Music and Arts
The Evolution of Toda Embroidery
Toda embroidery, practised by the indigenous people of Nilgiri hills, is known for its precise geometric patterns of bright red, black and white inspired by nature and mythological stories. Spurred by market demand, it is gaining visibility through a wide array of products.
Indian Traditional Art in Weddings
Every region in India has its own unique art style which is an integral part of the wedding festivities to usher in fertility, prosperity, and auspiciousness. Their stories, rooted in folklore, make for a riveting read.
A Himalayan baithak of folk music & qawwali
The ‘baithak’, or an intimate setting in which musical performances took place, is slowly fading. The Amarrass Society for Performing Arts, in partnership with Village Square, is reviving this tradition by hosting a baithak of folk music and qawwali in the beautiful hills of Uttarakhand.
I am not the guardian of Uttarakhand’s folk traditions
Sarvjeet Tamta, a self-taught qawwali singer and harmonium virtuoso from Almora, delves into his love for the folk music of his state, his journey with his band Himali Mou and their alter ego Rehmat-e-Nusrat, playing to packed houses across the globe today and his dalit background.
He’s saving Tripura’s puppetry tradition, no strings attached!
Prabhitangshu Das, who heads the Tripura Puppet Theatre Group, is at the forefront of preserving the craft in his state. From making children smarter to creating social change, there’s much to be gained from puppetry, he believes.
And, it’s a rap about Naga culture
With about 2.20 lakh followers and millions of views on YouTube, Moko Koza has well arrived on the Indian hip-hop scene. The Kohima-based rapper tells us how he is promoting Naga culture through his music.
From waste to wonder – Odisha’s eco-friendly cow dung toys
At a time when plastic and rubber toys rule the market, artisans in Ganjam district are crafting them in the traditional way. From dolls to animal masks and vegetable shapes, the toys come in various forms and sizes.
These architects are building an archive of MP’s tribal traditions
Meet architects Achyut Siddu and Apoorva Mishra who are encouraging members of the Pardhan Gond, Baiga and Bhil tribes of Madhya Pradesh to document their traditions through their initiative, Loksutr.
Substitute for clay to ‘fortify’ Karnataka’s Bidri art
Did you know that the famous Bidri products were traditionally made with clay from a 15th century fort? Now scientists at IIT-Madras have come up with a chemical alternative to help artisans sustain the craft while preserving the monument.
Blind siblings from Uttarakhand on road to musical success
Born to daily wage labourers and facing the harsh realities of their disability, three blind siblings are making a name for themselves through their music in Garhwali and Kumaoni languages.
Meet the Ravan Didi of Uttarakhand
Munni Padiyar Bisht, an unassuming village woman from Chamoli district, metamorphoses into the formidable Ravan Didi through this women-led Ramlila in Uttarakhand.
There’s art in Ladakh’s choktse, the multi-purpose low table
Each motif in the ornately carved wooden choktse of Ladakh, an everyday object in every household, reflects the facets of life. Despite challenges and the intense work involved, artisans persevere to preserve Ladakh’s distinct cultural heritage.
‘Mother India’ to ‘Laapataa Ladies’: Rural themes in Oscars race from India
As Laapataa Ladies makes it as India’s entry to the Oscars 2025 in the Best International Feature Film category, here are some other rural-themed movies sent as the country’s submission for the prestigious award in the past.
Meet the 24-year-old who wants to preserve Mising culture through music
Rediscovering the rich roots of the Mising culture during a fellowship, Sikur Padma Pao promotes and preserves the indigenous peoples’ natural and cultural heritage through the music that he and his band, The Dynamics, create.
Odisha dholak player’s journey from village squares to viral video
Despite battling night blindness and financial hardships, Golak Paik, a musician from Dublabahal village in Odisha, has captivated netizens with his Sambalpuri music after a video of his performance went viral on social media.
Independent cinema v/s Bollywood featuring Adil Hussain and Faisal Malik
What do Adil Hussain and Faisal Malik have in common other than their rural backgrounds and meteoric ascent to stardom? They were both at Chitrashaala, Village Square’s short film festival, to talk about their work, life and the struggles of showing good cinema in India.
Reel encounters with some special rural teachers
Over the years many filmmakers have paid tribute to the gurus in our lives by making films that depict the teacher-student relationship. Here are six such movies with rural stories that revolve around inspiring teachers.
Discussing climate change through cinema
The climate change-themed short films screened at Village Square’s Chitrashaala film festival drew the audience’s attention to this pressing issue. The filmmakers in attendance – Jigar Nagda and Stenzin Tankong – spoke about the subject during a discussion at the fest.
Bringing back the romance in craft at Chitrashaala
Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali discusses challenges of filming crafts with award-winning filmmaker Utpal Borpujari and young filmmaker Riah Taipodia from Meghalaya during a conversation at the Chitrashaala short film festival in August 2024.
From Dongargaon to Toronto, Sthal brings rural realism to silver screen
Jayant Somalkar’s debut film Sthal, shot in 22 days in his home village with local non-professional actors, authentically captures the struggles of a young woman from rural Maharashtra fighting for education and independence in a patriarchal society.