The deep Thar desert sees only forty cloudy days. Yet, the shepherds have as many different names for clouds. Does the essence of thriving in this hostile clime begin with an evocative lexis of the land?
All the drinking water in the world will fit in a cube that can sit over the city of Bangalore. And in this industrial age, everyone wants a share of aquifers, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Voices get shriller and stakes rise ever higher should a river cross international boundaries. Add to all this, the unpredictability of weather patterns in the age of climate change.
On the freshwater trail, I will follow the changing fortunes of people and species in the anthropocene era
The Indian government calls 68% of the Thar a "wasteland," and plans to "better utilize" it. Actions born of this new lexicon threaten to destroy livelihoods and an ecosystem at a time when monsoons are unpredictable
People of the Thar desert who live with the cycle of seasons find ways of feeding thousands of people without irrigation. This story unfolds over a year and recounts history through contemporary lives lived gently
Traditional desert dwellers, semi-nomadic shepherds, call upon ancient wisdom to survive in the deep Thar desert of Rajasthan. This is a story about people who remember where the wells live
Where could I find the desert minstrels who sing a "chhand," a poem, of a fabled people long gone from the Jaisalmer area? Rumor had it that there were only very few minstrels who recited the poem anymore
This freshwater trail has wandered through Rajasthan, Assam, Arunachal pradesh, northern Bangladesh, to the Ganges in West Bengal, and into the massive active delta, the Sundarbans. A map of the journey thus far ...
wow
so poignant … around the world, a lexis and a land, lost to a price tag.
Thanks for writing in, Greg. Indeed, this is the malaise of choice.
Beautiful. Evocative and thought-provoking. Thank you.
A great read as always. And I am already waiting for the next one.
A few typos… you might have meant “my mouth shut” not ears.
Cheers !!
Good catch, manu! No idea how that got thru. Will correct. And thanks for writing in.
Lovely poignant writing. Reminds me of the essays of Gary Paul Nabahan on the Sonoran desert. Keep writing. PS: through, not thru please 😉
Thanks Manoj! Hahaha, rest assured, I don’t use “thru” unless it is a quick reply from the phone.
On a serious note, thanks for the lead: will look up Nabahan right away.
I took a road trip with my family to Jaisalmer and fell in love with the place. Your article is astounding and the images add a stunner to it. They lead a tough life but with lot of happiness and love.
thanks
This was beautiful. Thank you for sharing your words and your experience with us.
This is wonderful writing. Thank you for reminding us that local lexis, as you put it, are integral to sustaining a reverent regard for land. I’m reminded, too, of Kalidasa’s Meghaduta “Cloud Messenger.”
What language, by the way, gives us these cloud names?
Thanks for writing in, Scott, and for the kind words. These words are in the native language of western rajasthan: marwari/ local variations.
Lovely as always Arati. Very interesting work. My only grouse, there is no direct share button here.
Thanks… and I know, Lata — it is our grouse too. But, good news: there is going to be a version 2.0 of Peepli soon. And in that, much more.
Thank you. Lovely piece. Reading it as monsoon hits Delhi. So clouds are very much on our minds.
That is some fine writing. Much deserving of a greater audience.
P.s . You need a enable a share option to this blog.
Thanks very much for writing in, and for your kind words.
Our next rev of the Peepli website sure will incorporate social sharing … do stay tuned.
wonderful writing! looking forward to more…
can’t seem to find a way to follow your blog.can you please help me with that?
I discovered this piece written by you today accidentally. Its one of the most interesting journey that i have ever read. You already made my morning. I think schools should such pieces of work in their English,History and Geography books. What a beautiful way to discover our own country. Thanks and keep it coming.
Felt Wonderful expressions of love and grace as I read through…these narratives should be incorporated in school education…will take the perspective expressed on school education and need to re-claim lives of love with natural boundaries.
Beautifully written. Irony that ,I got the link from Robert MacFarlane twit.!!!
This is a wonderful piece of work. It takes deep into the desert life.