Issue 8: An introduction
Welcome to the Coonoor&Co Journal, Volume 3 Issue 8
In a time when connection feels both omnipresent and strangely elusive, the essence of kinship can quietly slip from our grasp. As we navigate an increasingly fragmented world, this issue invites you to rediscover the hidden bonds that tether us—not just to one another but to the landscapes we inhabit and the larger ecosystem of life.
Kinship, in its truest sense, goes beyond the immediate; it recognizes the intricate web of relationships that shape us—through family, community, and the more-than-human world. The constellation of stories within this issue weaves these dimensions together, reminding us that belonging is not something we simply seek but something we continuously create.
Through essays, poetry, photography, illustrations, and personal narratives, Kinship—Lost and Found explores how these connections are sustained. How might we rekindle bonds with those we love and the animals we share the earth with? What wisdom can be gleaned from Indigenous elders who hold generations of knowledge about living in harmony with nature? How do we hold on to the spaces we once called home, the memories stirred by a well-worn family album, a treasured recipe, or the fleeting impulse of a familiar scent?
At the heart of these reflections is the understanding that kinship is never static—it is layered, dynamic, and evolving.
The threads that tie us together are fragile yet resilient, shaped by centuries of shared memory. As we explore these stories, we are reminded that reconnecting with our roots leads us to new ways of living in harmony with the present, cultivating a future that honours the interconnectedness of all life.
Contributors to this issue include a thoughtful and inspiring group of writers, artists, thinkers, and practitioners, each bringing their unique perspective and passion to the pages:
Heta Pandit, Pankaj Singh, Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder, Deborah Thiagarajan, Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan, Shrishtee Bajpai, Sindhoor Pangal, Shobhana Kumar, Smriti Rana, Prajna Chowta, Devi Lakshmikutty, Shalini Philip, Rohini Kejriwal, Janaki Ranpura, Rini Singhi, Pranoy Biswas, Ramya Reddy, AJ Mallari, Athulya Pillai, Rupali Goel, and Manvi Vakharia.
In A Fabric Called Interface, Heta Pandit captures the fading tradition of Goa’s oviyos—songs sung by women at the grinding stone. Through her conversations with Saraswati Aai, Subhadra Arjun Gaus, Sarojini Bhiva Gaonkar, and Laxmi, she uncovers how these songs are intricately woven into the daily lives of these women, carrying stories of resilience, hardship, and memory through generations. This essay offers a window into Heta’s ongoing documentation of these cultural traditions, as modern life increasingly threatens the practices that once kept them alive.
In The Color of Remembering, Pankaj Singh traces the distinctive textures and muted hues of old photographs, showing how they capture fleeting moments and forgotten details in ways that modern images cannot. Moving between personal memories and universal themes, Pankaj reveals how old photographs, with their soft light and grainy surfaces, transform the ordinary into lasting artefacts, holding delicate fragments of the past that shape our personal histories and connections to what once was.
Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder draws on the monarch butterfly’s migratory journey—where generations instinctively navigate to places they’ve never been—as a metaphor for kinship and belonging. Through this lens of intuition, she considers how we, too, can adapt to new environments. Drawing parallels between the monarch’s path and her own recent move to Vermont, Chelsea uncovers the unseen threads of relationships that guide us no matter where we are.
Deborah Thiagarajan reflects on the shifting dynamics in Indian craft, viewing this moment as a turning point in history. In her poignant commentary on South Indian practitioners, she speaks of Mahabalipuram’s stone sculptors, Swamimalai’s bronze casters, and woodcarvers navigating contemporary challenges through modern marketing, and suggests, with optimism, that the connection to the earth will ensure the continuity of traditional artisanship.
Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan presents a libretto inspired by a journey through a forest in search of scents, drawing parallels between the Shola forests of the Nilgiris and the Cascais-Sintra National Park. Rooted in themes of nature, memory, and fragrance, the writing traces the intimate connection between the senses and the landscapes that shape them. Drawing from her The Memory Pod Project, a palette of accords based on public scent memories, Jahnvi brings forth a sensory experience that weaves together scent and storytelling, offering a richly layered reflection on kinship with the natural world.
In Wild Flowers, Rivers, and Mountains—Navigating Time and Kinship, Shrishtee Bajpai follows the Lachung Chu river in North Sikkim, weaving together the stories of mountains, rivers, forests, and the people living in deep kinship with them. She writes about how indigenous communities, guided by a circular sense of time, nurture their environments while resisting modern pressures like hydropower projects, calling for greater responsibility toward the more-than-human world.
In conversation with Ramya Reddy, Prajna Chowta—conservationist, wildlife researcher, writer, and filmmaker—recounts her remarkable journey as one of the few female mahouts in Asia. Co-founder of the Aane Mane Foundation, Prajna talks about her bond with elephants, experiences with motherhood, and the need for elephant conservation. Drawing from her time with the indigenous Kuruba community, she emphasizes preserving natural habitats and fostering balanced coexistence between humans and wildlife.
