Village Vibe

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Bihar women weave a new future with sikki grass

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.

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Visiting Mussoorie? Say cheese at this 100-yr-old Landour shop

In the heart of the misty hills of Uttarakhand lies the enchanting town of Landour, which is home to one of India's favourite authors, Ruskin Bond, and a cheese shop that is deeply rooted in the history of its cobblestone streets and colonial-era cottages.

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Tosha: A traditional sweet delicacy of Kashmir

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.

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Exciting village festivals you can attend this March

Spring is here! And rural India is getting ready to celebrate the blooming season with festivities that reflect each region’s cultural richness. These are some of the most vibrant festivals you can enjoy this March.

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Surfers of Mahabalipuram

The young generation of the fisherfolk colony in Mahabalipuram are now chasing the waves, thanks to a surfing school.

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Ahead of season 3, a real-life ‘Panchayat’ experience in MP

Harish Joshi, resembling the character of “sachiv ji”, shares his experiences as the panchayat secretary, while sarpanch Inderbai reflects on women’s empowerment in Mahodiya village of Madhya Pradesh where the popular web series ‘Panchayat’ was filmed.

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Empowering Punjab’s rural women

The essence of the rural employment guarantee scheme lay obscured in many villages of Punjab, veiled by the shadows of ignorance. But a women's collective is helping to empower beneficiaries across nearly 3,000 villages.

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Millet farmer cooking up a storm in her Jharkhand bakery

After taking to modern farming methods and getting a higher yield, this woman farmer from Hutar village in Jharkhand embarks on a successful entrepreneurial journey by making and selling millet sweets.

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Winners of 2024 Village Vibe Photo Competition

See the winning photographs from this year’s photo competition and hear the winners share their experience of coming to Delhi and watch their pictures on display at Sunder Nursery.

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Bringing back India’s linguistic heritage

In an age when the world stares at the extinction of most indigenous languages, some passionate rural communities in India have taken innovative initiatives to preserve their languages. On this International Mother Language Day we present a compilation of these stories and initiatives.

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100-yr-old shawls to WW-II objects, Manipur woman preserves relics

From old traditional attire to ‘Mickey Mouse money’, Vasai Zimik Ringkhanring from Sirarakhong village in Manipur owns a collection of over 1,000 historical artefacts amassed over 20 years

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Delhi grooves to sights and sounds of rural India

Vignettes from rural life came alive at a special evening held to felicitate the winners of Village Square’s Annual Photo Exhibition, as the Delhi audience were mesmerised by the winning photos and live folk music performances.

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

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.

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Sohrai workshop brings together artistic hiveminds

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.

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Night-watchman supports Odisha’s Adivasi archers’ Olympic dreams

Mitrabhanu Mohapatra, an archery coach in Jujumura village of Odisha, dedicates his life to coaching aspiring archers from low-income Adivasi families, transcending the boundaries of sport and shaping futures

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Caution: Reading this will make you crave paani-puri

With no background in making puris for the delectable pani puri or in running a business, a group of women in rural Tamil Nadu become successful micro-entrepreneurs.

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She quit a cushy job to revive tribal foods

To ensure tribal foods from vanishing and to let non-tribes enjoy the goodness of the same, Aruna Tirkey quit a comfortable consultancy job, to run a restaurant exclusively for tribal foods.

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Uttarakhand women enjoy ‘khushi ka ek din’

Festivals being held across Kumaon region are helping 'pahadi' women to let their hair down and revel in simple joys, even though only for a day in a year.

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Miniaturist preserves legacy of the Darjeeling toy train

‘In the hills of Darjeeling, the toy train runs in my blood,’ says Sanjeev Bagdas, one of the last remaining artists handcrafting miniature replicas of the iconic Himalayan locomotive

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Breaking barriers: Kabaddi coach empowers women in Bihar

A transformative journey is unfolding in Bihar's Patna district under the guidance of kabaddi coach Mohammed Iliyas. For over 15 years, he has been sculpting the destinies of young women, navigating the landscape of gender inequality in a region where opportunities often seem elusive.