Delwara is a town nestled in the heart of the Aravalli Mountains, barely thirty kilometers from Udaipur, the romantic city of lakes of Rajasthan. While Delwara is surprisingly little known, it was once a major spiritual center and a renowned place of learning for the future rulers of Mewar; its thousands of Hindu temples and …
Seeing this alignment of horsemen, one would be tempted to draw a parallel with the valiant warriors of the Momaji temples of Rajasthan. But that’s another story here, the one told to me by Krutarth Sinh Jadeja, while I was staying in his elegant century-old mansion in Devpar. What is the part of legend and …
I often say several lives are necessary to know India. It constantly surprises us, piques our curiosity and rekindles our thirst for discovery at every moment. The Holi festival of the Rathwas, an adivasi community of Gujarat, is one of those wonderful surprises the Indian subcontinent has in store for us. Here, the arrival of …
The Kavant fair or Kavant Gher Mela, which is held in the village of the same name, near Chhota Udepur (Gujarat), is the last part of the spring festivities of the Adivasi Rathwa community. It takes place on the third day after the Holi festival and brings together thousands of people who come to celebrate …
Recently declared a “cultural heritage” of Madhya Pradesh, Bhagoria is a festival that not only celebrates the arrival of spring and the end of harvest, but also love! It is indeed known for its “vivaah mela”, its marriage fair. Bhagoria falls during the Hindu month of Phalgun (February/March), seven days before the Holi festival and …
If you are looking for a rather unknown little corner of India, Chhattisgarh will not disappoint you. It is one of the few states in India where a large part of the population is composed of “Adivasi”, that is to say indigenous peoples. During my third trip in Chhattisgarh, I was lucky enough to stay …
For the Bishnoi people, whose origins date back to the 15th century, ecology does not need to be taught, it is innate; it is a dharma (duty) that in the past has caused them to sacrifice their own lives to save trees. Due to this, they are referred to as “India’s first environmentalists”. In the …