For Devi Lakshmikutty, what began as a concern for food systems deepened into a kinship with the farmers who nurture the soil. In her essay, she recounts farm visits, shared meals, and friendships with organic farmers in India, highlighting their challenges—from harsh weather to systemic barriers—and questioning the sense of entitlement often found in urban food consumption. Devi calls for mindful food practices, where buying produce and cooking become acts of gratitude for the resilience of farmers who sustain both us and the environment.
The Plates That Hold Us Together by Shalini Philip offers a heartfelt reflection on how food weaves connections and fosters a sense of belonging. From haggling at the fish market to reaching for a cherished family recipe, Shalini shares the small yet significant rituals surrounding food that bring people together. Through warm and vivid details, she conveys how shared meals and the act of preparing food create enduring bonds that transcend time, distance, and generations.
Rohini Kejriwal’s photo essay examines the dualities of kinship—closeness and separation, joy and sorrow, love and loss—using the natural phenomenon of crown shyness as a metaphor. Through personal reflections and rituals, she underscores the importance of vulnerability, empathy, and making space for one another with tenderness, celebrating the diversity and authenticity that guide human relationships.
Janaki Ranpura navigates her evolving sense of kinship with New Mexico, finding parallels between Native spirituality and her Hindu roots. She embraces the idea of paradise as movement, never fixed but always in motion, resonating with the region’s migratory history. While these histories weave connections, they are also complicated by dissonance. Janaki confronts her discomfort with wheat—a symbol of colonization and displacement. This essay unpacks the complexities of belonging, displacement, and identity, reflecting on reconciling the places we inhabit with their histories.
Rini Singhi draws parallels between her mother’s work as a botanist and her own love for cooking. While her mother nurtures the land, Rini connects by honouring what the land offers through preparing food. This essay expands on kinship as a non-linear process, where inherited connections are layered and complex. By showing how kinship means understanding the land for one and food for another, Rini uncovers the intricacy of the relationships we inhabit and sustain.
In the wake of the loss of two indigenous elders—one of whom was instrumental in helping shape her nine-year-long documentation and book Soul of the Nilgiris—Ramya Reddy contemplates the fragility of this living lineage. The elders, who embodied ecological wisdom and intergenerational knowledge, carried with them a deep understanding of how all things are connected. As they depart, we are left with the urgent responsibility to safeguard what remains—knowledge essential for conserving the fragile equilibrium of our natural world and the communities bound to it.
In his photo essay, Pranoy Biswas shares how his understanding of family has changed over 12 years of living away from his biological roots. Through images of places, people, and experiences, he reveals the inherited and chosen connections that shape our sense of belonging.
Our illustrators for the issue, AJ Mallari, Athulya Pillai, Rupali Goel and Manvi Vakharia, have livened up the pages with their beautiful illustrations.
The stories from this issue will be released on our website throughout the coming months, and each new piece will arrive in your inbox as part of our monthly newsletter. Follow along as we unfold these narratives, continuing the dialogue around kinship, nature, and community.
Our journal, published biannually, is an independent platform exploring the intersection of slow living, nature, culture, and community. All our stories are available for free on our website. Subscribe to our newsletter for monthly updates and story compilations.
Thank you for being part of our reader community. We deeply appreciate your continued support and look forward to sharing more.
Set against the backdrop of the Himalayas, Namita Gokhale brings to us a tale of four women and The Dacha, a cottage in the mountainscapes of Kumaon. In this moving excerpt* Namita interweaves the relationship dynamics of these women within the beauty of the mountains. Through myths that are both cautionary tales and prophecies, it casts a spotlight on the ever-widening rift between humans and nature. Narratives of landslides, overflowing rivers, and forest fires, remind us that the animacy of mountains ought to be cherished and revered.
[*Excerpt from chapter “Digital Tales” from the book “Never Never Land” authored by Namita Gokhale, published by Speaking Tiger Books, 2024]
“Journeys Across Hills” is a reflective journey where Kaveri Ponnapa weaves the rich tapestry of Kodagu’s ethereal landscapes with her personal explorations across the Nilgiris. Through her vivid storytelling, she delves into the sacredness of land, ancestral wisdom, and the soulful connection to her heritage, highlighting the beauty of Kodagu and its people. As she embarks on a quest to document the Kodava community’s fading echoes, her narrative not only pays homage to the intricate relationship between the land and its keepers but also poignantly addresses the challenges of preserving this unique culture against the relentless tide of modernity.
Lathika George delves deep into the story of the Kurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), an endemic plant of the Western Ghats, capturing its essence through stories, myths, legends, poetry, and its uses in food and medicine. She illustrates the comprehensive story and varied significance of this extraordinary bloom – with its distinctive blooming cycle, typically flowering in a vibrant display that blankets the hills in purple once every 6, 9 or 12 years and going up to 16 – within the cultural and ecological context of its native landscape of the Western Ghats.
