Thousand Shades of India

18/07/2023

“I go wherever fortune takes me. The whole of India is my home now. There is life in constant movement. If you get stuck in one place for too long, you become stagnant.
“Every place brings with it new challenges, opportunities, relationships and new memories. I carry in my heart love and memories of hundreds of people who enjoy my hospitality and in exchange I share a part of my life with them.
“Business is not just about exchange of product and money. I don’t sell juice, what I offer is a temporary respite to a thirsty soul. I am located on a highway, where most of my patrons are travellers who may not pass by this side again. My aim is to at least make them feel good about the experience they have with me. If they remember me, they will remember me fondly.
“Life is challenging for all of us and we should aim to ease people’s burdens as much as we can. Life is tough, some times just a smile can make people feel better about themselves. We don’t lose anything by being nice to each other. I am not an educated person, but these are the lessons I learnt from my elders.
“I am on road most of the year, away from my family. When on the road my customers are my family. Everybody longs to be with family, within their community, that’s where we feel most comfortable. If I had my way I wouldn’t be doing this, living the life of a stranger.
“I belong to a farming family, but farming is no more profitable, hence I had to find alternatives to supplement my family’s income. My father still toils in our farmland. I want to make enough money so that he doesn’t have to work so hard at this age.
“I am happy with this business. I make enough to send some money home every month. It’s a matter of survival for us, I am glad I am making enough for my family to survive!”
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23/06/2023

The Oasis People


The nation of India is made by the people of India, and it is their diversity that makes India truly vibrant and unique!

The people of India are not a homogenous mass, they are a mosaic of thousands of communities co-existing, thriving and engaging with each other while maintaining their distinct identities.
Communities come into existence through years of symbiosis and India’s cultural legacy reflects this better than any other nation.

Historically, India has been an enduring, inclusive, mother-like figure, accepting in its nurturing embrace cultures and traditions from different parts of the world and eventually absorbing them and making them its own.
External influences in the evolution of cultures is unavoidable. Historically, with every new wave of migration, new cultural influences added to the beauty and diversity of the nation. India’s cultural legacy gives testimony to this historical reality.

The community of Barkas is unique in many ways, representing a unique blend of Indian cultural legacy.
A walk through Barkas, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, gives us an insight into how India’s cultural fabric took shape and evolved over the years. It is a reflection of how a community could be truly Indian while staying true to its roots.

‘The Oasis People’ is a documentary that not only captures the heritage of a community, but also celebrates the beauty of India expressed through its cultural diversity!

Come, take a ride with us through this unique confluence of Indian heritage. Together let us celebrate the diversity of India. Together let’s build a thriving, vibrant India for All!

Please share this video and help us create joy of togetherness in more hearts across India.

https://youtu.be/Hubm_k7uDY0

The nation of India is made by the people of India, and it is their diversity that makes India truly vibrant...

10/06/2023

Every Indian is defined by hope, aspirations, joy and resilience. Every Indian holds immense promise and potential to shape the fortunes of India.
Every Indian breathes to nourish the soul of India.
Every Indian is the face of India.
Whether they remotest of forests; or in a tiny, little-known village on the edge of the map; or in a heaving, jostling metropolis, every citizen matters.
The people of India are not the faceless masses, rather they are part of thriving communities whose aspirations and resilience bring hope and joy to the nation.
At TSOI, we are committed to celebrating the diversity of India, celebrating the lives of millions of common Indians coming from various communities, who represent the ancient legacy of a nourishing Mother India!
In the next few days we will bring you the story of one such little explored community that is no less the hope of India.

Keep watching this space for more…

If you find value in the work we do and if the idea of a diverse India matters to you, then join our caravan of hope and help us touch more hearts by sharing this story…

07/06/2023

India is a great ocean of diverse communities who are distinct in the way they dress and speak, what they eat and produce, and how they live and celebrate. Yet, there is a common thread of humanity and Indianness that keeps us together and helps us appreciate each other.
Barkas is one such community, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, where the mingling of disparate people has brought about a great synthesis of cultures, adding more shades to the already diverse and eclectic India.

