An Incomplete Story of an Imperfect Sculpture

(from Honey Bee Vol 21(4) October – December 2010) Vajrasan was a reputed sculptor in Vidhanpur, a small kingdom famous for arts and crafts, located on the bank of a legendary river, Revati. He had never disappointed any of his clients who included most of the famous elites of the kingdom. Some were even from … Continue reading →

Searching where is the light is: Focus on hotspots of sufficiency to seek answers for malnutrition

There is an old apocryphal story of an old women. She had lost a needle in a dark place. But she was searching where the light is. She is lampooned for this seemingly irrational act. True, under the lamp post, she would not find her needle but may be, she might find something else, may … Continue reading →

Menstruation: a curiosity gone astray

Conversation about menstruation, despite  very ably made film, Padman has not yet started in the right earnest. I am not sure how many parents have talked to their children around the dining table (if they have one) or in the chuaka, the cooking place about why biological processes are dirty or polluting per se. We … Continue reading →

A kurta without a stitch (39th Shodhyatra)

Imagine wearing a kurta in which there is no stitch, it would be difficult for us to think of it.  But, a weaver Karna Mehr had actually woven a kurta as a cylindrical cloth.  Another weaver  Chukmani Mehr had woven poetry of Shri Gangadhar Mehr in the Barpali saree.   Bhikhari Mehr had woven the Hanuman … Continue reading →

Bahadapur- An ideal village

Bahadapur- An ideal village. In the state of Gujarat, in a tehsil, there is a village named Bahadapur. Bahadapur is a financially as well as socially secure village. The people of this village focus on health as well being helpful & kind to each other. Most of the people in this village are literate & … Continue reading →

Sankranti : a time to let seasons change, dreams kites fly

If we had our way, we will all live in an yesterday land, and that too not just any ‘yesterday’ but the one that we liked the most. But Sankranti/Pongal  festival tells us that seasons must change and there is no season which stays forever. Thank god that it does not. Will life be any … Continue reading →

Slum Shine (Shining every poor)- Biren Padhya

  Mr. Biren Padhya has been successful in educating & schooling children from 17 slums across Ahmedabad through his venture Slum Shine. He also focuses on protecting environment by carrying out several tree plantation drives as well as provide animal helpline services. He has also recorded sound of 150 different birds & has also made … Continue reading →

Shared spaces: enriched culture, community and civic life

With increasing pressure on urban and rural spaces, there is a looming crisis ahead of us in the next few decades. How will we negotiate scarcity of physical spaces with our cultural, emotional and spiritual spaces for “the other” getting squeezed more and more. There is a major onslaught on pluralistic vision of future living … Continue reading →

Learning from a Healthy, happy and helpful culture: Goa Shodhyata – II

The drought has taken its toll in Goa as well.  There were many regions where people received water once in two days through the tankers.  One could see several dry wells and ponds.  The ones that had water were perhaps not adequately utilized.  While moving from south to north Goa, we also came across regions … Continue reading →

37th shodhyatra: No colour is too much in Goa

A place where almost every house in rural areas tends to be different in colour and architecture, diversity is deeply embedded in culture. One of the shodhyatris was too tired yesterday after a long walk in summer. Chetan, the coordinator of the yatra requested a mobyke riding youth to please stop and consider giving him … Continue reading →