Village Vibe

Village Vibe celebrates the art, culture and festivals of India’s village life. Urbanites aren’t the only ones who become social media stars, produce stunning art, enjoy food fads or follow fitness crazes. And as for festivals, there’s a totally different vibe in the villages.

Indian Traditional Art in Weddings

Every region in India has its own unique art style which is an integral part of the wedding festivities to usher in fertility, prosperity, and auspiciousness. Their stories, rooted in folklore, make for a riveting read.

The people of this MP village fear building roofs

Despite gentle interventions by the government, the people of Kaf village, in Madhya Pradesh, hold on to a unique superstition that prevents them from building concrete roofs. This belief is a double-edged sword, discovers Village Square.

The Andamans on a shoestring

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are some of the most pristine, ecologically fragile islands in the world.. Here’s how to explore the Islands in an ecologically responsible way, that too on a budget.

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A Himalayan baithak of folk music & qawwali

The ‘baithak’, or an intimate setting in which musical performances took place, is slowly fading. The Amarrass Society for Performing Arts, in partnership with Village Square, is reviving this tradition by hosting a baithak of folk music and qawwali in the beautiful hills of Uttarakhand.

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Majestic mountain escapes beyond the Indian Himalayas

December 11 is International Mountain Day, and we’re giving you the lowdown on mountain destinations outside Himalayan country. So if you’re heading for the hills anytime soon, check out these high-altitude spots in the lesser-known ranges of India.

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I am not the guardian of Uttarakhand’s folk traditions

Sarvjeet Tamta, a self-taught qawwali singer and harmonium virtuoso from Almora, delves into his love for the folk music of his state, his journey with his band Himali Mou and their alter ego Rehmat-e-Nusrat, playing to packed houses across the globe today and his dalit background.

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He’s saving Tripura’s puppetry tradition, no strings attached!

Prabhitangshu Das, who heads the Tripura Puppet Theatre Group, is at the forefront of preserving the craft in his state. From making children smarter to creating social change, there’s much to be gained from puppetry, he believes.

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The river Spiti: a glacial waterbody of the upper Himalayas

Village Square journeys along the river Spiti, in Himachal’s Lahaul and Spiti district, and discovers that though most settlements in the region have sprung up around it, the river itself serves little practical purpose to inhabitants.

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Punjab’s hockey villages dribble past lost touch for Paris Olympics bronze

The villages of Sansarpur, Mithapur, and Khusropur in Punjab, once renowned for producing Olympic hockey players, are reviving their legacy after decades of decline due to various reasons, including drug abuse in the region.