Garden party with the forest people of the Nilgiri mountains – Tamil Nadu

By Mari Marcel Thekaekara, New Internationalist, June 1, 2012 After my last blog, lots of people wrote to me saying ‘we wish we could attend your Chembakolli party too’. Well, I wish you could too. So, the next best thing, I thought I’d tell you about it. I’d suggested some adivasi friends visit us for a change, … Read more

Young nutritionists on “crops meant to be consumed at a particular time of the year”: The benefits of local culinary practices – Uttarakhand

With Art and Science, Two Women Are Reviving Uttarakhand’s Nutritional Delicacies Tanya Kotnala, an illustrator and Tanya Singh, a nutritionist joined hands to form Bhuli (which means ‘Little Sister’ in the native dialect of Garhwali), last year with the intention of reviving the local art and culture of the state. | Read the full story … Read more

Ashwini community health programme to train village-level health workers (Gudalur) – Tamil Nadu

Ashwini is working closely with tribal communities in south India to help improve their social lot through participative inclusion Deep in the misty Nilgiri hills, a quiet revolution has been taking place in Gudalur, a verdant valley nestled at the confluence of the southern states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Home to adivasis — … Read more

Role models for members of “hill-tribes” forcibly brought down to the plains: Irulas in pursuit of higher education – Tamil Nadu

How Tamil Nadu’s Irula students are struggling to pursue higher education | To read the full story in the New Indian Express, click here >> As [the correspondent] travels across the northern districts of Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Vellore, and Tiruvannamalai, it becomes clear that hundreds of Irula students, like Dhanalakshmi, have been struggling without a community … Read more

Toda embroidery: an ancient art thriving in the Nilgiris – Tamil Nadu

The ancient Toda community people are the residents of Nilgiris that means ‘Blue Mountains’, popularly known as Ooty. Nilgiris is the abode of many interesting tribes and prominent among them are Todas, Kotas, Kurumbas, Irulas, Mullukurumbas and Paniyans. These Todas are said to be of pastoral community and speak Toda language, belonging to Dravidian family … Read more