Maharashtra

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Panchkroshi – Maharashtra farmers harness the power of five

Maharashtra farmers are reviving the traditional concept of Panchkroshi, wherein five neighbouring villages come together, to boost sustainability in their drought-hit region.

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Papads and pickles empower women in Maharashtra

A women's self-help group in the quaint village of Peth in Palghar district of Maharashtra has transformed traditional culinary skills into entrepreneurial success.

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This Maharashtra village is home to 10 aromatic rice varieties

Murukate village in Maharashtra grows 10 traditional varieties of rice, with organic fertiliser and the mountain streams that irrigate the fields lending each of them a unique fragrance.

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Maharashtra villagers join forces to preserve serene beach

Unlike its boisterous, touristy neighbours like Alibag and Kihim, the rocky beachfront of Awas is untouched by food carts and recreational activities and offers clean serenity that draws loyal visitors.

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Self-help groups – learning from the roots

While the reasons that motivate women to join self-help groups are the same, developing each group through a facilitative process instead of on a pre-conceived concept works better.

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Youngsters ditch restaurants, boost roadside stalls in Matheran

Young tourists on shoestring budgets skip restaurants and eat at roadside stalls or buy fresh fruits and berries sold by people living in the valley below Matheran.

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Sangli’s grape farmers are ‘raisin’ the bar

Farmers harness the suitable climate and grow certain varieties of grapes that can be dried into raisins, elevating Sangli district as India’s raisin hub.

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She chose to wear mangalsutra even after her husband’s death

Tulsabai Gaikwad of Herwad village in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district talks about becoming the first woman to shun archaic customs imposed on widows – in her own words.

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Maharashtra village switches off TV and mobiles to ‘detoxify’

Villagers of Mangaon in Kolhapur district are staying away from TV and phones for 90 minutes every evening so that children can study and elders can socialise without distractions.

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Strawberry sweetens deal for Maharashtra farmers

The luscious strawberry is moving beyond its comfort zone of Maharashtra’s Panchgani-Mahabaleshwar region, bringing a smile to farmers in other regions of the state as well.

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Celebrating Sant Janabai through Dhrupad and Bharatanatyam

A dance production brings to centre stage the life and teachings of Sant Janabai – the simple woman helped in her chores by none other than Lord Vitthala – through traditional dance and music fusion.

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The Kolhapur rice tipping the scale one grain at a time

Nearly a decade after getting the recognition it deserved – bagging a GI tag in 2015 – Maharashtra’s fragrant and slender Ajara Ghansal rice is now becoming the foodie’s favourite.

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Enterprising women: Stories of inspiring micro-entrepreneurs in Maharashtra

Women who run small businesses and micro-enterprises in a village in Maharashtra are entrepreneurial role models, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.

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One man’s bamboo quest breaks records

With 96 varieties harvested, farmer Prashant Date sets the record for the largest collection of bamboo in India. His garden is growing and he may venture into the commercial space soon.

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Money blooms in India’s ‘flower village’ of Nikamwadi in Maharashtra

Farmers have almost abandoned water-thirsty sugarcane for more colourful, and profitable, crops – marigold and chrysanthemum – which fetch them around Rs 10 lakh a year.

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How pearl farms bring money to a parched village in Maharashtra

While growing a crop is extremely difficult in drought-affected Marathwada, pearl cultivation becomes an alternative and viable source of income to farmers.

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Rainwater Harvesting: How a parched village catches rain to prosper

Six years ago, farmers of drought-hit Hottal migrated to the cities to earn their livelihood. But thanks to rainwater harvesting, underground aquifers are full and they’re now growing three organic crops a year.

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Agri-entrepreneurship: Inspiring family story in a cup of lemongrass tea

The signature tea of the popular Saibaba Gavti Tea Centre on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway tells the story of its owner’s journey from odd-job boy to successful agri-entrepreneur.

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Barge oil spill hurting beach, mangrove and livelihoods

Cyclone Tauktae bashed a barge into rocks, resulting in an oil spill that still hasn’t been cleared, hurting Mahim’s sandy beaches, unique mangrove ecology and livelihoods of fisher folk.

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Fodder camps save cattle during Maharashtra drought

Providing fodder and water to cattle, government and private fodder camps in drought-affected Satara district in Maharashtra help farmers prevent distress sale of their livestock