Rajasthan
Traditional ‘hangadi kheti’ revitalises Rajasthan’s agriculture
In drought-prone Rajasthan, an initiative is helping tribal communities combine hangadi kheti, a traditional multi-cropping method, with modern drip irrigation to use water judiciously and improve their livelihood.
Moving mountains with rural-based themes on celluloid
Aravali the Lost Mountains, by Jigar Nagda, captures this conflict between the many facets of development. In a chat with Village Square, the filmmaker talks about his journey and mining in Rajasthan ahead of the screening of the film at the Chitrashaala short-film festival.
‘Even small ponds make a big difference’
It’s not just us but also our water bodies that are parched today. And community-driven water conservation is the need of the hour for rural empowerment and environmental sustainability, says Maulik Sisodia, executive director, Tarun Bharat Sangh.
Have you heard of Rajasthan’s mobile baba?
A middle-aged villager learns digital skills and teaches others, and uses digital tools to get his villagers the social welfare aids they are entitled to, earning himself the name of mobile baba.
From child bride to award winner, Rajasthan farmer breaks barriers
Married off as a teen, Sagar Kunwar of Pali in Rajasthan has evolved over the years to become the chairperson of an all-woman producer company, winning awards for spearheading organic farming.
Thar villagers revive ponds to tackle water scarcity
Understanding the importance of traditional water sources for water security, villagers revive ponds that have kept the Thar desert communities water secure for generations.
Drop of change: Rajasthan village’s inspiring water resurgence
The people of Jodhpuriya, a village in Rajasthan that always faced water woes, come together, to revive their check dam and create rules for sustained water security.
The perils of microfinance in rural Rajasthan
In the heart of rural Rajasthan, microfinance is emerging as a double-edged sword. Used as a tool for economic empowerment, it can also become a debt trap, especially for the tribal communities.
The elderly are leading climate action in Thar
In a time when heatwaves and droughts continue to threaten the future of human life as temperatures rise, GRAVIS (Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti)has been working with Help Age International to revive traditional water harvesting techniques in the Thar desert. The initiative focuses on getting the elderly together and taking charge of their situation.
A day at Pushkar camel fair
A day spent at Pushkar camel festival unfolds a tornado of sights, sounds and feelings. We made a touch-and-go visit and returned with a mind full of memories and a memory card full of photos.
India’s most haunted villages
From ghostly apparitions to hair-raising tales, this list reveals the country's supernatural secrets.
Students shape a future in terracotta pottery
Two college students start Mittihub, a platform selling terracotta pottery, to improve the livelihood of traditional potters, while offering fine products to customers across India and beyond.
A rural woman’s ‘toy story’ towards success
An accidental brush with a training programme turns an unlettered rural woman into an entrepreneur who now runs a soft toy business in Rajasthan. She now earns Rs 30,000 per month and employs 12 women.
Reviving Pattu-weaving in Barmer thread by thread
Young weaver Kheta Ram and his group are preserving Pattu weaving, by crafting fabrics steeped in history and creating a market for this traditional art.
Entrepreneurship: Street vendors and market theories
An everyday sight on the street shows the great Indian spirit of entrepreneurship, the ingenuity of the masses, and their instinctive understanding of complex theories of economics and markets.
Poor facilities plague Rajasthan’s anganwadis
With dilapidated buildings that often do not have basic facilities such as water and electricity, the anganwadis in Rajasthan are not able to fully ensure the development of children.
Documentary highlights plight of Hakkipikki tribe
Members of the community found in Karnataka were in the news for being stranded by the armed conflict sweeping Sudan in recent times.
Parched Thar villages get safe drinking water
Simple bio sand filters make water safe for drinking in arid Rajasthan villages, preventing diseases and ensuring health of people.
Puppets in Jaisalmer museum preserve old tradition
Storytelling through puppetry is being kept alive at this museum, but more needs to be done if the ancient art form is to thrive.
Earth Overshoot Day: A call for sustained conservation efforts
The World Overshoot Day today once again serves as a reminder that human demands on nature surpass the planet's biocapacity. The effects are for everyone to see, especially in rural areas.