Odisha
The ‘art houses’ of Odisha’s Santal tribe
The colourful murals painted by Santal women are a centre of attraction in Mayurbhanj district. The community believes that the artworks adorning the mud walls of homes appease their god and ancestors, ensuring their health and prosperity.
These unschooled Odisha women are running a farm school
Women farmers of Nuaguda village not only work to preserve traditional rice and millet varieties but also run a school to teach others how to follow sustainable agriculture practices.
It’s millets all the way for these women in Odisha
Passionate about farming, a woman revives millet cultivation, prompting other women to follow suit, and together they now run a successful millet-based food business.
Ganjapa – Odisha’s most colourful card game
Ganjapa, originating from Persian culture, became part of Indian tradition in the 16th century. It showcased hand-painted cards and indigenous playing styles. Sadly, this once popular game now suffers from a decline in its artistic heritage.
How Odisha’s Kondh tribe resolves conflicts
The community prefers internal conflict resolution instead of approaching the police or courts since the local mechanism is a cost effective process involving mediation by village elders.
Sal-sufficient: Leafy tableware of Odisha’s Santhal tribe
Santhal women in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district are preserving their ancient heritage by making plates and bowls from sal leaves. However, the arrival of plastic products in remote tribal areas is fast wiping out the practice.
Check out Sarakapatna’s vibrant ‘Hastatanta’ sarees
Sarakapatna in Odisha is the home of 'Hastatanta' sarees that weave a tapestry of beauty and tradition. The rhythmic clatter of tanta (looms) echoes in every household, a testament to the enduring artistry of this captivating craft.
Every house has a traditional healer in this Odisha village
Bhoisahi in Khordha district remains a major destination for those seeking medical treatment, earning it the moniker of ‘Vaidya Gaon’.
Could this Odisha tribal snack start a food trend?
Palami Mallick, 65, who belongs to the Kutia Kondh tribe in Odisha's Kandhamal district, prepares mandia pitha using ragi and other ingredients. This particularly vulnerable tribal group has a strong cultural association with millets.
Horseshoe crab: The granddaddy of sea creatures needs help
The horseshoe crab, found in waters off Odisha and West Bengal, is one of the oldest living animals on the planet. It is disappearing now and we are responsible for it.
Women shed ‘forest encroachers’ tag, turn land owners
Dubbed as encroachers in the forest land they tilled, the women of a village in Odisha claim their land rights and get their name recorded on the property document.
Horseshoe crab – the living fossil on brink of extinction
It has been living for 450 million years and has survived five mass extinctions, but the horseshoe crab is now in danger because of overexploitation of marine resources by humans.
All that glitters in Antia village is indeed gold
The centuries-old use of golden grass in making crafts is financially empowering the women of Jajpur in Odisha. A GI tag and aggressive marketing can improve things further.
Odisha women earn lakhs by cooking patua from veggie peels
Most of us may discard the nutrient-rich vegetable peels as waste, but the rural women of Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts in Odisha are now using them to prepare the traditional patua dish and earn a living.
Pad perfect – championing menstrual hygiene
Two humble initiatives in Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir are making a difference in the lives of thousands of rural women by providing them easy access to sanitary napkins.
Odisha village reunites with man missing for 60 years
Tears of joy sweep Luhagudi in Gajapati district as children of Gobardhana Lahara help the septuagenarian to rediscover his roots.
Dhinki delight in Odisha: Bringing back hand-pounded ragi
When doctors suggested finger millet gruel for her husband’s ailment, Saraswati Naik of Asuki village in Kendujhar district not only started growing ragi, but also pounded it by hand to retain its nutritional value. She now swears by it.
Dying Siali craft keeps Mankidia tribe on the edge
The tribe was displaced from the Similipal forest when it became a national park, which reduced access to the Siali creeper they weave into ropes and baskets.
Cut off from forests, Odisha’s tribe struggles to survive
Once known for its intricate relationship with the forest, the Hill Kharia tribal community in Odisha now battles malnutrition and other serious health issues.
Odisha’s blind women cricketers eye spot in Indian squad
For five young Odia women who started playing blind women’s cricket for their state just four years back, being shortlisted for the national team fills them with hope to represent India internationally.