Photo Stories
Fishing and fresh springs: Kashmiri festival unites villages
The Panzath fishing festival, locally known as Rohan Posh, is a centuries-old tradition wherein hundreds of people from multiple villages gather at Qazigund's Panzath village in Kashmir to fish and clean the water body.
All that glitters in Antia village is indeed gold
The centuries-old use of golden grass in making crafts is financially empowering the women of Jajpur in Odisha. A GI tag and aggressive marketing can improve things further.
Nature’s gifts to Tamil Nadu temple town
On this World Environment Day, these pictures from villages surrounding the temple town of Srivilliputtur in Tamil Nadu show the beautiful beings that live among us, urging us to protect them and their habitat.
What palmyra palm means to Andhra
From thatch roofs to tasty vadas (fried fritters), parts of the palmyra palm are used in various ways, with even its sap being a summer delicacy. Here are some snapshots of how it’s used in rural Andhra Pradesh.
Turtuk villagers piece together their broken pasts
The village that became a part of India overnight in 1971 stands witness to the longing felt by the residents who hold to the memories of their broken families and cultural landscape.
Khejri – the wonder tree of Thar desert
The khejri tree is a lifeline for the desert ecosystem in Rajasthan as it provides food and shelter to many animals, besides being used by humans for its fruit and leaves.
Cup full of joy — tea time in India
Tea is more than a beverage for Indians. It’s an emotion, an obsession. Many stories, conversations and moments of bonding unfold over a cup of chai at tapris (kiosks) across India every day. Here are some snapshots.
The last of Kashmir’s flour water mills
Traditional water flour mills once thrived in Kashmir but only a few survive now. Called aab-e-gratte, these mills are cost-effective and run on water current from streams. They are mostly operated by the elderly – perhaps the last generation pursuing this profession.
Step-by-step guide to make red ant chutney
The red weaver ant is an integral part of the diet of tribal communities in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. During the lean season, when there is no standing crop, tribals often sell these insects in the local market to make a living.
New print on the block
You know about Rajasthan’s Sanganeri and Bagru block prints, admire their imperfections and perhaps have a wardrobe full of them. But have you seen Jhag – the newest print in the collections of some of the reputed Indian handloom brands?
Hard at work – Vignettes from villages
They tug, they slog, they literally bear the weight of the system. This Labour Day, let’s recognise the struggles of workers who resisted oppression a century ago, and who toil daily to make ends meet and make this country function.
Peep into the Eid celebrations of Kashmir’s Gujjar tribe
"Eid aaye rase rase, eid-gah waes waey (Steadily, steadily Eid has arrived, let’s go to eidgah)..." As the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, Kashmir’s Gujjar tribe gathers to celebrate three days of Eid in the most colourful way.
Chhattisgarh’s magical mahua flowers in pics
Versatile and rich in nutrition, mahua is an important forest produce for the tribal communities in Chhattisgarh. Families store dried mahua in bulk to make mahua liquor, a popular beverage in the region.
How women’s market sustains indigenous food system
The Tangkhul community of Ukhrul in Manipur relies heavily on agriculture, besides foraging. Women play an important role in it. Ava Market is the ‘women only’ market in town where herbs, plants and wild edibles are sold daily.
Malayattoor, the holy hill with crosses and a ‘gold’ rock
Come the holy week for Christians, and the hill that leads to Malayattoor in Kerala sheds its usual windblown beauty to get swathed in a sea of fervour. As thousands of pilgrims take the 3-hour uphill trek, some carrying wooden crosses on their back, the sacred hill comes alive with sights of faith and devotion.
Get weather predictions at Jharkhand’s Sarhul festival
Celebrated to mark the new year by the tribal groups of Jharkhand, Sarhul is a three-day event observed after the new moon during the Hindu month of Chaitra (March 22 to April 20 this year). What essentially marks the arrival of spring also sees the prediction of rain by the pahan (tribal priest) only after which the people plant their crops. To mark the celebrations, members of the tribal communities in villages and towns wear traditional clothes and dance as they take out processions.
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.
This is where your cabbage may be coming from
Bara Garan is a remote sleepy hamlet nestled at a height of 2,350m in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas. Located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, Bara Garan had no road connectivity to a nearby town until a couple of decades back. Residents had to walk for a day to reach Barot, the nearest town. But things changed when a road was constructed. Now villagers who earlier grew crops only for self-sustenance are farming cabbage commercially, selling it to traders across north India.
How authentic Goan feni is made
The recipe of the favourite Goan souvenir – feni – is no longer a local secret. Find out how the alcoholic beverage, made from ripe cashew fruit, is brewed in the most traditional way.
Bhagoriya festival – Of blooming flowers and blossoming love
Often misunderstood as a rural Valentine’s Day, the tribal festival of ‘Bhagoriya’ was a few days back declared a cultural heritage by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The week-long carnival marks the onset of spring. Amid the amber hues splashed by the blossoming palash and the fragrance of yellow mahua flowers, the community rejoices the rabi crop harvest.