This Article is From Jun 29, 2010

Tracking the monsoon: Cupid called rain

Tracking the monsoon: Cupid called rain
Dang (Gujarat): At this time of the year, one would find women singing and dancing on folk tunes. No prizes for guessing, we are talking about the season of love and romance, monsoon. But before one let imaginations run wild, let us tell you that the song and dance is not the typical Bollywood style.

We are talking about a small tribal village in Gujarat, the Dang village and the Dangi farming community.

For the Dangi farming community in Gujarat, the romance is far more organic. It's the union of rain and soil celebrated with music, dance and of course good old fashioned hard work. Folk songs like 'kunbi tu perni karr' play in the background while men and women busy themselves with their regular chores.

Anil Patel, a resident of the Dang village says, "They sing songs of first showers of monsoon or the wait for rain. Most of their songs revolve around the rain since their life depends on it."

The tribal area in Dang comes alive with the monsoon. The forests are lush green, villages buzzing with activity, making this region unique as the farming practice is in sync with nature and entirely dependent on it as well. Even their economy thrives on the system of barter. Money has little value here and nature reigns supreme.

Another villager Anil Patel says, "We practice 100 per cent organic farming. Our seed bank is unique, one that we have developed. We mainly sow raagi and different varieties of rice and stay away from chemicals of all kind, be it in fertilizers or pesticides."

At a time when everything organic is in vogue, here in the Dangs, it is a way of life. When music meets the regular farming activities, routine work like sowing, tilling and plowing become a treat. However, the combo is not complete unless the rain gods smile.
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