The India That Raised Me - A Day with My Roots at Tribe Chhatri, Pune

An Encounter with Living Traditions

After working for five days, it was finally a day of calm, a day to breathe slowly, to soak in quietness, to soothe my soul. I longed for a moment of stillness, something that would help me realign. I planned this day to reconnect with myself, and with the cultural roots that have always grounded me.

So, I thought, why not take a one-day India tour? A journey not across cities or states, but across time. A visit to the India that still lives close to nature, in rhythm with earth and tradition, ‘the tribal India’. A visit to the India that raised me. 😊The place my spirit feels most at home.

Although I have shared it earlier, it’s worth repeating, I grew up in a small tribal village, Birsa, deep in the forests, under the Balaghat administrative region in Madhya Pradesh. This place, surrounded by dense greenery and rich biodiversity, holds a living culture passed down by generations. The Gond and Baiga tribes are central to this region. I was raised alongside them, embraced by their warmth, and guided by their wisdom. From them, I learned simplicity, resilience, and the art of living with nature. 😊

To relive that emotional landscape, I chose to visit Tribe Chhatri (https://tribechatari.com/), a curated space in Pune affiliated with Tribes India (https://tribesindia.com/), dedicated to showcasing and preserving India’s tribal heritage. The outlet promotes artworks and handicrafts from over 100 National Tribal Award-winning artists and is located near Parvati Hill, a peaceful, heritage-rich area where the 17th-century Parvati Temple stands gracefully.

Welcomed with Warmth and Familiarity

I left home, with GPS guiding the way, and Pune, on that beautiful day, looked even more breathtaking, wrapped in lush monsoon greenery, perfectly reflecting the excitement in my heart. In the meantime, I found myself enjoying a light conversation with the humble gentleman who drove the auto. Each turn of the road stirred a quiet thrill within me, and as we neared the spot, anticipation bloomed like the rain-kissed flowers lining the path. Finally, we arrived. It was a slightly wet but soothing afternoon. I stepped out of the auto, exchanged a warm thank you, settled the fare, and looked around, and there it was, the gate to Tribe Chhatri.

“Oh ye hai…” I said to myself and smiled. A gentleman with a kind face gestured gently, “This way.” His voice was soft, and his hands shaped the direction with an effortless grace. That one moment already made me feel I was in the right place.

He pointed me upstairs; the collection was on the first floor. As I climbed the stairway, I noticed the walls beside the stairs were adorned with Warli art, earthy figures in black and white, dancing, farming, living, as if welcoming me in their own language.

And then, at the top, the entrance to the actual collection space, it invited a pause.

The Entrance

Right beside the doorway, I noticed animal-shaped storage containers made from jute, mud, and papier-mache. At first glance, they appeared decorative, but these are traditional grain storage containers from Karnataka, designed to keep food grains safe for several months. Functional art rooted in everyday tribal life, deeply sustainable and incredibly artistic.

Jute, mud, and papier-mache art

Even before I stepped inside, my senses were already dancing, I saw displays of paddy craft, lanterns, and sculpted human faces from Bengal, so full of life, it felt as though they might speak at any moment. Among them stood an item that felt achingly familiar, made of bottle gourd. My memory stirred.

The Grain art

Tuma Art, The Bottle Gourd as Heritage

What caught my attention was a familiar-looking piece crafted from bottle gourd, lightweight, dried, and beautifully carved. This was not just an art piece; it belonged to the incredible tradition of Tuma Art, practiced mainly by tribal communities of Bastar, Chhattisgarh.

The bottle gourd, or lauki, is thoroughly dried, its pulp carefully removed, leaving behind a sturdy shell. This shell becomes the base for creating water containers, lamp shades, vases, or even musical instruments, all completely biodegradable and deeply rooted in sustainable living.

A memory resurfaced: I had once met a Tuma artisan at an exhibition in Pune. He belonged to Bastar, a tribal heartland in the state of Chhattisgarh, and we spoke at length about this beautiful yet fading art. His family had worked in Tuma craft for generations. He shared, with visible pain, how the younger generation was moving away from it. I remember buying a few pieces from him then, not just as souvenirs, but as silent promises to keep the tradition alive in small ways, at least in a corner of my home.

Standing here, seeing the same art form again, brought that entire interaction back to life, making this moment feel like a full circle

Tuma art - Lamp

Wooden Doors, Carved Memories

Just before entering the main collection, I stopped again. The door in front of me stirred something deep within. It was a solid wooden door, split in two, adorned with square carvings and tiny brass, cone-shaped studs. These were not unfamiliar to me. I had seen such doors in my ancestral village during childhood, in the homes of my own people. And yet, standing here, in a tribal setting far from that village, the resemblance felt like a gentle reminder: that threads of tradition often run quietly across seemingly distant lives

Finally, I stepped into the abode, a haven where centuries-old traditions gently breathed through every artifact.

