Satyabrata Panigrahy

2 months ago | villagesquare.in | Tuba Ali |Satyabrata Panigrahy |Atiqur Rahman |Fahim Mattoo

India is a place of various tribes, religions and cultures living together, and this diversification has led to a rich artistic environment. Whether it is the “Dancing Girl” from Harappa, the Stupa at Sanchi or the painting “Bharat Mata” by Abanindranath Tagore, all of these tell us of a beautiful history. To learn about Indian art, we don’t necessarily need to go to libraries anymore. In this digital age, there are multiple learning tools, from books to videos and audio.

2 months ago | villagesquare.in | Satyabrata Panigrahy |Atiqur Rahman |Fahim Mattoo |Sadaf Shabir

As the temperature fell below 12 degrees Celsius, as is characteristic for the hilly tracts of Damanjodi block in Odisha’s Koraput, the artists at a winter art camp held here in the last week of November 2024 were least affected. They were immersed in recreating scenes of tranquility from their surroundings. All of them seemed like monks in deep meditation, trying to listen to the sounds of the forest and recreate what they were experiencing on paper.

Nov 5, 2024 | villagesquare.in | Kumar Gaurav |Unnati Sharma |Satyabrata Panigrahy

In Jharkhand‘s East Singhbhum district, Tarun Kumar moves by himself. A bulky carton of sanitary napkins strapped to a motorbike he drives — an unusual scene for a man — has now become a common sight in the district. Away from the city’s bright lights, Kumar, 32, has been enlightening young women on menstrual hygiene and arranging for sanitary napkins for them in Kolhan, a division in Jharkhand where the population mostly comprises tribal communities.

Nov 4, 2024 | villagesquare.in | Kumar Gaurav |Unnati Sharma |Satyabrata Panigrahy

“Mangoes are just like human beings,” says Haji Kalimullah Khan, the 84-year-old “mango man” of Malihabad as he shows us a 125-year-old mango tree laden with the fruits of his hard work. This grandfather tree produces 370 varieties of mango in Khan’s 22-acre orchard in Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh. Also Read: A juicy outcome for Maharashtra mango farmers“I don’t eat the same variety of mango twice,” Khan told Village Square, beaming with pride, and took his bicycle to take a round of this giant tree.

Nov 3, 2024 | villagesquare.in | Unnati Sharma |Satyabrata Panigrahy

Poverty and despair have long defined the lives of thousands of women in Bihar’s vast countryside. However, there are stories that stand out. Like those of Soni, Deepu and Rajni. They have overcome extreme poverty and domestic abuse to achieve financial independence and rebuild their lives. These are not tales spun from fiction but are real accounts of women who, against all odds, have carved out new futures for themselves and their families.