Rural India falls prey to processed foods

Many of us have fond memories of drinking roohafza and eating homemade fryums.  OK, fryums are a deep-fried potato snack and roohafza might have fruit and herbs as its base but is loaded with sugar.  Still, being homemade meant they did not have the chemicals and preservatives of mass-produced snack foods. But being made at… Continue reading Rural India falls prey to processed foods

Tribal women trained in safe home deliveries

For the women in cities and towns childbirth means getting into a car and rushing to the hospital.  But there are many tribal areas so remote that the nearest hospital is miles and hours away, like where I work with Swasthya Swaraj, a non-profit organisation. Though achieving 100% institutional delivery may not be practically possible,… Continue reading Tribal women trained in safe home deliveries

Assam’s soil erosion worsening with climate change and floods

Each year, during the monsoon, the mighty Brahmaputra River and its tributaries burst their banks and engulf huge tracts of farming and residential land in the remote north-eastern state of Assam, home to 34 million people. The state government, engineers and other experts are exploring new ways to manage the effects of the annual flooding… Continue reading Assam’s soil erosion worsening with climate change and floods

The story of the migrating, dairy-farming Gujjars

Evenings are abuzz around the dam in Nanakmatta in Uttarakhand’s Terai region at the foothills of the Himalayas.  People carrying bottles and vessels make a beeline for a community of dairy farmers that make the dam their temporary residence every summer. They are the Gujjars, a community that call the forests their home but migrate… Continue reading The story of the migrating, dairy-farming Gujjars

Young girl fights the devadasi tradition

I did a study of the devadasis in 1981 that led to the Karnataka government introducing a law prohibiting the practice.  But after so many decades the devadasi practice continues in some pockets, much to the deprivation of girl children. And their life is one of stigma and discrimination. Radha, a tribal girl in her… Continue reading Young girl fights the devadasi tradition

Healing mental health wounds

For as long as Sethu remembered he struggled to manage his seizures.In a social context where masculinity is constrained within the boundaries of physical strength, Sethu’s epilepsy attracted ridicule and contempt from his family and fellow. Due to persistent social ostracism, Sethu withdrew from work, family and spent his days in isolation.   Eventually, Sethu walked… Continue reading Healing mental health wounds

Tribal filmmakers make high content on low budget

A beaten script shakes off the banality of being a stereotype when given a fresh perspective and told differently—like the story of a loan shark usurping a poor man’s land in Bandha Khet, a Nagpuri dialect short film that has received critical acclaim and cost less than Rs 500 to make.  Bandha Khet (Mortgaged Farm)… Continue reading Tribal filmmakers make high content on low budget

Poshan Maah – eat nutritious, eat local

On a warm summer day, I met Surekha, a young mother, at an anganwadi (rural child care centre) in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh. Surekha had recently given birth to her third baby. After resting for a week, she was back in the cotton fields, working as a daily wage labourer. Her palms and feet were… Continue reading Poshan Maah – eat nutritious, eat local

Devastating floods the latest woes for Odisha’s farmers

Standing in his field, Tulu Biswal grimaced as he surveyed his flooded crops. Except for a few rice plants seen above the slush, you would not know that it was a paddy field. The 45-year-old farmer residing in Kanti village at Pipili block in Odisha’s Puri district has been cultivating paddy in his five acres… Continue reading Devastating floods the latest woes for Odisha’s farmers

Downtime – How Rural India Relaxes

We are at it again, folks. We want to see rural India through your lens for our second annual Village Vibe photo competition.   Last year, the first edition of our Village Vibe photo exhibition, held at India Habitat Centre in November 2021, was a resounding success. We asked for artful, insightful and quirky photos of… Continue reading Downtime – How Rural India Relaxes

Win-win for women working in eco-tourism camp

Rupei Bhoi, 40, is adept at turning out tasty dishes. So it is no surprise that her culinary skills landed her a job at the Bhagamunda eco-tourism camp in Satkosia Tiger Reserve.  Nestled among the greens with a backdrop of blue hills, the Bhagamunda camp has five cottages to cater to tourists. Bhagamunda is a… Continue reading Win-win for women working in eco-tourism camp

Futuristic luxury in a water-scarce Himachal village

The rain gods have been particularly unfair this year, playing either excess or scanty.  As these unpredictable and extreme impacts of climate change are expected to get worse, one futuristic house in the foothills of the Himalayas managed to stay somewhat unscathed thanks to its clever rainwater conservation system. Built atop a stunning ridge at… Continue reading Futuristic luxury in a water-scarce Himachal village

PHOTO ESSAY: Phatxingu – Kargil’s apricot “miracle drink”

For people in Kargil it is not apples, but phatxingu, an apricot based drink, that keeps one from needing a doctor (Photo by Nasir Yousufi) Phatxingu is made by boiling dried apricots. It is filtered into an earthen pot where it can be stored for days together in a cooler part of the house (Photo… Continue reading PHOTO ESSAY: Phatxingu – Kargil’s apricot “miracle drink”

Scenic Bastar’s instagrammable art cafe

The Bastar Art Cafe offers affordable, mouthwatering regional food, along with magical ambience (photo by Deepanwita Niyogi) The scenic view of the Dalpat Sagar lake from the cafe’s rooftop makes the experience memorable for every visitor (photo by Deepanwita Niyogi) While there is a wide variety of cuisine available, including chinese and italian, chilla, farra,… Continue reading Scenic Bastar’s instagrammable art cafe

Offbeat rural destinations in India

Have a look at some of our favourite hidden and offbeat rural destinations and get ready to book a terrific rural retreat.  Kashmir, Sagg Eco Village – farm-to-table food and mountain treks An eco-village in Ganderbal, Kashmir that integrates rural life, heritage and culture, Sagg Eco Village has everything from farm-to-table food to mountain treks.… Continue reading Offbeat rural destinations in India

Rajasthan’s rural life museum enchants visitors

The mention of tourism in Rajasthan conjures up images of grand palaces, carved doorways and ornate museums with gold-laced thrones, rich brocades and silver carriages.  The image of western Rajasthan is of golden hued sand dunes stretching up to the horizon.  Promising to create a different but lasting third image is Arna Jharna: The Thar… Continue reading Rajasthan’s rural life museum enchants visitors

Safaris drive up Bastar tourism

As tourists stand enthralled by water cascading over the dramatic black layered rocks of the Tirathgarh waterfall, Dinesh Kumar Pandey, who drove them to see it, looks on with a contented smile.   A resident of Maulipadar village, about 3 km from the Kanger Valley National Park, Pandey has become a paid safari driver thanks to… Continue reading Safaris drive up Bastar tourism

Kargil’s apricot “miracle drink” – phatxingu

As the mercury rises on a sunny day, an aged Ladakhi farmer hurries back to his house to quench his thirst. He fills a glass with an orange-yellow liquid from a small matka (earthen pot) and drinks it up to the last drop.  Haji Abdullah, the 65-year-old farmer from Hardass, a riverside village on the… Continue reading Kargil’s apricot “miracle drink” – phatxingu

Reverse dowry – empowering or subjugation?

When people in Delhi, Mumbai or other metropolitan cities talk about “the need to bring marginalized people into the mainstream,” I always wonder who they are talking about.  Actually, people living in big cities, like me, are the ones who need to look back and see that they are on the margins as most of… Continue reading Reverse dowry – empowering or subjugation?