Cultural Aangan SWIF

Foreword As a child I remember evenings spent in my home town. All the women would gather in the 'aangan' to while away their time. Tales were spun, songs were sung and children would play around. Nostalgic moments of nostalgic times….. The aangan (courtyard) in an Indian home, still, holds a lot of significance. Many daily activities take place in the aangan. From drying pickles, to teaching the children, to scribbling the alphabet, to organizing a wedding or a pooja, the aangan thus projects the Indian ethos in its totality. We invite you to a cultural journey… a journey that will enable you to peek into the households of India. Each one bound by a unique family bond. Culture Aangan Culture Aangan is an organisation dedicated to development projects at the grass root level, in the sectors of culture tourism, revival of traditional art and culture, and education. Our efforts are directed towards sustained economic growth and development while preserving the local heritage, ethos and tradition of the people and their surroundings. Our mission statement is - 'Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram'. Our endeavors are varied. It involves consolidating and empowering rural women under one brand identity through the self help group model; creating branded home stays; and the revival of endangered traditional art forms. Stay with an Indian Family Stay with an Indian family is not a bed and breakfast scheme. It is so much more. It is like the butterfly which dips into the nectar pod gingerly and having tasted it once, gets intoxicated. It is understanding the significance of a pooja in the morning, of why footwear is not allowed inside the home, of eating with ones hands when a spoon and fork is available, it is understanding the bindi and the Ganesh. Stay with an Indian Family makes it possible for a visitor to explore an Indian household. The visitor gets to live the life of an Indian for the duration of his stay with the host family. The host family looks after the visitor as their personal guest. As a part of the itinerary, the visitor gets to experience the sights and sounds of the place and all that a normal tour guide would not be touring. Our endeavor is to allow the visitor to experience the cultural texture of the country. The project is run on the premise of the Indian philosophy, 'Athithi Devo Bhava'- the Guest is God. about Sindhudurg Maharasthra's own coastal district of Sindhudurg stretching 128 km, lies just north of Goa. Sindhudurg boasts of picture post card beauty, abounds in clean beaches, where, because of phosphorescence, waves glow on a full moon night, and provide a sense of rare tranquility. Dotted by an array of green villages with red-roofed houses, tucked away in coconut and areca nut groves, or mango orchards, long silvery beaches, a lagoon and picturesque fields, Sindhudurg is as yet a virgin territory to International tourists and local visitors. A renowned botanist, on his recent visit informed us that he has observed many species of flora & fauna, which only survive in zero pollution environs. The coral reefs here are said to be bigger than the ones at the Great Barrier Reef (Australia). Oliver Ridley turtles are found to lay eggs on some beaches and Leather back turtles too find their way to the pristine shores of this land. Dolphins are sited from the shores, during some seasons. Scores of species of exotic birds are sighted in abundance, a delight for bird watchers and the average nature lover alike. And, after the monsoons, the nights are absolutely one grand spectacle! The construction of the many forts along the Konkan-Malvan coast is credited to Shivaji, History the Maratha warrior, who for the first time consolidated entire Maharashtra under one rule to fight the Mughals. He built and strengthened fortifications on the coast with a view to protecting the outer flank of the State from invasions from the sea and providing safe hideouts for quick pirate raids by the Marathas on trade ships. Once naval bases, Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg were a mark of martial supremacy. In the 17th Century, Shivaji strengthened Vijaydurg (Fort of Victory) by adding impressive features to it like the triple row of huge walls, numerous towers and the spacious inner buildings. The Sindhudurg or Ocean Fort, located at the Malvan port spans over 48 acres, enclosed by a two-mile long wall, 12 feet thick at some vulnerable areas Within its premises are temples dedicated to Bhavani, Mahadeo, Jarimai, Mahapurush and Shivaji, the last being the only shrine of its kind in India. Both Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg also boast of picturesque beaches. About the Culture Aangan's Stay with Indian homes family habitats offer home-stay All homes eco-friendly and are options, where the international constructed using natural materials