Shepherds & Grasslands

In this series, I migrate with one of the last nomadic pastoralists in India, documenting their way of life and in the process better understand how we can save our last grasslands and the wildlife and people that depend on it.

Chapters

• The Man Who Cried Wolf Dhangars are nomadic migratory shepherds spread across the dry habitats of peninsular India. Constantly on the move, they travel with thousands of sheep and share the landscape with other wildlife.
• Life on the Move The Dhangars are always on the move and, twice a year, they make a 500 km long migration across central India. This is the story of their journey.
• The Economics of Rearing Sheep There is a lot of wealth in managing sheep and no one knows that better than the Dhangars.
• Neither Here Nor There Education is a double-edged sword for the Dhangars. Their nomadic life gives them more hope than modern day education.
• Ovi A traditional Maharashtrian folk poem about the wolf and the Dhangars, and the beauty of both having co-existed since ages with acceptance and respect.