CHAUDDHACHULI

FLAMES OF CHANGE

Come to Chauddhachuli, deep inside rural West Bengal, and get off the grid. Enjoy the verdant green and the art of the slow. If you are curious, look deeper. Behind the familiar images of rural India peppered with ho-hum activities, there seems to be a wind of change. Is there something special going on here?

Locate Chauddachuli

Stories from our village
August 7, 2022

Olonkar artisanal foods is the pride of the women of our village, A sustainable initiative to give local women financial freedom. It embellishes the age-old culinary tradition of Bengal by promoting the ancient art of Gohona bori and Pickle making.

August 11, 2022

Singing through the night about the glory of our gods (mostly Vaishanavite tradition) is a very common ritual. Whenever there is a puja, the household hires a professional group of musicians who perform through the night sometimes lasting for days and even a week. There are odes to different deities and very distinct styles of […]

August 18, 2022

Gitarani Maity, the oldest lady of the village passed away recently, She lived here for over seven decades and seen the village zamindars in their heydays. She would regale visitors with those old stories and legends.

August 18, 2022

A village market which sets in every Wednesday and Sunday and is the lifeline of the locals. this is a truly mesmerizing place to experience the rural Bengal economy.

August 18, 2022

The oldest school in the area, Holudbari school was founded in the year 1885. For nearly 140 years this school has been an institution of education and excellence.

August 18, 2022

Now in its ruins but here lies the oldest post office in India. Just a 20-minute drive from our Village. Khejuri Club House – Presently dilapidated, some say the British souls still roam around here. The old clubhouse of British officers which then used for their leisurely hours.

August 18, 2022

It’s a peculiar profession one can only find in the rural Indian subcontinent, the local DJ box makers. They built high-fidelity DJ mixers to play in the festivities. And here in the village, they have a best DJ box competition once a year.

August 18, 2022

This is the temple where the most important yearly Bengali Hindu festival Durga puja takes place. The whole village gathers here for 5 days till the immersion of the Devi idol.

August 18, 2022

They are the girl footballers from the village who played at the district level and they are the district champions in women’s football from Holudbari Haigh school. Though Women’s football only started there a few years ago and these two girls are dreaming of it big.

August 18, 2022

A local legendary character. The story says, he used to ride a horse and had supernatural healing powers. A saint as the locals say. He had saved and supported many villagers here in their hard times.

August 18, 2022

Puffed rice or muri is the most popular staple after rice in this part of Bengal and there are a handful of local mills to make it. a very interesting indigenous process of making puffed rice can be seen here.

August 18, 2022

A living example of women empowerment, this lady is a beacon of light. She sells panipuri to the villagers, which is a male-dominated profession and she is rocking it.

August 18, 2022

The nearest river to the village. This river has two tributaries. One is called Sunia and the other one is named Kalua. As the sea is nearby, the fishing condition around this river is amazing and we can see many small fishing areas here.

August 18, 2022

He is a renowned artist, a teacher, and a local. He now teaches local children the mastery of art & craft. He started his journey from this very village. Now he is associated with our nursery school Vidyasagar Nursery School.

August 18, 2022

This is an ancient ritual of every household of the Vaishnavites of Bengal, where in the evening when the Sun is slowly going down, they pray to “Lord Gopal” to come back home after playing with the Universe and asks him to go to sleep. They consider him to be their child and treat him […]

September 2, 2022

A local musician and singer, performing in the neighborhood for the last 40 years. From a very young age, he used to sing in local ceremonies and programs. Except for being a farmer, he is a full-time musician. A pure soul who still breathes music, and sings his heart out.

September 2, 2022

In the village, there are families who follow Vaishnavism. In one such household, we see these amazing performers who during the time of the puja offering, sing the songs of the god and his glory.