traveler as well as the urban Indian such as Laterite, Mud, and Timber. visitor will feel 'at home' in a rural Due to their natural abundance, Indian setting. The homes are bamboo, coconut and sea shells have carefully designed using local been extensively to design the material and resources. Yet, you will interiors of the rooms. find well-appointed rooms with all the comforts and even some luxuries of The flush tanks in the restrooms your very own home! Culture Aangan operate at half turns for low Home stays are the only branded consumption flushes. All domestic home stays in the country. drain water outlets are directed to the plants and trees surrounding these We are conscious of our environment; homes. Being located in villages, all therefore a lot of thought has gone homes have wells used for rainwater behind designing our home stays. harvesting. About the homes All our homes are naturally well lit and ventilated. CFL lighting is used after sundown. None of our homes use air conditioning, since it is not required. Due care has been taken for proper air management and ventilation at the design stage itself. Moreover, laterite and mud walls are natural insulators that keep the rooms cool during summer and warm during winter. Small Vermiculture (Earthworm culture) units for organic composts to nurture the vegetable patch in all homes, low consumption fire wood water boilers and terracotta coolers as an alternative for refrigerators are the other environment friendly endeavours typical to our homes. We are in the process of implementing use of Bio Gas for cooking and pedal-push motors for pumping water to the overhead tanks and for irrigation of plants. Besides these, bamboo is planted to landscape the surroundings as it cleans the air more efficiently than any other plant or tree. The commercial value of bamboo provides a sustainable source of income. This in turn encourages the local community to plant more bamboo. Things to do Far removed from the run-of-the-mill holidays, don't expect pre-planned package tours, over crowded tourist stopovers and mass tourism infrastructure options. Even if you fall prey to one suggested perhaps by a Constar, you would deeply regret it once you get to Sindhudurg! It is not a place for a rushed up site seeing trip, from where you go back more tired. But one has to really soak in the peace, unwind, move at a slow pace and feel rejuvenated. This region is for those who are adventurous at heart, and are in for some serious chill-out time. Long languid hours under the sun at pristine beaches, a dip in the azure blue waters, self discover waterfalls, trails and treks into the mountains and fields, visits to local temples and markets, fresh fish auctions at various boat jetties, a boat ride along the lagoons with only dolphins for company, a morning or sunset spent admiring Shivaji's architectural marvels at Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg forts, time spent with locals, cycling aimlessly, soaking in the local art and culture at the small town of Pinguli, is what you can expect in your days spent at Sindhudurg. Things to do You can just chill, read a book, write poetry,… Sindhudurg is also a photographer's haven. So … take your Nikon and just click away… But, still… for the restless traveler we have designed a few varied activities. The activities, thus developed only enhance the stay as also economically benefiting the local community. These include workshops in idol making, garland making, rangoli (designing with colored powder), chitrakathi (tribal painting), and puppetry conducted by the locals themselves… If you are interested in farming, learning about Indian cuisine, volunteer to teach in a local school, understand the village administrative system, you get an opportunity to do all this and more. Alternatively if nature is your passion, we organize nature trails, bird watching and trekking. You can take a walk in the market, attend an Indian wedding, stay with the rural home maker and get to experience her life in a single day. Sawantwadi, little known so far for its royal heritage, still prides itself of a Culture Rani (Queen Mother) of the Bhonsale dynasty and an old palace. The palace has made provision for skilled artists and master craftsmen who design intricate Ganjifa cards, a game dating back to the Mahabharata, wooden toys, wood sculpted vegetables and fruits and other interesting bric-a-bracs. Another key cultural attraction is the puppetry of Pinguli. Crafted with care the leather and wooden puppets seem to take on a persona of their own when their masters breathe life into their characters during performances. For local theatre lovers, the Dashavatar performances depicting the myths and legends of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu is a veritable treat of rural cultural heritage.

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