Images of Village India

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A line of palms stands tall among lush paddy fields fed by the river Krishna. Andhra Pradesh.

Cowdung cakes slapped to village walls to dry will become kitchen fuel. Andhra Pradesh.

Village mud houses have entrances and porches decorated with traditional designs. Andhra Pradesh.

Kneading long strips of rubbery material that these guys claim is jaggery. Munginapudi, Andhra Pradesh.

Villages where electricity is a luxury, the humble oil lamp fills in. Muliyaguda, Andhra Pradesh.

A traditional millstone in one of the tribal villages. Muliyaguda, Andhra Pradesh.

Village women bring water from a well. Muliyaguda, Andhra Pradesh.

A village vendor walks for miles to the market. Mukhalingam, Andhra Pradesh.

Hop on to a passing truck and hold on for a bumpy ride through places where public transportation is scarce. Buddhist Corridor, Orissa.

Earthy colours applied to village houses of mud finishing are an inspiration for modern city architects. Khiching, Orissa.

Stretches of endless green fields on a long morning walk. Jashipur, Orissa.

Typical timber and stone constructions of the region display a jettied first level. Old Manali, Himachal Pradesh.

This ashram hut constructed at the direction of Mahatma Gandhi uses traditional material at minimal expense. Sewagram, Maharashtra.

Tea pickers walk to their estates in the morning. Mirik, West Bengal.

Haystack is stored on the roof and is accessed by a ladder. Gondhla, Himachal Pradesh.

High achievers on a notice board at a village school. Gondhla, Himachal Pradesh.

Home-made butter being dished out in spoonfuls by the old lady. Gondhal, Himachal Pradesh.

A plinth few inches high grace house entrances and may be used for sitting out. Sonagiri, Madhya Pradesh.

A common scene in many villages across India. Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh.

Fresh golden harvest catch the light on a bright afternoon. Alchi, Jammu & Kashmir.

Where public transport is infrequent and buses are crowded, anything will do. NH1D, Jammu & Kashmir.

Worli painting exhibited at the Maanav Sanghralaya tell a lot about the ways of village people. Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Coconut husks tied to tree trunks with coir ropes make for steps to the tree crown. Parassinikadavu, Kerala.

Bullock-drawn carts are a common form of village transport. Dholavira, Gujarat.

A typical house door with faded colours. Dholavira, Gujarat.

A village temple in this case is nothing more than a thatched shed. Achankulam, Tamil Nadu.

Worli village stands in stark contrast to the skyscrapers in the distance. Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Mud bricks laid out to dry in the sun are cheaper than cement bricks. Barsoor, Chhattisgarh.

Cock-fighting in a woodland clearing draws the crowds one evening. Sargipal, Chhattisgarh.

A temporary thatched structure at a mela is inspired by traditional village constructions. Rajim, Chhattisgarh.

A village cart. Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

Fisherman wading through shallow waters with their cross-poled nets. Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

School children go home in a pedalled cart. Ratanpur, Chhattisgarh.

These wall decorations are probably inspired by cave paintings found near the village. Isko, Jharkhand.

An entrance verandah is covered in a lattice of painted woodwork. Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu.

Village men push cycles loaded with coal from a mine near their village. Pankhri Barwadi, Jharkhand.

A machine for threshing. Bodh Gaya, Bihar.

Cowdung cakes left to dry eventually leave their marks on the rocks. Nagarjuni Hills, Bihar.

Thorny plants delimit field boundaries as well as protect them from stray cattle. Nagarjuni Hills, Bihar.

A village still. Nagarjuni Hills, Bihar.

Horse-drawn tongas transport pilgrims around the many sights in town. Rajgir, Bihar.

Harvesting potatoes on a bright sunny day. Nalanda, Bihar.

A clay-mud model in the verandah of a house. Nalanda, Bihar.

A roof tiled with semi-cylinders in dovetail manner. Vaishali, Bihar.

In these parts, cowdung is shaped into wedges and left to dry in stacks. Vaishali, Bihar.

The traditional Indian charpoy being strung with fresh coir ropes. Govardhan, Uttar Pradesh.

Some villages have a grand entrance thanks to historic ruins. Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh.

The bunga, or tractor, is often used by villagers for local transport. Abhaneri, Rajasthan.

Heating up water on a traditional iron stove with burning coal. Bundi, Rajasthan.

A potter busy spinning at his workshop. Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

The earthen pot is an important and useful item in village India. Fatehpur, Rajasthan.

A farmer makes his way to his fields. Doraha, Punjab.

Houses made of bamboo splits are reinforced with layers of mud. Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh.

Village women return from wooded slopes on the far hills. Dhirang, Arunachal Pradesh.

Hand-weaving is an important activity for women in North-Eastern India. Dhirang, Arunachal Pradesh.

Workers uproot saplings from paddy nurseries. Syntu Ksiar, Meghalaya.

This fish trap is example of cane or bamboo implements common all over North-Eastern India. Syntu Ksiar, Meghalaya.

Traditional Nagas villages sport impressive gateways. Kohima, Nagaland.

A Naga tribal dressed in a colourful shawl walks home after a Sunday morning church service. Orangkong, Nagaland.

Split bamboo built in this manner stand in for walls or garden fences. Lumding, Assam.

A house with beautiful woodwork stands on stone bases. Harsil, Uttarakhand.