Field Journal

Rajasthan village goes from barren lands to green pasture

Residents of Khakhunda village in Rajasthan come together and frame bylaws to transform their barren commons that had also been encroached upon, into a green pasture land.

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Her Life

From tribal roots to a fashion model: Setting new beauty standards

Young Anjel Mareena Tirkey from Jharkhand breaks the societal norms of her highly conservative Oraon tribal community and realises her dream of pursuing a career in the modelling and entertainment industry.

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Village Vibe

Explore the village ways with this Uttarakhand venture

Village Ways, a social enterprise, takes tourists on walking tours of five villages within Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand. This is a win-win not just for the visitors but also the hosts, who are all local residents.

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In pictures

Photo of the day

In Canning, West Bengal, kids study as their mother prepares food sitting next to them| Photo by Shibasish Saha

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VILLAGE VIBE

Village Vibe celebrates the art, culture and festivals of India’s village life. Urbanites aren’t the only ones who become social media stars, produce stunning art, enjoy food fads or follow fitness crazes. And as for festivals, there’s a totally different vibe in the villages.

Explore the village ways with this Uttarakhand venture

Smriti Mukerji

Village Ways, a social enterprise, takes tourists on walking tours of five villages within Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand. This is a win-win not just for the visitors but also the hosts, who are all local residents.

Odisha’s guardian angel for the homeless

Devashish Biswal

Setting a profound example of empathy and social responsibility, Bipin Bihari Panda has been rescuing and rehabilitating mentally ill and destitute people from the streets for nine years.

Display of India-Bangladesh friendship at Tripura’s Akhaura post

Aatreyee Dhar

Akhaura, 10 km from Agartala, serves as a vital land port connecting India and Bangladesh. A zero line, marked near Agartala-Akhaura check post, symbolises camaraderie. On Bangladesh's Victory Day, guards exchange greetings, sweets, and flowers.

Sohrai workshop brings together artistic hiveminds

Mitali Banerjee Joyee

Khwabgaon near Jhargram experienced a collaborative exchange between two cultures as artists from Hazaribag, Jharkhand, came over to Konedoba in Jhargram district and painted an illustrative Sohrai mural for three days.

Manipur woman makes clothes with lotus stem fibre

Suhail Bhat

Bijiyashanti Tongbram, a 30-year-old entrepreneur from Manipur, makes mufflers and stoles by spinning lotus stems. Her innovation caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The exuberant post-wedding bridal march of Tangkhul Nagas

Worngachan A Shatsang

Ngala katha remains a prominent tradition in Tangkhul Naga weddings, enduring despite modernization. The vibrant post-wedding march from bride's to groom's house is cherished as its highlight.

Manipur’s transmen’s football team transforms lives

Suhail Bhat

Ya_All, a UN-recognised LGBTI+ youth-led organisation in Imphal, Manipur, symbolises resilience and inclusivity in Northeast India. This groundbreaking initiative goes beyond sports, making a significant impact.

How the Oraon tribe makes Mahua liquor

Monika Marandi

In India, the Mahua flower, nestled in the branches of the Indian butter tree, is a cherished secret of the Oraon tribe. Explore the significance of Mahua liquor in their culture and its timeless recipe.

Reclaiming Rajasthan’s Khakhunda: From barren lands to green pasture

Harshal Mankar

Residents of Khakhunda village in Rajasthan come together and frame bylaws to transform their barren commons that had also been encroached upon, into a green pasture land.

Mobile medical units going a long way in Jharkhand

Abhijeet Kumar

In the remote villages of Jharkhand where communities lack healthcare services, mobile medical units that offer free consultations, treatment and referrals are improving people’s health.

IN VIDEOS

Bihar women weave a new future with sikki grass

Kumar Gaurav

In Bihar's Jhanjharpur block, Munni Devi weaves not just baskets, toys and dolls but also the futures of other women in her village with Madhubani’s magical sikki grass.

Climate change — With 2 tiger attacks a month, Sundarbans reels under human-animal conflict

Sudip Maiti

Climate change and rising sea levels are pushing farmers deep into the mangroves of the Sundarbans where they become victims of deadly tiger attacks

Tosha: A traditional sweet delicacy of Kashmir

Aamir Ali Bhat

Tosha is a sweet delicacy of the northern districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It was once the preferred sweet on special occasions but had since lost its appeal. However, over the last couple of years, it has witnessed a resurgence, and its demand has increased again.

RURAL NEWS

She uses the virtual platform to uplift artisans

Smriti Mukerji

Meenakshi Dubey, the founder of the online portal Yespoho and winner of the Union government’s Prajjwala Challenge, talks to us about how she uses technology to promote rural craftspersons.

Handloom and hues of success in Maheshwar

Village Square

This school at Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh helps aspiring master weavers polish their skills and gain cutting-edge know-how on the practices essential to succeeding in the handloom sector.

Empowering rural women, one sustainable pad at a time

Smriti Mukerji

Through her biodegradable sanitary pads brand Apna Green, Aruna Dara has started a movement for underprivileged women. She talks about her journey and emerging as one of the five winners of the Union government’s Prajjwala Challenge.

India’s unsung heroes – women navigating their way through a changing country. Her accomplishments, her struggles, her livelihood, her home, her hopes. Her life.

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From tribal roots to a fashion icon: Jharkhand model redefines beauty standards

Monika Marandi

Anjel Mareena Tirkey from Jharkhand has broken the societal norms of her conservative Oraon tribal community to realise her dream of pursuing a career in the modelling and entertainment industry.

Meet the woman who walks many a mile to deliver mail

Sukanya Roy

Working at a post office where her late husband had held the same job, Alaka Mahato, a mother of three, walks every day to a few villages in Bengal to deliver mail, happy to carry on his legacy.

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Events

How livelihoods of the poor can be strengthened

Village Square

The two-day Livelihoods India Summit being held in New Delhi brings together about 400 delegates with an aim to foster deliberations on issues relating to livelihoods promotion of the poor.

Programs

Internship All Programes >

Development Communications Internship

Village Square

Village Square announces a certified internship program for students interested in the communications domain. This internship program will give you an opportunity to get trained from leading industry experts and enhance all your skillsets i.e, required to be a good communication specialist. Starting from 30th November, 2023

Fellowship All Programes >

Village Square announces its fellowship

Sanjana Kaushik

Village Square Fellowship 2023 is for youth to tell the powerful stories of rural India. The 9 months fellowship will include a monthly stipend of Rs 35,000 along with training from leading sector-experts.

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