‘Kattunayaka’ as bifurcated and translated in Tamil means forest hero. Chellan belongs to this very caste group, which is one of the prominent communities among the primitive tribes of Nilgiri. His village called Tangamalai falls into the lower plateau of Nilgiri district of Tamilnadu. Chellan roughly calculates his age around fifty as his parents never really kept track of the date and year of his birth, though he was their only child.
The people of the Kattunayaka community have inhabited the rain forests of Nilgiri for centuries. They were mainly hunters …

At Grassroutes, at the end of every fellowship period, we have made a conscious effort to assess the impact of the fellowship on the fellow. The fellowship is aimed to sensitize the fellow about the rural sector, the challenges faced, and opportunities available and to be able to play a tangible part in bringing about systemic change in the form of a project each fellow works on. For the 2011 edition, we explored a Quantitative as well as a Qualitative approach to tap the impact of the fellow.
For …

The Rural Rock-stars. An unforgettable experience performing traditional folk songs with the community owned folk troupe. A privilege to have played with troupe for the village community.
This summer go rock the world! Apply for the Grassroutes Fellowship Program 2011
Host NGO: Vayali Folklore Group    | Photo Courtesy: Sri Ranganathan, Grassroutes Fellow 2010

Sewantha: The woman who got married at a very young age proves to be an inspiration. She has never tasted milk in her entire life so that her family could as they are very poor. She is not educated herself but will not leave any stone unturned for the education of her two little girls. A Perfect home maker.
This summer let the world inspire you. Apply for the Grassroutes Fellowship Program.
Host NGO: Grassroutes    |  Photo Courtesy: Shubhda Chaudhary, Grassroutes Fellow 2010

If biking is as exciting to you as it is to me (even if only on the backseat), I totally recommend taking the mountain route. The deserted roads, with a spectacular drop on one side and carved stone faces on the other,  the curves of the path as you follow the mountain’s contours, all heighten the bike experience. Of course, it helps to know that you’re at the seat of the himalayas and feeling incredibly lucky to be there too.
We biked up and down and down and up and all …

The Rajdhani journey from Mumbai to Delhi was was again an uneventful trip, because this time too, everyone was fast asleep. Rashmi was awake for a total of four hours. None of us could beat that, but it was not for want of effort. I think it was the AC and the food. We were served something or the other every now and then. The train was two hours late, and we reached Nizamuddin at only eight thirty in the evening. We had to catch a taxi to get to …

The Breaking news on TV says Amitabh Bachchan slams ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ because it shows India’s poverty and he goes on to say that “poverty is not just an Indian commodity”.

I have just one request to YoFa in this regard - Can we please have a Grassroutes trip arranged for Mr. Amitabh Bachchan so that he becomes more aware of India’s reality???
59% of Indian children are malnourished, worse than that of poorest of African region where its 20%. Less than 40% of the people are actually contributing to Indian economy, the …