In the midst of green.
Bright green paddy fields spread across until the eyes could reach. Sat these two hard working animals complimenting the landscape. It was their day off. But they weren't the only ones out in the fields.
Bright green paddy fields spread across until the eyes could reach. Sat these two hard working animals complimenting the landscape. It was their day off. But they weren't the only ones out in the fields.
Green carpet at the foot hills of dandahalli. A tiny hamlet in Chikmagalur district away from the city. Hardly visible to outsiders. All that's heard is gushing wind and nesting birds.
The only one working across this entire patch of grass. Gender was not something to wonder but the story behind that hard work left me curious to know more.
Look closer and listen,
Farming isn't a cake walk.
Look closer and listen,
Farming isn't a cake walk.
Wearing an over sized shirt with plastic wrap around her waist, thin floral scarf around her head. Busy removing weeds from the paddy fields.
All this clothing is mainly to protect from harsh and changing weather.
A sudden burst of sun to breezy shower, nothing will stop the work in progress.
With all this she also wore a smile on her face.
All this clothing is mainly to protect from harsh and changing weather.
A sudden burst of sun to breezy shower, nothing will stop the work in progress.
With all this she also wore a smile on her face.
In her middle age stood hunching in the midst of paddy fields removing the weeds that grow faster than the crop and pose a serious threat if not uprooted time to time. It's been 2weeks since the time the tender bright green saplings reached the field. The rain had filled up the field soaking the ankles.
Rice is a semi aquatic crop that demands great labor and materials to create and most importantly a large quantity of water for irrigation.
The word “paddy” is derived from the Malay word padi, meaning Rice Plant.
The earliest paddy field found dates to 4330 BC, based on carbon dating of grains of rice and soil organic matter found at the Chaodun site in Kunshan.
There is archaeological evidence that unhusked rice was stored for the military and for burial with the deceased from the Neolithic period to the Han dynasty in China.
India has the largest paddy output in the world and is also the largest exporter of rice in the world as of 2020. In India, West Bengal is the largest rice producing state. Paddy fields are a common sight throughout India, both in the northern Gangetic Plains and the southern peninsular plateaus. Paddy is cultivated at least twice a year in most parts of India, the two seasons being known as Rabi and Kharif respectively. The former cultivation is dependent on irrigation, while the latter depends on the Monsoon.
The paddy cultivation plays a major role in socio-cultural life of rural India. Many regional festivals celebrate the harvest, such as Onam, Bihu, Thai Pongal, Makar Sankranti, and Nabanna. The Kaveri delta region of Thanjavur is historically known as the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, and Kuttanadu is called the rice bowl of Kerala. Gangavathi is known as the rice bowl of Karnataka.
Meet Pushpa,
The farmer of this paddy fields.
The farmer of this paddy fields.
When we first entered the field she acknowledged us with a glance,
I was soon by her side with a camera in hand,
She was puzzled,
She's asked "are you taking pictures of me?!"
I was soon by her side with a camera in hand,
She was puzzled,
She's asked "are you taking pictures of me?!"
Very hesitant about the attention but kind enough to acknowledge the request,
She stepped out of the slushy field on to a ridge,
Hands and feet soaked in mud.
She stepped out of the slushy field on to a ridge,
Hands and feet soaked in mud.
And that's the story from the foot hills of dandahalli.
And that's the story from the malanadu region.