Keep watching this space, as we bring you an insightful documentary about this distinct community of Indians in the next few days…

Despite our differences and distinctions, we are stronger together. Together, let us spread the joy of empathy and appreciation.
If you find value in our work, help us celebrate the beauty and diversity of India by sharing our work of hope and empathy.

05/06/2023

India is a confluence of cultures and every corner of this diverse country throws a pleasant surprise at you.
Just when you thought you knew India like you should know your motherland, it opens up new vistas of its myriad shades to you.
Hold your breath and stay with us as we take you on a little explored journey around a little known community with a unique expression of Indian identity.

If you find value in the work we do, kindly help us touch more hearts by sharing our work…

31/05/2023

“My father A.G. Soans was a pioneering horticulturist of the region and he loved experimenting with fruits and seeds. He had his training from the Allahabad Agricultural Institute. When he returned, armed with a degree and training, he found opportunity to apply his ideas in this farm that was then managed by Basel Mission.
“He was the one who introduced pineapple, vanilla and spices, working very hard to make the farm a reality. When the missionaries were leaving after the independence, he was in a position to buy the farm from them. We are reaping the fruits of all his hard work now.
“As I grew up on this farm, watching my father innovate, experiment and cultivate his passion for nature, naturally, I too developed the same passion. After I received a doctorate from the University of Montana in the US, I taught there for a few years, but all the while my heart was here in the farm. Eventually, I returned in 1966 and devoted myself to develop the farm further.
“I had been away for a long time acquiring knowledge. But, what was the point if I could not apply my knowledge here in my homeland. If I had not returned, all my father’s hard work would have withered away. I am glad I returned and you can see the fruits now.
“Pineapple has been our main crop since 1930 and the fame of our pineapples have reached far, with families and enthusiasts making a beeline to our farm, not just to enjoy the fresh fruits but also the jams and juices we make out of the surplus harvest.
“With a variety of herbs, spices and medicinal plants also growing on the farm, our land hums with diverse energy. The atmosphere here has great healing elements and one could feel its essence through a walk in the park. Nature has great powers of healing.”

Continue reading in comments…

If you find this story nourishing, then help us nourish more hearts by sharing this widely.

27/05/2023

Mudibiri is a place stuck in time, with its heritage temples, charming coastal architecture and a laid back atmosphere. The town reminds you of a time less hurried and less encumbered, but more sure of itself.
Every place has its character, a way of life and a mode of engagement. Every place has its soul and heart, some thriving and throbbing and some badly trampled.
When you enter a place with a heart that is throbbing and a soul that is alive, it resonates with you and touches your inner core, making you feel at home, even though you are visiting it for the first time.
As you walk through its calming streets, you feel a strange sense of familiarity, as though what is unfolding before you is something that has always been within you.
Our experience with the ancient town of Mudibidri has been something similar. We felt a strange connect and familiarity with the town even though we were visiting it for the first time.
Measured, meandering and mesmerising, Mudibidri follows its own rhyme and rhythm.
Through its ancient temples and laterite structures, through its winding roads and verdant gardens, through its hospitable people and receptive culture, Mudibidiri engages with you in a language of peace.
It is the language that we have come across in many of India’s small towns and villages. It is a language of reception and commonality amidst all our diversities! It’s a language of togetherness and human bond that is still prevalent in rural India, something that is increasingly missing in our ‘developed’, yet disconnected and fragmented cities.

Mudibidri is a historic small town in the Dakshin Kannada district of Karnataka that is known for its Jain Heritage. But, there is more to this little town than just history. The town has a fresh, nourishing legacy in the form of a sprawling fruit paradise…

Keep watching this space for more…

24/05/2023

A historic town in the Dakshin Kannada district of Karnataka, Mudibidri is known for its centuries old Jain Heritage. But, there is more to this quaint little town than just history. The town has a new nourishing legacy… more on this soon!

