Kerala
Exciting village festivals you can attend this March
Spring is here! And rural India is getting ready to celebrate the blooming season with festivities that reflect each region’s cultural richness. These are some of the most vibrant festivals you can enjoy this March.
She wields a kalarippayattu sword, clad in a six-yard saree
Octogenarian Meenakshi Amma wields a shield and a sword with ease, practising Kerala’s traditional martial art wearing a saree. Defying age and stereotypes, she inspires youth, especially women, to take up the art, as it instils courage and strength.
Add this tourism village in Kerala to your itinerary
The recent recognition of Kanthalloor in Kerala’s Idukki district as one of India’s top five tourism villages exemplifies its commitment to ecological sustainability, agricultural prosperity, and responsible tourism.
Women ‘rise up’ to fight drug menace in Kerala
Distressed by the rampant drug abuse and alcoholism among local youth, women of Vattappankadu village get together to run a counselling programme to wean them away.
Nutmeg spices up income of Tamil Nadu coconut farmers
A newly formed farmer producer organisation has freed a group of nutmeg farmers in Tamil Nadu from the clutches of middlemen and exploitative buyers, boosting their income and ushering positivity.
Kerala women brew cups of joy with artisanal coffee
A coffee brand created by five women from Pinavoorkudi tribal village in Kerala has grown to become a trusted and favourite blend of beans.
The journey of Kerala’s Chalakudy river
This Rivers Day, explore Chalakudy River, central Kerala's life source, as it journeys for 130 km -- from serene Anaimalai Hills to the Arabian Sea, nurturing lush landscapes and livelihoods.
Sustainable farming: Kerala village women sow seeds of change
Women in Wayanad district of Kerala are conserving native varieties of vegetable seeds, ushering economic prosperity and ensuring sustainable agriculture.
This is Pulikkali — Kerala’s roaring Onam dance
Thrissur's traditional Pulikkali street performance, part of the Onam festival, involves locals painting themselves as leopards, tigers and lions. The 200-year-old tradition is accompanied by percussion beats. The event is a big tourist attraction in the state.
Traditional snake boat race in Kerala waters
During monsoon season, southern Kerala hosts Vallam Kali, a thrilling water sport. Snake boats called Chundan Vallams race for victory, drawing crowds from India and abroad to witness this spectacular event.
Why Kerala needs revival of Kaipad rice
Traditional salt-tolerant rice varieties grown in coastal Kaipad lands are set on a revival course. But farmers need more support to produce the nutrient-rich organic crop.
Kerala’s tribal farmers sow success with millets
After Kerala reintroduced millet cultivation among the indigenous communities of Attapadi taluk, the villagers enjoy better health and livelihood despite losing crops to wild animals.
World Chocolate Day: Unveil your favourite chocolate’s rural origin
What's sweeter than opening a box of chocolates? The bitter-sweet confectionery is a favourite snack for most of us, but let's not forget its humble origin as a small bean grown in tropical countries like India.
130 varieties and counting: Kerala taps tubers
Cassava, elephant foot yam, taro, arrowroot… Tubers that almost disappeared from the regular diet in Wayanad, Kerala, are now being brought back to the farms as nutritious and climate resilient crops.
Kerala’s Kannadippaya bamboo mat and the quest for identity
Weaving a Kannadippaya is an exquisite, age-old skill possessed by elderly women in remote tribal settlements spread over the southern Western Ghats range in Kerala.
Theyyam – Narrating stories of gods
Theyyam, also known as kaliyattam, derives its origin from the Malayalam word "daivam", which means god. The performance, held mostly in the rural districts of Kannur and Kasargod of Kerala between December and April, is often confused with the more popular Kathakali, thanks to its elaborate costume, headgear and makeup. However, there are more than 450 forms of theyyam, each with a distinct costume, makeup and ritual. Like many other traditional performing art forms of the country, theyyam too uses the elements of dance, music and theatre to narrate the stories of deities or legendary heroes.
Action needed to stop tribal land alienation in Kerala
Measures need to be put into place to prevent land alienation in Kerala’s largest tribal settlement, which has been losing its land to outsiders for decades.
Black goats of Kerala’s native tribal hill people on brink of extinction
Kerala’s small but hardy Attappadi black goat is being pushed to the fringes, thanks to climate change, human interventions and the larger Malabar variety that yields more meat and milk.
Kudumbashree: A 3-tiered programme tackling Kerala’s gender-based violence
Tackling gender-based violence, Kerala’s Kudumbashree programme works on the three principles of transformation, prevention and support - offering community-based centres and counselling for those in need.
With no vaccine in sight, Kerala pig farmers feel the heat of African swine flu
While Kerala’s state government follows stringent measures to stop the spread of the swine flu, pig farmers in the state struggle with losses, despite government compensation.