India :: cultural tourism in Sindhudurg with Culture Aangan

i am still completely overwhelmed when i think about the last few months, and even more so when it comes to blogging it.  i saw so much and i am having a tough time organizing my thoughts. the feelings are finally starting to distill though.  for as much frustration as i had on my journey, i can’t stop looking at tickets to go back.

this trip was the first (of what hope to be many) attempt at volunteering my time abroad for NGOs and social entrepreneurships who needed help publicizing their good works.  while most of my time was spent in Mumbai, i had the opportunity to travel 12 hours south to Sindhudurg, a small district in Maharashtra, about 50km north of Goa.  it has all of the tropical beauty people have come to expect from Goa.. amazing beaches, trees, warm ocean.. minus all of the tourists.  you can come here and get away, and with organizations like Culture Aangan, you can experience the culture and meet REAL people.

Culture Aangan is dedicated to the preservation of art and culture, traditional customs and lifestyles of India through various developmental projects in sectors such as tourism, revival of local art and folk culture and women’s empowerment and education. one of their biggest projects is cultural tourism, which provides economic support to the communities involved and provides tourists with an authentic, cultural experience.  they run several several small homestays, all within different areas of Sindhudurg.  some of the homes are working farms, some are actual mango plantations and others are just a splendid place to kick back and relax. but what they all have in common is amazing food, a warm family touch and an authentic, beautiful, amazing experience.

meet the Kadam’s!  they were my wonderful hosts while i stayed at their lovely home in Sindhudurg.

Culture Aangan provides more than the lovely homestays and it’s what makes this organization so special.    of course, you can kick back on the pristine and uncrowded beaches, boat, hike, go bike riding and sip fancy drinks, but what makes these vacations so unique are the activities that allow you to meet the real people of Sindhudurg and show you the vibrant culture, lives and the big, throbbing heart of India.  go fishing, sow beans, wade in the rice fields, pick mangoes and see a traditional puppet show.  and it’s india.. if there’s something else you want, just ask.  anything is possible.

one of my absolute favorite experiential activities was hanging with the fisherman.  every day these guys go out in their boats and bring a big catch back before sundown.  the fish are quickly sorted, weighed and prepared for auction.

another of Culture Aangan’s projects is providing support to the Pinguli Art Complex, which aims to preserve the traditional Thakar arts of storytelling which involve song, dance, puppetry and the art of pinguli drawing.

the center encourages kids from neighboring villages to learn the dying arts of their heritage.

for more information or to provide support, contact Shri Parshuram Vishram Gangavane at taka.museum@gmail.com.

the incredible art of mandala : this “painting” is made of only a few colors of sand.  the artist spent 5 hours creating this portrait.  after its completion it will be swept away.

garland making is one of several enterprises culture aangan supports to help women in the community secure an economic future. while visiting the garland makers, you can take a tour of the town and see the amazing colors at the local market.

called “self help groups”, this group of women has banded together to sell grains and spices that they package and ship to buyers that place orders over the phone and the internet.

i had to stop to watch this.. a young man is washing his water buffalo.  i don’t particularly know why, but i found it adorable.

sindhudurg is a vast agricultural area.  they grow tons of vegetables, legumes, and fruits and is best known for growing the famous alfonso mango, which i was unfortunately too early to see (and eat!).  if you want to see farming first hand, this is place to go.  wade in rice fields, pick peanuts, milk a cow.. the man below is using his oxen to til the soil and plant black eyed peas.

and did i mention the beaches?  sit back and soak up the sun, or hang with fishermen.

i want to thank Rashmi, the Kadams and Sundeep for being such excellent hosts and showing me this amazing part of India.  i met so many wonderful people, ate more food than i could hold and came away from the experience with a new appreciation for the important of conserving cultural heritage.  for more information on Culture Aangan, please visit their website!