Aishwarya Mohanty
Fellow
Aishwarya Mohanty is an independent journalist based in Odisha, and interested in reporting on gender intersectionalities, human rights issues, climate change and environment and on the convergence of all the above.
Arunachal’s Wancho script faces a challenging future
After developing a script for the phonetically nuanced Wancho language of his community, Banwang Losu, a teacher, finds it a challenge to sustain it in the school curriculum.
Football bridges social divides in Odisha village of Lodhas
In a village in Odisha where dominant tribal groups had set unwritten rules of divisive boundaries, a unique social transformation of inclusion is taking place through football.
Rural youth pioneer water sports on Mahanadi
In Odisha, water sports that were once confined to the marine drive thrive in the Mahanadi River, attracting rural youth and offering them a new livelihood.
Mayurbhanj revives traditional looms
Mayurbhanj’s handloom legacy is experiencing a remarkable resurgence, stitching together threads of tradition and innovation, painting a brighter canvas for its future, one vibrant sari at a time.
Jailhouse RJs rock in Odisha prison
Inmates serve as radio jockeys for Azad Vaani, a thrice-daily broadcast created to entertain, inspire, and rehabilitate prisoners in Bhubaneswar’s Jharpada jail. They produce a variety of content, from drama to news updates, which help them find purpose and hope.
Curtains down for Odisha dolls made of cow dung?
Though no way as fancy as the dolls that adorn upscale stores, Karadagadia village has carved out a niche for its toys made of cow dung, paper and flowers.
Ganjapa – Odisha’s most colourful card game
Ganjapa, originating from Persian culture, became part of Indian tradition in the 16th century. It showcased hand-painted cards and indigenous playing styles. Sadly, this once popular game now suffers from a decline in its artistic heritage.
This colourful card game from Odisha is art
Ganjapa, a traditional card game of Odisha, introduced by the Persians in the 16th century, features hand-painted circular cards depicting Hindu deities. Its popularity has dwindled, but art lovers appreciate the cards as decorative items.
Every house has a traditional healer in this Odisha village
Bhoisahi in Khordha district remains a major destination for those seeking medical treatment, earning it the moniker of ‘Vaidya Gaon’.
Odisha village reunites with man missing for 60 years
Tears of joy sweep Luhagudi in Gajapati district as children of Gobardhana Lahara help the septuagenarian to rediscover his roots.
Turning fallow land fertile, Chhattisgarh women reap rich harvest
Women of Biladi grow fruits and vegetables on land they had collectively leased from panchayat to earn a decent living in a region that was historically arid.
‘Soilless’ farming bears fruit for Odisha women farmers
Digital Green-supported initiatives in which saplings are grown in a mixture of composts and then planted in dry farmlands are getting growers better returns in Keonjhar district.
Odisha’s blind women cricketers eye spot in Indian squad
For five young Odia women who started playing blind women’s cricket for their state just four years back, being shortlisted for the national team fills them with hope to represent India internationally.
Drone didi: Odisha sarpanch takes aerial route to deliver pension
Saroj Agarwal of Baleswar gram panchayat in Nuapada district is promising to deliver more services in remote villages through a drone, having used it already to deliver a pension.
Patayat Sahu’s tale of plants, potions and Padma Shri
Country recognises 65-year-old villager of Nandol in Odisha for curating a garden with 3000 varieties of medicinal plants that help to cure many ailments.
Hockey popularity prompts Odisha children to wield sticks
Children of Khambesi in remote Rayagada district throng to the playing arena, underscoring the ever-increasing love for the game in India’s hockey cradle.
Why a road is a roadblock for Bonda Tribes in Odisha
A slushy, patchy, potholed road is pushing up transportation costs, preventing tribal inhabitants of Andrahal village in Odisha's Malkangiri district from availing government loans for building pucca houses.
Jungle Warriors: Odisha women set up jungle huts to save forests
Women in Nayagarh district’s villages start jungle kutirs that serve as a resource hub where they gather and make plans to protect jungles as also individuals’ forest rights.
Match Made in Heaven: A new life for Odisha’s sexagenarian newlyweds
In rural Odisha two sexagenarians, fighting domestic hardships and loneliness, defy convention and get married.
How these creches in Odisha help tribal mothers work in peace
To improve the health of tribal children and to help women collect forest produce without worrying about their young children, the Odisha government starts creches for toddlers.