Canvas of Earth – Warli and the Natural Palette

To the left of the entrance, a painting greeted me. It was created on a thick mud-coated canvas, with natural pigments of red stone (geru) and rice flour. It portrayed a tribal woman, grounded, graceful. I was so absorbed in its details that I completely forgot to take a picture.

Beneath it was a series of Warli paintings, native to the Warli tribe of Maharashtra. The art uses simple geometric shapes to depict the everyday rhythms of rural life such as marriages, farming, festivals, and prayers. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t seek attention. Yet it holds your gaze, with its subtle detail, its movement, its dignity.

Warli Painting

Gond Painting – A Silent Connection

As I continued browsing through the collection, a vibrant Gond painting caught my eye. I stood there, completely immersed in its colors and spirit, when I heard a gentle, warm voice behind me. I felt honored as she approached, it was Mrs. Poorva Paranjpe, the heart and mind behind Tribal Chhatri’s thoughtful curation and daily management. She joined me in my quiet contemplation and began sharing the knowledge she has gathered over the years. Her words deepened my understanding of Gond art.

She spoke with such grace and sincerity that I instantly felt connected. She explained how this intricate artwork belonged to the Gond tribe, known for their deep reverence for nature and their tradition of storytelling through visual motifs. She also shared that these paintings originate from regions like Balaghat, Mandla, and Dindori in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, places where the Gond and Baiga communities have lived in harmony with nature for generations, and still do.

When Mrs. Paranjpe unknowingly mentioned Balaghat, I lit up! I couldn’t hold back my excitement and told her, “That’s my hometown!” That instant, unspoken bond through art, heritage, and memory was priceless. It felt as if the paintings themselves had whispered where I belonged, even before I said a word.

Soon after, we were joined by Mr. Krishna Paranjpe, the same warm gentleman who had welcomed me at the entrance and the man behind Tribe Chhatri alongside his wife, Mrs. Poorva Paranjpe. With profound passion and immense knowledge, he began sharing stories from his travels and the many tribal artists he’s worked with over the years. He spoke about the natural colors used, geru (red stone), rice paste and how each brushstroke in Gond art is rooted in daily life, nature, and the rhythms of the forest.

Gond Painting

Dhokra – The Bronze Pulse of Tribal India

As I walked deeper into the exhibit, I reached the Dhokra section, a world of lost-wax metal casting, dating back over 4,000 years. The process begins with a wax model, covered with layers of clay. When fired, the wax melts out and the cavity is filled with molten metal, usually brass to carve out the rustic beauties. Every single piece is unique. No moulds are reused.

Practiced in Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand, Dhokra showcases tribal deities, ritual dances, nature symbols, animals, and Madia & Madin the terms referring to male and female tribal figures, respectively. It is intricate, time-intensive, and mesmerizing.

Dhokra Art

Madia Madin Dhokra Artpieces Dhokra Nandi art

Jewels of Tradition and Storytelling Scrolls

Next, I found myself in the jewelry section, where nature gracefully met ornamentation. There was a beautiful variety on display, neckpieces crafted from Dhokra metal, delicate jute and grass bracelets, bamboo chokers, and intricate earrings like the iconic Dhokra earrings. Every ornament carried echoes of timeless artistry. Surrendering to a spark of feminine joy, I treated myself to one! 😊

Grass Neckpiece Grass Bracelet

There were Rajasthani puppets, Indian nesting dolls, Bamboo and wooden crafts and beautifully preserved Pattachitra scrolls from Odisha.

Pattachitra, which literally means "cloth painting," is one of the oldest and most intricate art forms of Odisha and West Bengal. The paintings are characterized by rich borders, sacred narratives from ancient epics and scriptures, bold lines, and natural colors extracted from stones, seashells, and vegetables. The detailing in the eyes, the stylized poses of the figures, and the storytelling format set it apart, each stroke a dedication, each panel a passage through ancient tales. These Pattachitra are not silent canvases, they are performed. Artists sing stories of gods and goddesses, Shree Krishna, Maa Kali, Shree Ram, while unrolling each Pattachitra painting.

I first witnessed this a couple of years ago at a handicraft exhibition in Pune, the songs, the colours, the stories. The melody still hums in my memory, and I’m glad I caught a snippet on video to share here.

So, back to my tribal chhatri visit, what caught my eye especially was a wooden vase on which the face of Lord Krishna was delicately painted in the traditional Pattachitra style. I could not stop myself from buying that beautiful piece too, it felt divine.