22/05/2023

Dal Lake is a world in itself. It is a nurturing, self-sustaining ecosystem that supports an entire city.
From homes and hotels to markets and farms, everything on the Dal is buoyant, like the dreams of its people, floating between the heavens and earth.
The economic and social life on Dal is like a constantly moving picture that unravels in a range of scenes, each offering a glimpse into the hopes and aspirations of its people - the Children of Dal.
The Children of Dal are a buoyant people, living, laughing, trading and moving on boats of various shapes and sizes.
For a visitor, the Dal could be an exotic destination but for the Children of Dal it is home, it is both the source of life and livelihood.
As we explore the placid waters of the Dal, gliding on the tiny shikara, life on the lake slowly unfolds around us like the mist above us.
As our serene voyage extends, the economy of Dal unfolds in front of our eyes, with boatmen approaching our shikara one by one with a variety of items.
From handicraft and dry fruits to kahwa and saffron to flowers and snacks, everything is available right in the middle of the lake.
This mid-lake commercial activity is besides the floating bazaar that houses apparel stores, carpets, groceries and coffee shops.
Despite the bitterness of the cold weather and the political turmoil surrounding their lives, the warmth of these simple Kashmiri folks is palpable in the way they approach you - smiling, gentle and unhurried.
However, notwithstanding the warm glow on their faces, a glint in their eyes tells a different story, a story we can relate to only if we live there and experience the emotions of the Dal.
Children of Dal are as beautiful as the flowers they grow. They smile like the woodwork they sell, welcoming their guests with myriad colours and fragrance.
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08/05/2023

08/05/2023

“My relationship with Dal Lake began when I was a little boy. I used to visit the lake with my father. Often, I took a ride with him when he took the mesmerised tourists on the boat across the lake.
“I would look at the waters and I would look at the faces of the tourists. How the colour on their faces changed! How their emotions overflew through their eyes! I still observe the riders very closely and take heart from the tranquillity they feel through these rides. It gives me great satisfaction in facilitating these rides and becoming a source of joy for so many people.
“It also strengthens my relationship with Dal. My bond with these waters has strengthened over the years, getting stronger with every ride. You can never get bored of the Dal, you can never have enough of it. The Dal never ceases to amaze you.
“Dal is a lake of hope. It reflects hope through its tranquil waters and beckons its children, all of us, with its boundless treasures, giving us hope and healing all the time.
“We traverse through it, piercing through its heart, snuggling in its lap and earning our livelihood. It never ceases to give, come what may.
“The Dal never stops, here, life moves on even when the lake is frozen. People of the Dal have adjusted well to its rhythm, we complement each other.
“The Dal has seen it all, from the past glory of Kashmir to the present turmoil, it has quietly absorbed all the stories in her compassionate heart. It stores every story, nothing goes unregistered.
“This lake is a treasure trove of memories. Every drop in it has a story to tell and an emotion to share. From Joy and pain to happiness and sorrow, it has swallowed it all. To the ordinary eyes it seems mute, but if you look closely and lend an ear, you can hear its sighs and tales of hope. I listen to it everyday.”
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07/11/2022

Do you feel there could be more ways to learn than what we find in conventional schools? Do you believe learning could be as diverse and dynamic as human int...

07/11/2022

▶️ OUT NOW
Learning Reimagined!

Education is the process that helps us realise our true potential as human beings. It should help us discover ourselves and bring out the best in us, both materially and spiritually. If not there is something seriously lacking!
Learning is an exercise that is as diverse as humanity itself, catering to the wide range of inclinations, aptitudes and intellects.
This full-length documentary explores ways to rethink education and find new ways to learn and acquire new skills.
The documentary premiered at 12.30pm today, let’s watch together and share with our friends to spread the idea of change and transformation!
https://youtu.be/iTh7G8K_bZ0
Project DEFY

Do you feel there could be more ways to learn than what we find in conventional schools? Do you believe learning could be as diverse and dynamic as human int...

