Chhattisgarh
A crumpled Rs 100 note shows hope in Chhattisgarh village
A small village in Bastar, once plagued by mistrust and corruption, finds hope through inclusive planning, symbolised by one villager's offer of a crumpled Rs 100 note.
Bastar’s ‘pariwar chaupal’ fosters gender equity, rural women’s health
Pariwar Chaupal, a unique initiative launched in Chhattisgarh, is expanding awareness about shared responsibility within households, women’s health, nutrition and gender equity by involving men and other key stakeholders in conversations.
Education brings a ray of hope in Chhattisgarh’s red corridor
Schools in Sukma district in the red corridor of Chhattisgarh became nonfunctional due to Naxal insurgency. Now the district administration is making education available for everyone and successfully coaching students for professional courses.
Dhokra balances preservation & evolution amidst challenges
Despite the creation of a designated space in the craft city area of Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon for artisans to work, Dhokra craftsmen still face issues such as not receiving fair prices for their finished products and difficulty in accessing raw materials.
Family of woodcarvers preserves Chhattisgarh’s Muria Ghotul art
Despite the challenges and uncertainties, the legacy of talented artisans endures in the small village of Garh Bengal as a testament to the indomitable spirit of creativity.
A forest hunt for Chhattisgarh’s delicious Pihiri mushrooms
The rare Pihiri mushrooms found amid the lush greenery of Chhattisgarh's Achanakmar Tiger Reserve serve as a lifeline for local villagers who harvest them for income while tackling challenges like wildlife threats.
‘Shameless Greens’ – making millets cool
Ragi milkshake, bajra khichadi, millet momos and lollipops... Sounds exciting, intriguing and delicious? These recipes were developed at Raigarh Millets Cafe, Chhattisgarh’s first eatery to serve exclusive millet-based foods.
How this Chhattisgarh cafe mainstreamed millets
What started as a programme to popularise the nutritional benefits of millets in anganwadis has led to a group of women starting an exclusive millets cafe in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh.
Madhya Pradesh activist gifts home for tribal museum
Born in a poor family, Subhadra Khaperde, 56, is doing her bit for uplifting the downtrodden, including turning her own modest home into a tribal museum.
Weekly markets bring healthcare closer to Chhattisgarh tribals
Haat bazaar clinics organised in weekly rural markets prove to be a boon for communities in remote tribal villages that lack healthcare facilities.
3Ms herald prosperity in troubled Bastar
Bastar, once synonymous with Naxalism, is seeing a slow change for the better through moringa and millet cultivation, besides wage work through the rural employment scheme.
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.
She wanted to become a forest officer since childhood. Now she is an IFS officer
Observing how the livelihood of her community depended on mahua flowers and tendu leaves from the forest, Stylo Mandavi chose to join the Indian Forest Service. As an officer where human-elephant conflict is common, she must always be on alert.
A café in Dantewada resuscitates life in a conflict zone
In southern Chhattisgarh, which mostly hits headlines for Naxalite violence, a restaurant serving fresh, locally-sourced food, good music and a convivial atmosphere is making a difference in people’s lives.
In pictures: Coffee cultivation at an unlikely place
Most of us have heard of the delicious coffee beans from Araku in Andhra Pradesh, Coorg in Karnataka and Wayanad in Kerala, but do you know about the aromatic coffee being produced in the tribal regions of Bastar in Chhattisgarh?
Vanishing vultures find friends for their survival
Five Baiga tribal youths track, count and protect the critically endangered Indian long-billed vultures at their roosting site in Aurapani village of Chhattisgarh.
“Instead of succumbing to miseries, I took charge of my life and SHGs helped me”
Born in a poor farmer household and having had to bear the burden of losing loved ones early in life, Sukari Nag of Neganar village in Chhattisgarh was emotionally and financially drained. Joining a self-help group not only improves her income but helps her guide others as the group’s leader.
Small pumps are a viable solution for poor farmers
Although small pumps for irrigation doesn’t get the attention it deserves, evidence from groundwater-rich states such as Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha show that they have significant benefits for small and marginal farmers