a symbol of economic empowerment for simple… Continue reading Humble broom sweeps poverty from tribal hamlets in Odisha’s Koraput
What’s Christmas in southern Tamil Nadu without these traditional treats?
The aroma of jaggery syrup and roasted gram being ground with cardamom heighten the Christmas excitement for many in southern Tamil Nadu. For it surely means that people are preparing mundhiri kothu – a standard Christmas goody for families in the southern districts of Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari. The very name sounds strange to most people… Continue reading What’s Christmas in southern Tamil Nadu without these traditional treats?
Ladakh’s lute maker gives ‘dranyen’ new lease of life
Tsering Angchuk remembers growing up to the sweet sound of the dainty six-stringed lute, locally called the dranyen. In the highlands of Jangthang Kharnak – a harsh but pristine region high up in the Himalayas more than a 100 km from Ladakh’s capital Leh – the dranyen was a way of life. But that was… Continue reading Ladakh’s lute maker gives ‘dranyen’ new lease of life
Photo essay: The seasonal fishermen of Nanakmatta
Pradeep Sana (45), along with his 20 fishermen friends, come to Nanakmatta every summer to fish in the dried lands near Uttarakhand’s Nanaksagar Dam. “I’ve come 30 kilometers away from my home only to fish. It’s very difficult to live here with many mosquitoes and without light or electricity. We have to use our bike… Continue reading Photo essay: The seasonal fishermen of Nanakmatta
Boube jung – Kashmir celebrates the onset of chillai kalan with a friendly flame-throw
As the large crimson disc of winter sun descended down the horizon, the flames of hundreds of lamps brightened up the opposite sides of a small stretch of water in a neighbourhood within the Dal Lake. Amidst the glowing flames and gusts of spine-chilling cold, a boy ignited a fire cracker and desperately tried to… Continue reading Boube jung – Kashmir celebrates the onset of chillai kalan with a friendly flame-throw
How a tribal woman farmer increases income with this new approach
Balmati Goud, a tribal woman, worked on her small agricultural land (2 acres) with her husband in Kalahandi, Odisha. Used to traditional farming methods, she was unaware of advanced and sustainable farming practices. Balmati and her husband cultivated mainly rain-fed crops like millet, pulses, paddy and seasonal vegetables. Despite all the blood, sweat and tears,… Continue reading How a tribal woman farmer increases income with this new approach
Kashmir’s cricket bats go global, give English willow a run for its money
Kashmir started making cricket bats in 1920, but it was the first time our bats reached the global market.
A new platform helps farmers in Jharkhand earn money from carbon projects
Climate change is severely affecting Indian agriculture in terms of productivity as well as the quality of produce. Without adaptation and mitigation activities, the current agricultural fields may lose their production potential. Jharkhand too is badly affected by the climate crisis. Multiple studies have highlighted the state’s precarious situation due to its high climate sensitivity… Continue reading A new platform helps farmers in Jharkhand earn money from carbon projects
Kashmir’s cricket bats go global, give English willow a run for its money
Fawzul Kabeer was often bowled a bouncer by his friends in college and he always had to duck. Why, they would ask, did international cricketers never use the hand-crafted bats made of the finest Kashmiri willow from his father’s factory in their hometown of Sangam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district? He would just shrug. But… Continue reading Kashmir’s cricket bats go global, give English willow a run for its money
Jungle Warriors: Odisha women set up jungle huts to save forests
First, they deployed their might to protect the local forests by chasing away timber smugglers with sticks. Now they are applying their mind with greater effect to conserve the jungles alongside safeguarding their own interests. Living amid rolling hills dotted with sal and siali trees, some enterprising women of Odisha’s Nayagarh district – some 70… Continue reading Jungle Warriors: Odisha women set up jungle huts to save forests