17/10/2022

“Covid 19 arrived as a curse for many of us, but for me it was a blessing in disguise. Like all places, lockdown made things difficult for people in Kondapplli as well. People struggled to make ends meet because there was no work in the pandemic.
“I used to work as a bricklayer, my father was also a bricklayer, so when I dropped out of school after grade seven, getting into masonry work was a natural choice for me.
“During the lockdown all the construction work had stopped so I had nothing much to do. But, I am not someone who can sit idle.
“Everyday, I would go and sit with my friends who are Bommalu craftsmen, they make the famous Kondappalli toys. Since, they work from home, it was easy for them to continue their work during the pandemic. As I saw them working, I developed interest in the craft and within 2-3 weeks I learnt the basics.
“In school I was always good in arts but it never occurred to me that I could choose art as a career. I never thought of learning this craft before, though I grew up among these artisans.
“Now, I have my own workshop which I built with my own hands. This is where I spend most of my time now, working on my craft, honing my skills and producing toys.
“I have not completely abandoned by my old work. I juggle between the two. Whenever there is a bricklaying opportunity I take it up, because there is good money there. I earn up to Rs1,500 per day as a brick layer, but in Bommalu craft I earn only half of it.
“I feel really fortunate and honoured to be a Kondapalli craftsman now, nobody in my family has been an artisan. There is more dignity in this job. Though there is less money, there is a greater level of satisfaction. I feel I have finally found my true calling!”

05/10/2022

Kondapalli is a small town 25 kilometres from the city of Vijayawada, in Andhra Pradesh.
A quaint little town with white-washed row houses thriving under the shadow of an ancient hill fort built by the Qutub Shahi kings who ruled the region for close to 200 years in thr 15th and 16th centuries.
The kingdom and all the trappings associated with it are long gone, but one thing has set its roots deep under the patronage of the art-loving kings and continues to thrive under the watchful eyes of the ruins that once housed their masters during their summer retreats.
One of India’s last remaining traditional toy making legacies, the Kondapalli Bommolu has been evolving in the town for more than 400 years and around 80 families continue to practice this unique craft.
Now competing with Chinese machine made toys, the Kondapalli toys are exquisitely hand-crafted.
Made from locally-sourced light wood and shaped using natural ingredients such tamarind seed paste, and coloured with vegetable dyes, the craft has a distinctly Rajasthani flavour with the community tracing its origins to the Western desert state.
Rural motifs such as bullock carts, farmers, huts and animals dominate the items that are made in the town. Mythological figures also figure prominently in the craft. However, catering to the modern tastes and sensibilities, the artisans these days create new items such as miniature cars and motorbikes. Kondapalli toys are available to buy at several e-commerce platforms. The toys are eco-friendly and sustainably made. Buy Kondapalli and help the environment and help local businesses.
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12/09/2022

From being one of the most scintillating symbols of opulence and medieval economic dominance of India to being the crown jewel of British colonialism, Kohinoor has travelled far.
But it is not the only priceless diamond that has made its treacherous way out of India. Kohinoor is in the illustrious company of among the world’s most famous gems that originated in India and now find themselves in the crowns and treasures of several queens, princes and oligarchs.
These precious stones are representative of a time when India was the only land of diamonds in the entire world.
Astonishingly, until a couple of centuries back when diamonds were discovered in Africa, India was the only source of all of the world’s diamonds.
Even more astonishingly, most of the world’s most precious diamonds, including Kohinoor, Orlov, the Great Mogul, Hope and Dresden came from a single mine in the Deccan region of south India.
This mine, located in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, variously known as Kollur or Golconda Mine was the biggest source of wealth for kingdoms such the Vijayanagara, Qutub Shahis and the Asaf Jahis.
Though the mine is now defunct and has gone under water due to an irrigation project, the region is still surrounded by a lot of lore and mystery.
Every year, during the summer months between April and June, when the water recedes and the old village of Kollur as well as the periphery of the mine shows up, former villagers and locals from the vicinity descend down in the hope of striking a fortune.
Mysteriously, the region still occasionally throws up some of its scintillating riches.
Located amidst the remote forests of the Guntur district, accessed only through a rocky dirt track or through boats, the backwaters of the Pulichintala Irrigation Project is a hard place to find.
However, the fortune seekers do not just brave the arduous path but also endure the scorching sun in the hope of finding another Kohinoor.

