Large fields, small hills, going uphill in the summer and coming downhill in the winter, amidst the beautiful mountains… this is the life of the Bhotias of Uttarakhand.
The beautiful hills of Uttarakhand are the abode of the craft of weaving wool, initiated by the women of the villages. A craft, that has found its [...]
Colour permeates every single activity in an Indian’s life, more so in our villages. In Kutch, Gujarat, colour pervades not just the gorgeous clothes of the Kutchi people but even the small, nondescript items of everyday use. Spoons and ladles, chakla – belan (board and rolling pin), toys, stools, dandiya sticks, everything is covered with [...]
A busy morning as I rush to work, crossing busy streets and crowded pavements, I am inundated with a multitude of sights, sounds and smells. I can smell fresh samosas and automobile exhaust in one breath. But one sweet fragrance that greets me at every little pause is that of the incense. The purifying aroma [...]
“Godhuli”… long shadows of dusk, a cloud of dust covering the orange horizon and the sounds of tinkering bells, announcing that the cattle is returning home.
Our villages have always had a strong relationship with animals, be it for farming or cattle raising. There are festivals especially for animals, such as Govardhan Puja, or Camel races, [...]
Bright colourful clothes, beautiful large eyes, nimble limbs dancing in front of an enthralled audience… this is not a dancer performing, but the puppet moving with the deft fingers of the puppeteer.
Kathputli is an ancient and one of the most popular performing arts of Rajasthan, a state in western India. The word “kathputli” derives from [...]
In the pleasant chill of January, when the sun enters Capricorn, the sky gets filled with vibrant colours and the air is full of “kaipo che”; this is Uttarayan in Gujarat, INDIA.
The name Uttarayan comes from joining two different Sanskrit words “Uttar” (North) and “ayan” (movement towards). Uttarayan, or Makar Sankranti is the day [...]
A storytelling tradition
“If you can’t go to the temple, the temple will come to you.”
Much before cinema and animations, storytelling was in such forms that would bring the storyteller and listener together in their mesmerising worlds of mythical heroes and gods. The Kaavad was one such method of storytelling, which also had a [...]
(Ajrak / Ajarak / Ajarakh / Ajrakh)
When the world is buzzing with “sustainability” and “environment-friendly” as the newest big trends of the future, for many centuries, innumerable crafts have existed in harmony with nature. Some things so subtle that they do not glare out, yet so vivid that one cannot help but appreciate the aesthetics [...]
Molela is a small, non descript village in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, situated on the banks of the river Banas. Normally, it could pass off as an ordinary village, one of the thousands that you pass by while traversing the rural landscape of our country. The distinction here lies in the terracotta plaques made [...]
