Kurma Gramam, a serene colony successful Srikakulam territory of Andhra Pradesh, offers a compelling representation of a self-sustained and tradition-oriented mode of life.
Far from the power of municipality life, the colony embraces a elemental mode of living, guided by age-old practices and traditions aimed astatine sustainability.
Daily beingness successful the colony follows a structured and mindful routine. The time begins successful the aboriginal hours with prayers successful a dedicated hallway illuminated by the gentle glow of castor lipid lamps, creating a peaceful and spiritual atmosphere. This is followed by a radical yoga practice, wherever villagers, including children, articulation to amended carnal well-being and intelligence discipline. Education is imparted done a accepted gurukulam, wherever children are taught Vedic texts, scriptures, and languages specified arsenic Sanskrit and Telugu, ensuring the preservation of past cognition and values.
A striking diagnostic of the colony is its beardown consciousness of self-reliance. Houses are constructed by the residents themselves utilizing earthy materials specified arsenic mud, clay, and wood. Kitchens are equipped with accepted firewood stoves for cooking, portion garments are woven locally connected handlooms alternatively than sourced from outside. Water is manually drawn from wells, and mundane tasks are carried retired with a heavy transportation to nature.
Community surviving lies astatine the bosom of Kurma Gramam. Collective nutrient mentation successful societal kitchens and the signifier of serving meals to visitors item the village’s tone of practice and hospitality. The colony attracts astir 400 visitors each weekend, drawn by its unsocial lifestyle. The colony stands arsenic a exemplary of simplicity, discipline, and taste continuity. Agriculture forms the backbone of the community, with residents cultivating their ain crops and relying mostly connected locally disposable resources for sustenance. As evening sets in, devotional rituals, music, and supplication bring the assemblage unneurotic erstwhile again.
(Text by Harish Gilai)

Photo: V. Raju
A pistillate prepares nutrient successful a accepted room successful Kurma Gramam village, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. The kitchen, built utilizing earthen clay and mud, reflects the indigenous benignant of agrarian lodging successful the region. She cooks implicit a firewood stove, highlighting the continued reliance connected age-old methods alternatively than LPG for regular cooking.

Photo: V. Raju
Villagers gully and cod h2o from a accepted good successful Kurma Gramam colony of Srikakulam territory successful Andhra Pradesh.

Photo: V. Raju
Residents astatine Kurma Gramam seen preparing nutrient successful ample vessels implicit firewood successful their room successful Srikakulam district. The method involves utilizing wood-fired stoves alternatively of modern cooking fuels, reflecting the village’s committedness to preserving sustainable mode of life.

Photo: V. Raju
Dressed successful accepted attire, children from Kurma Gramam caput to schoolhouse successful Srikakulam district. In the background, a signboard urges visitors not to dump plastic, reflecting the village’s strict prohibition connected integrative usage and its committedness to an eco-friendly mode of life.

Photo: V. Raju
Villagers, including children, enactment successful yogasanas arsenic portion of their regular greeting regular successful Kurma Gramam, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh.

Photo: V. Raju
Dressed successful accepted attire, children from Kurma Gramam caput to schoolhouse successful Srikakulam district. A signage committee is seen to facilitate visitors successful the picture.

Photo: V. Raju
A young lad plays freely with a cow, reflecting a carefree puerility profoundly rooted successful agrarian beingness successful Kurma Gramam successful Srikakulam district.

Photo: V. Raju
A teacher named Srikanth instructs a radical of young boys astatine a Gurukulam successful Kurma Gramam colony of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. Seated successful a elemental setting, the students attentively larn Vedic teachings, reciting verses nether the guidance of their guru.

Photo: V. Raju
A antheral is engaged successful carpentry enactment successful Kurma Gramam village, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, shaping wood with elemental tools arsenic portion of mundane craftsmanship. The residents physique their ain homes utilizing earthy materials specified arsenic mud, clay, and wood, highlighting the community’s indigenous cognition and sustainable mode of living.

Photo: V. Raju
Silhouetted against a glowing sunset, a antheral and a young lad talking to each different successful Kurma Gramam colony of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh.

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