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10/09/2022

Kohinoor changes yet another pair of hands as Queen Elizabeth II, its owner for the last 70 years, passes away, bequeathing the world’s most famous diamond to her son King Charles III.
The most coveted gem in the world, Kohinoor has been in the British possession for 173 years.
The British extracted the diamond out of the tender grasp of the Punjab’s 10-year-old king Maharaja Duleep Singh in 1849.
That’s the story of Kohinoor’s passage from India to Britain in a nutshell and there are no confusions about it.
However, the origin of Kohinoor is not as clear as it presently shines in the Tower of London.
There are multiple theories about the diamond’s origins and the most established story is that the diadem was extracted from Kollur Mine, located in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur District.
Now defunct, the mine has been part of the Vijayanagara Empire, Qutub Shahi Kingdom, Mughals and the Asaf Jahi Nizams.
At its peak, during the 16th and 17th centuries, it made Golconda the global diamond capital.
According to this theory, Kohinoor reached the hands of Golconda’s most powerful jewel merchant and Prime Minister, Mir Jumla, who gifted it to the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan.
However, Kohinoor was neither the most prized possession of the Mughals, nor it was named as such by them. It was one of the countless precious stones in their treasury and one among the many jewels encrusted on Shahjahan’s Peacock Throne.
The Jewel was apparently named Kohinoor ‘Mountain of Light’ by the Persian king Nadir Shah when he set his sight first on it after sacking Delhi in 1739. He ransacked the Mughal treasury, taking away the Peacock Throne along with the Kohinoor.
However, in less than a century of its departure from India, Kohinoor made its way back to Hindustan by the tortuous way of Afghanistan into the hands of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Punjab. It graced the arms of Ranjit Singh and his successors for another four decades, before leaving its land of origins forever…
To be continued…
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07/09/2022

What comes to your mind when you hear the word Kohinoor? The Great Mughals, medieval Indian glory, treasures?
Kohinoor is the representation of all of this and more. It was the symbol of Mughal Imperial power for a longtime before it passed on to other royal hands through a bloody trail. Nevertheless, it signifies the medieval extravagance and economic dominance of India. It is representative of a time when India was the only land of diamonds in the entire world.
Did you know, most of the world’s most famous jewels came from Indian mines, particularly one mine in the Deccan that made a South Indian kingdom the diamond capital of the world?
What if we told you that, though this mine is now defunct and underwater, it still occasionally throws up some of its scintillating riches? The place could potential change your fortune overnight as it has done for a few prospectors recently! Seriously, we are not making it up or exaggerating!
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Stay tuned for more…
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Tell us in comments what you know of Kohinoor, other Indian diamonds or this famous mine.
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03/09/2022

Celebrating three years of TSOI!
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It’s been three years since we embarked on this truly enriching journey of discovering India, which we believe is synonymous with self discovery.
Discovering India is not a task of a year or three, it will take ages to unravel and uncover every inspiring story of this great nation.
But, in our short journey to only a few parts of the country so far we did discover India, an India that is wrapped in layers and layers of beauty, humanity and diversity! An India that presents itself in every shade of its diversity.
An India that reflects in the hearts of a common man and woman, an India that shines in the eyes of every young man and woman, an India that shapes in the imagination of every daughter and son of the soil - an India for All! An India that is truly Inspiring!
Every story we have found and told so far reflects the essence of India. We have been overwhelmed by what we have discovered so far, evolving and enriching with every discovery. And come to think of it, this is just the beginning and the journey is long and arduous, but truly rewarding.
We are grateful for all the experiences and challenges we have faced so far on this path and none of this would have been possible without all of you! Your constant support and feedback has helped us grow, giving us hope and inspiration as we push ourselves on this path of celebrating love, hope and humanity in India!
Thank you for being with us and stay tuned for another exciting year of enchanting discoveries!
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