Village Vibe
Leech therapy – alive and sucking in Kashmir
Despite being long abandoned as a medical cure by modern science, many people in the Kashmir Valley still let leeches suck their blood in hopes of curing everything from swollen joints and headaches to frostbite and acne.
Ancient Mayurbhanj Chhau dance steps up revival
The dramatic 19th century martial arts Mayurbhanj Chhau dance is stepping up its revival thanks to renewed patronage of an erstwhile royal family and government support.
Common kitchens – what’s cooking in Kerala?
Work and other commitments vying for time, one cannot spare time to cook. What started out of necessity for two couples is making "common kitchens' spring up across Kerala.
Rural theatre acts out vaccine hesitancy
Setting the stage to bust myths around vaccine hesitancy, tribal dance and theatre productions manage to convert the unvaccinated in Rajasthan, proving the power of tailor-made messaging.
Azolla “water weed” becomes cattle superfood
With the cost of maintaining livestock a constant burden for most poor farmers, azolla goes from being a pesky water weed to a sustainable and cost-effective superfood for cattle.
Tikuli art – Born from bindis
Bright, elaborately designed bindis that 17th century women wore gave birth to the tikuli style of painting, which was hugely popular before fading into obscurity. Today the art form is seeing a revival, despite pandemic-induced setbacks.
Young twitcher becomes desert’s star birding guide
With a passion for birds, birding guide Musa Khan hopes his work will inspire other twitchers to become aware of rising bird deaths due to power transmission lines in the Thar desert.
Hot iron branding of babies fizzles out
In a unique approach, healthcare workers in rural Odisha engaged traditional healers – who once branded newborn babies with a hot iron to try and cure illnesses – to curb this harmful practice.
Weavers keep Bastar’s pata saree tradition alive
Artisans are hopeful traditional handloom weaving will get a much-needed boost in Bastar, Chhattisgarh - home of the pata saree - as the government plans to start a weaving hub.
A young woman engineer spurs hope for pottery in Kashmir
Traditional potters struggling to survive are confident of better business again after a young woman who found hope through pottery is bringing it back into the limelight.
Abandoned as an infant, she brings up orphaned girls
Knowing the pain of being abandoned and growing up in an orphanage, Parkash Kaur brings up abandoned girls, giving them a loving home, care and a good education.
Forget logging or hunting – two Assam villages embrace ecotourism
Giving up hunting and tree felling, two Assamese villages are conserving their forest habitat rather than let their natural resources erode. With their villages now on the eco-tourism map, they are embracing alternate livelihoods.
Assam’s rural theatre: Curtains up or down?
Despite competition from Netflix and YouTube, small theatre troupes in Assam enjoy a loyal patronage. Yet, with acting as their main livelihood, the artists face uncertainty during the pandemic.
Assam’s rural theatre: Curtains up or down?
Despite competition from Netflix and YouTube, small theatre troupes in Assam enjoy a loyal patronage. Yet, with acting as their main livelihood, the artists face uncertainty during the pandemic.
Award takes Kaithapram’s therapeutic music to a higher note
Having experienced the healing powers of music, Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, a Padma Shri awardee, believes music therapy can cure illnesses and disabilities.
Kashmir’s cricket bat industry goes for a toss
Kashmir’s political and pandemic lockdowns, never mind inadequate infrastructure, are dealing a severe blow to its 100-crore cricket bat industry, which experts say could otherwise be booming.
Sun-dried vegetables find “flavour” in Kashmiri kitchens
Sun-drying summer vegetables, an ancient Kashmiri practice to make up for lack of fresh produce in the harsh winters, are still in demand thanks to their distinct flavour and the increasingly early onset of winters.
Tourism-dependent islanders struggle to stay afloat
Villagers in Elephanta Island were filled with hope when tourism resumed after the COVID-19 lockdowns. But with fear of a third wave and few tourists showing up, they begin the new year with apprehensions.
Show us your best rural snaps every month!
Village Square is launching an exciting new opportunity for photographers to show us rural India through their lens in our “Photo of the Month” strand on Instagram.
Naga tourism takes a hit due to violence
Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival – a much-awaited cultural extravaganza – was called off because of violence in the region. This comes as local tourism was already suffering because of the pandemic.