Travel Sarna

Cowpea or jhudunga (in Odia) is an important crop in Asia and Africa. One of the oldest crops to be farmed cowpea is cooked into stew and curries. Even its leaves, green seeds, and pods are also cooked. It provides a rich source of protein and calories.  Believed to have originated in Africa, cowpea is a staple food crop in the region of Niyamgiri and its foothills in the Rayagada District of Odisha. In this part of Odisha, the indigenous Kondh farmers grow cowpea in hilltops and hillslopes. There are 4 to 5 varieties of cowpea are grown here.  When you travel slowly in this picturesque landscape of hills and valleys what draws your immediate attraction is the colourful seeds and their post-harvesting activities. Often you are invited to relish its curry. The protein-rich cowpea curry and stew help the humble farmers to work hard in the hills.  Watch here: 

Relishing of mildly alcoholic drinks is a common practice among the indigenous communities of Odisha. While in the upland and highland regions, there is a wide prevalence of toddy drinks (juice extracted from date palm or salap trees) in coastal areas the indigenous communities prefer freshly brewed rice beer called rasi in the Mundari language.  Munda is an indigenous tribal community from the Chottanagpur Plateau of Northern Odisha, Jharkhand and parts of West Bengal. They speak in the Austro-Asiatic Mundari language. A chunk of Munda people had migrated to coastal Odisha in the early part of the 20th century mainly as labourers for the construction activity. Today they are spread in the hinterland of Bhubaneswar - Cuttack Metropolitan region.  The brewing of rice beer is a common practice among Munda people. On any fine day, especially in the late morning and afternoon, Munda women are found selling rasi to the community members and guests like us. It appears like open bars...

After food and shelter, it is clothing without which humanity can not survive. Clothing is not only about hiding one's body but also a reflection of cultural values, climatic adaptation and the legacy of one's historical roots.  In Odisha, weavers constitute a large majority in traditional occupations. There are several clusters where handloom thrives as a timeless craft. One of these clusters is Nuapatna and its adjoining Maniabandh villages. The cluster is home to about 3,000 weaver families who are engaged in traditional khandua pata weaving dedicated to Lord Jagannath.  However as time has moved, several enterprising weavers of Nuapatna and Maniabandha are innovating contemporary designs and colour schemes, light in weight, both in Eri and Malda Silk and cotton.  Sarna works closely with a few of these weavers and is also involved in creating new designs and colour schemes. Sarna's designs are now widely accepted both in India and overseas markets.  Watch Here: R...

Remember 29th October 1999! Most of today's kids and young adults can not visualize how disastrous was the coastal Odisha on this day. One of the worst cyclones in the history of Odisha had devasted the state. As per the government estimation, more than 10,000 people had died and a million domestic animals had perished on this day.  One of the worst-hit villages on this day was Gundalba, a tiny seaside village in Puri District near Astaranga and the popular tourist destination Pir Jahania Beach. However, Gundalba unlike other villages did not witness mass human causalities thanks to the dense Causirina forest. The trees saved the life of the people of the village.  Immediately after the cyclone, the women folks of Gundalba under the leadership of Charu Maa realized the importance of trees.  A grassroots revolution took up under the able leadership of Charu Maa. The group started protecting the forest in rotation and it is continued till now.  As a part of Sarna's imm...

Kids grow full of inquisitiveness having a sense of wonder. Their innocent minds have tons of questions, many rooted with deeper ideas. However, in our educational system most of the time either they are suppressed to ask or not created a conducive environment where they are nurtured to ask questions.  When they are your travel companions provide them with the opportunities to unless the questions that flow through their minds, allow them to share their experiences unconditionally. It is not important the quality of the questions that they ask or the quality of the experience that they share, but it is essential to nurture the questioning skills, even though they appear to us illogical.  Travel Sarna not only have a strong belief in educational tourism for kids but is also determined to implement it.   Here is a travel story of our recently conducted tour to a farm in the dense forest of Hindol Range in Upland Odisha.  Kanha (Shrehyansh) and (Dudul) Shiv Shailes...

Bhitarkanika National Park is wild territory. Filled with mangroves forest on both sides of a network of creeks, Bhitarkanika is home to around 1800 saltwater crocodiles, some of which are the world’s largest. It is said that December to February is the best season for crocodile sighting in Bhitarkanika as many of them are seen basking on the mudflats in the morning or late afternoon. However, on a sunny post-monsoon October afternoon, we were thrilled to sight territorial fights among crocodiles in the dangerous creek waters of Bhitarkanika. In the breeding season for saltwater crocodiles, competition among the female for territory is not only intense but also violent. Saltwater crocodiles are the most territorial among all crocodile species. Adults are particularly intolerant of other adults and this territoriality is displayed by both male and female crocodiles.     The territory size of female crocodiles is smaller, about one km in radius associated with nesti...