Archive for March, 2014

Dance of the Demoiselle Crane, Kichan Rajasthan

Dance of the Demoiselle  Crane, Kichan Rajasthan

Until a decade or two ago, Khichan was just another forgotten village 144 kilometers north-west of Jodhpur. Today its on the world map, famous as the Demoiselle Crane Village, attracting bird lovers, photographers and tourists alike from India and abroad.

Gathered in huge groups, the demoiselle cranes, the smallest of the crane species, are a pleasure to watch. They move this way and that together, like in a ballet, their wide red eyes sparkling in the morning sun.


Siddis- The Lost African Tribe in India.

Siddis- The Lost African Tribe in India.

The Siddis were brought to India almost 500 years ago as slaves by Arab and Portuguese merchants. Some Siddis also came as merchants but most of them worked as slaves and since then remained in India as part of the African diaspora. Over time, the Siddis were completely Indianised but they kept their African genes alive by marrying within their community.

Where do the Siddi’s fit in the complex caste system of India? In pre-Independence India they were outside it and were put even below the untouchables in the social hierarchy.