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.

Empowering the Kalandar women, one stitch at a time

Women from the Kalandar community are stitching a new future and redefining their destiny. Uncover their transformative journey of empowerment through the Wildlife SOS Sewing Training Centres.

A rich legacy of toys and board games in India

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Ancient India had a rich tradition of board games, whose variations are still played today as Snakes & Ladders, Ludo and chess. The games were also a way to inculcate moral values in children.

A village tourism bucket list for art lovers

It’s a double whammy for lovers of rustic art with this list of must-visit attractions in the hinterland where you can enjoy gazing at creative masterpieces. Read on to get fresh ideas on where to go over the long weekends of 2025.

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Meghalaya’s whistling village, where melody is the language 

Kongthong, a unique village in Meghalaya, is known for its whistling tradition. Here residents communicate using personalised whistles instead of names. This distinctive practice, rooted in local culture, highlights the village’s deep connection to nature.

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Teenage Madhubani artist from Bihar eyes brighter future for herself

Once unsure about her future, today Alisha Perween, from Bihar is on her way to becoming a sure-footed Madhubani artist. All thanks to a women’s empowerment programme, this school-goer now has concrete ideas about what to do next.

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Fuelled by FOMO, GEN Z takes the SM route to Maha Kumbh

Social media savvy youngsters are heading to Prayagraj to figure out for themselves what the hype created around Maha Kumbh is all about.

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A date with a sixth-generation pattachitra artist from Raghurajpur

Village Square spends the day with a local pattachitra artist from Odisha’s famous art village, Raghurajpur, to understand more about the craft and the village that was home to three Padmashree winners.

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Art’s the way: More wedding gift ideas

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In the second part of the feature on wedding gifts inspired by Indian arts and crafts, we bring to you an array of religious paintings and home decor items that will spoil you for choice. Try not to hold on to these for yourself!

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Wedding gift ideas inspired by traditional Indian art

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Given the growing interest in local Indian art, we bring to you an exhaustive list of arts and crafts from the subcontinent that you can gift this wedding season. Here’s the first of this two-part feature.