Winters are here and at the start of December, all the colorful kambals...
The Art Of Spinning : My First-Time Experience
It's a flower. A flower unlike anything you and I have ever seen. Within it...
भोपा और गाड़िया लोहार समुदाय
भोपा समुदाय भोपा समुदाय राजस्थान भारत में लोक देवताओं का गायन करने वाला एक...
Gender And Masculinity Intervention In Kushalgarh, Banswara
Kushalgarh is a block in the Banswara district of Rajasthan. 80% of its...
Lessons From A Workshop On ‘Introduction to Libraries’
What is a library? Six months ago, I would have given a completely different...
How Caste Continues To Take A Center Stage In Panna, Madhya Pradesh
A year and a half ago when I boarded a train to Panna, I was sharing a berth...
Center For Entrepreneurship Development, Gujarat
The Center for Entrepreneurship Development (CED), Gujarat is a government-run...
आदिवासी समाज में महुआ के पेड़ का महत्व
बस्तर के आदिवासी समाज के लिए महुआ का पेड़ विशेष महत्व रखता है। महुआ के मौसम...
What Came In The Way Of My Mobile Library
The better part of my day here in Kantain, Uttar Pradesh comes after school hours. There is immense satisfaction in helping some extremely eager students with academics as well as general awareness about the world around them. The sun sets as the children of Mishirpur...
Lessons I Learnt From Organizing A Sale
I have organised events when I was in college and have also worked with a wedding planner on a big fat Indian wedding. I always knew that it requires dealing with a lot of people, working with multiple opinions and preferences, unforeseen troubles and non-stop...
Living With Taboo And Stigma
Things that seem acceptable in urban educated society may not be the same everywhere. Until now, in my microscopic view of societal interactions, I have been living under an impression that the "normal' remains same across regions. Access to the best possible...
Making Learning Fun, One Activity At A Time
I always found my school days boring as I never really enjoyed classroom learning, which now seems quite rigid. During my college days, I came across the NCERT books and a few websites for Creativity Learning. I found them interesting and was motivated to use this as...
Eagles Eye, Subtle Pry: A Research Study On Honeybees
Early in the morning, I left for field work, in Palghar, Maharashtra where I'm currently working with Under the Mango Tree (UTMT), a social enterprise. This was one of the designated tasks that demands to deal with orchard owners. I’m trying to find a relationship...
Gun License, Hindu Identity: In Conversation With Locals Of Sitapur
While talking with people over snacks, there is so much that I learn about this place and its surrounding areas. The topic of gun license came up when I was interacting with parents of a girl, whom I teach in a school here at Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh (UP). It...
Where There Is A Will But Still No Way!
Have you ever noticed how women in rural-setups react if you ask how she feels? Or how often does she laugh? Does she feel a sense of contentment? On hearing such questions, at first, she smiles and then, shuns the questions. Next, she looks at us with utter surprise...
कोटड़ा की ‘वेर प्रथा’
Kotra, a tribal region in Udaipur district of Rajasthan, is where I have been living at, for the past six months of my fellowship. Often confused with Kota at my home, Kotra is the part of Rajasthan that I never knew existed (perhaps my ignorance is the reason behind...
मासूम परिंदे!
बचपन एक ऐसा शब्द है जिसे सुनते ही मेरे साथ आप में से कईयों के ज़हन में भी कई खूबसूरत लम्हें और तस्वीरें तैरने लग जाती होंगी. नाना-नानी, पापा-मम्मी सहित घर के सभी बड़े लोगों से मिलने वाला लाड़-प्यार व उपहार याद आ जाते होंगे. खेल-खिलौने, चॉकलेट एवं पसंदीदा मिठाइयों की...
A Taste Of Rural Patriarchy And Urban Feminism
The moment 'Vaishali Express' touched the borders of Bihar, an uncanny sense of masculinity emanated from all corners of the train compartment. The frequency of glares and stares increased exponentially. The background of an 18-year long experience in Uttar Pradesh...
‘Parag Kosh Ke Daane’ And Sex Education Post 377
What do you say to 12 year old girls who are extremely happy about the legal status of LGBT community because now they can marry their besties!? Well, I could only say, “That's great but don’t be too sure that you only like women; you can like both men and women, even...
My Everyday Life In a Village Of Kanpur
Let me start with some honesty. Two months ago, when I got to know that I am supposed to work in Kanpur, that too not in the city but in rural areas, I was filled with anxiety. The organization wasn't known to me. I was envious of my co-fellows who would be working in...
Goats And Nine Yards Of Blue
Across Munger district of Bihar, women dressed in sky blue saris are disrupting the community’s perception of their ability to improve the lives of poor. With help from a Goat Resource Center (GRC), a small establishment by the roadside that serves as an office and...
My Story With PERIODS As A Male Staff
Image: Doing sessions and discussions with adolescent girls on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management I am working in a community radio station - Nityananda Janavani 91.2 FM in Purulia, West Bengal. Our radio station was already making programs on lots of issues...