Pattachitra on Wooden vase Rajasthani Puppets

Indian Nesting Dolls

The Rainmaker – A Sound That Heals

I made my way to the next section. Just as I was absorbing the layers of meaning behind each piece, Mr. Paranjpe approached me once again, this time holding something truly unique in his hands. He gently lifted a bamboo cylinder and tilted it slowly, tilting it back and forth, swinging it from one side to the other. With each movement, a sound began to emerge, first soft drops, then a gentle drizzle, and finally the steady rhythm of rainfall. It was not a recording; it was handcrafted engineering brought to life.

He explained the concept of the Rainmaker, bamboo filled with small dried seeds, and inside, spiralled wooden spikes were carefully arranged one above the other at precise angles and distances. As the seeds fall, they hit the spikes and create the soothing sound of rain. It is used for meditation, healing, and creating calm in traditional practices.

I was amazed! The moment he mentioned meditation and healing, it was enough for me to make it mine, a piece of harmony to carry home.

Bamboo Rainmaker

The engineering behind the bamboo rainmaker

From Sohrai to Bidri – Diverse Traditions, One Thread

Another striking piece was a tray made from golden grass and areca (supari) leaves, with a central Sohrai painting. This art, practiced by the HO tribe of Jharkhand, often depicts rituals, spirits, and everyday life events of the community. The colors are all-natural, and the brushwork is beautifully symbolic.

Sohrai painting

Mr. Paranjpe then showed me Bidri work, an elegant silver-inlay technique from Bidar, Karnataka, this time crafted into a striking piece of jewelry. These pieces are made with zinc alloy and inlaid with silver patterns, then blackened to create striking contrast. Sadly, he shared that Bidri art is fading too, as the next generation is less inclined to continue the practice.

Bidri Art

The Souls Behind the Collection

This entire space, with its magic and memory, exists because of the unwavering dedication of Mr. and Mrs. Paranjpe. They travel to tribal regions across India, collaborate with platforms like National Geographic and Discovery, and document these living art forms through film and curation. Their work goes beyond preservation, it nurtures, supports, and brings tribal India to the heart of cities. With a heavy heart, they told how the new generation is not pursuing these old tribal art forms, and many of the rare arts are dying.

Mr. and Mrs. Paranjpe, have been working in this space for many years as passionate curators and advocates of tribal art. You can follow their work or stay connected with them via below

https://www.facebook.com/paranjpepoorva

https://www.facebook.com/shrikrishna.paranjpe

आदिवासींचे अंतरंग (Adivasince Antaranga)

Their dedication also finds expression in projects like the coffee table book 'आदिवासींचे अंतरंग' (Adivasince Antaranga), released a few years ago by the Maharashtra Government’s Tribal Development Department to mark India’s Amrit Mahotsav, a tribute to 75 years of independence.

Along with anthropologists Dr. John Gaikwad, Dr. Chid Vilas More, and Dr. Rajesh More, Mr. Paranjpe contributed stunning photography that brings tribal communities across Maharashtra to life. The book highlights their geography, cultural traditions, rituals, and marriage and funeral practices, featuring communities such as Bhilla, Warli, Thakar, Gond, Kolam, Madia, and more. More than just images, it serves as a cultural chronicle, fostering appreciation and understanding of tribal India.

A Visual Glimpse – Moments That Stayed With Me

What I have shared here is barely an iota of the vast heritage that still thrives today, despite the younger generation’s limited interest, often because these traditions offer little economic support and many of them face daily struggles for livelihood.

Tribal India remains incredibly rich, diverse, and alive, it would take a lifetime to truly understand their culture in all its depth and richness. By sharing these glimpses, I hope to ignite in you a spark of curiosity and connection, encouraging you to explore and learn more about this incredible world.

And there I was, the tribal soul in the mirror, quietly smiling back at me. 😊

Parting Gift, Lasting Impression

As I was leaving, Mr. Paranjpe called me again. For a moment, I thought he was about to explain another piece I had missed. Instead, with a warm smile, he handed me a gift, something, symbolic, meaningful, heartfelt. I was touched beyond words. 😊🙏

That one gesture stayed with me. It felt like the universe had sealed something tender that day, a blessing, a memory, and a quiet promise that I was exactly where I needed to be.

The day was spent so nicely, nostalgically, culturally, I felt like I went back to my early days.

A Glimpse Into My Own Little Treasure

Before I close, I would like to take this opportunity to give a glimpse into my own small treasure, a sweet collection of tribal and traditional items. It began with gifts and heirlooms from my grandparents-in-law, including some rare African bamboo pieces, and an elegant brass collection curated lovingly by my grandmother-in-law. This collection was lovingly expanded by my parents-in-law, and thoughtfully enriched by my husband, even before I became part of the family. Today, I continue to add little pieces, each holding a story, a smile, and a memory.

Just a handful from our brass collection