In his heartfelt chronicle, Jamling Tenzing Norgay honours the bond between him and his iconic father and the deep connections between mountains and sherpas. He pays homage to “Chomolungma” (Mount Everest), which he climbed in 1996, decades after his father, Tenzing Norgay, and Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent. Jamling reflects on the Himalayas’ sacredness, the teachings of yogi-saint Milarepa, environmental respect, and the essence of mountaineering. He recalls his father’s wisdom from 1953: “You can’t see the entire world from the top of Everest. The view from there only reminds you how much more of the world there is to see and learn from.”
In 2014, Bruce Kirkby and his young family travelled overland from their home in Canada to Karsha Gompa, a thousand-year-old Buddhist monastery in the remote Zanskar valley of Ladakh. They spent four months living in a small mud brick home perched on steep cliffs. In his subsequent book, “Blue Sky Kingdom”, he wrestles with the cataclysmic changes descending on Zanskar, threatening to topple a millennia-old traditional way of life. In this issue, Bruce has curated a collection of excerpts from his book, accompanied by a discussion that aims to take readers on a journey back in time, compelling us to ponder the true cost of progress.
In “The Blue Remembered Hills,” Meher Mirza revisits our beloved Coonoor’s colonial charm with gentle humour and descriptive effervescence. She narrates the transformation of 19th-century Coonoor from a land of indigenous forests and native Indian dwellings into a colonial “hill-station”. The Europeans fashioned Coonoor into a sanatorium, indulging in its mild climate and developing a rich culinary and social scene. Meher captures the dichotomy of Coonoor’s identity—between its colonial past and natural beauty—through vivid descriptions of its evolving landscape, community, and the fleeting yet impactful moments of joy and cultural exchange.
Malati Mukherjee, a “Seeker” and stage 3 endometrial cancer survivor, embodies a strong belief in holistic living and natural healing. She introduces us to Dr. Dorjee Rapten Neshar, the principal and lead physician at Bengaluru’s Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute). Their conversation, both compassionate and compelling, delves into the ancient Sowa Rigpa system of medicine. Dr. Dorjee underscores the critical importance of revisiting and embracing the healing arts of ancient medical traditions and practices. Among these, Tibetan Medicine, emerging from the sacred Himalayan mountains and rooted in Buddhist principles, stands out for its profound wisdom and healing approach.
“Nestled in the Clouds: Lifestyle of the Monpa Community”, by Julie Kagti, is an immersive ethnographic essay on the Monpa people indigenous to the Arunachal Pradesh mountains. Through her narrative, Julie artfully blends the rich facets of Monpa culture – traditional architecture, spirituality, cuisine, and textiles – crafting a vivid depiction of their life in communion with the mountainscape. Julie’s essay celebrates the Monpas’ intricate relationship with their environment, portraying a community where tradition and the natural world are interwoven beautifully.
In a fictional story drawn from personal childhood memories, Sohail Rekhy crafts a narrative of love for nature, ancient Shola forests shrouded in dense fog, wet tar roads, and a two-hundred-year-old tree. This tale poignantly explores the enduring connection between a father and his daughter, renewing and deepening their bond.
“From the Land of Apricots” is a captivating photo essay by Ayan Biswas that portrays the lives of the indigenous Dard tribe and their relationship with apricot trees in Ladakh. Apricots, introduced from China and Central Asia over a century ago, have become integral to Ladakh’s local culture and life. The photos in this essay tell a story of belonging, of how the “other” becomes “intimate”, the silent language of trees, the silent love of a people, and the celebration of the exquisite bond of arboreal and human mutuality.
Pravin Shanmuganandam’s photo essay, “The Keepers of the Elephant Hills,” captures the complex relationship between Asian elephants and their caretakers, the mahouts, in the Anamalai Hills. Unlike other regions where elephants are held captive, the bond between the gentle giants and mahouts in the Anamalais is ancient and revered. Pravin sheds light on this sacred relationship between humans and animals through his photographs and notes.
Gayatri Ganesh’s essay “Dawn of Bear Island” offers connection and coexistence as antidotes to man-animal conflict. She takes us on a journey from indigenous cultures’ ways of living in compassionate coexistence with nature to the present, where man and animal are adversaries. Through her immersive encounters with sloth bears in the Nilgiris, Gayatri finds a path to joyful coexistence with the wild and invites us to reimagine our adversarial relationship with nature.
In “Mountains and Meaning: Journeys of the Body and Soul”, Olaf Willoughby explores mountains as metaphor and muse; the mountainscape as a portal of transcendence. Against the glacial backdrop of the Antarctic, Olaf delves into mountain climbing as both a physical and metaphysical peregrination. Mountaineering, understood in this expansive sense, is not merely about pushing one’s physical limits through a change in altitude. It is about shifting our perspective to transcend the trappings of our solipsistic mental prisons. Through immersion in the mountain vistas, we arrive at the limits of the body and the limitlessness of the soul.
In 1994, Vanya Orr, embarked on a life-changing journey to the Nilgiris, inspired by a nostalgic trip with her mother. This visit sparked a deep commitment to sustainable organic farming, women’s empowerment, and traditional knowledge preservation and led to the establishment of H.O.P.E., a cooperative focusing on herbs and essential oils, and Environment and Agri Research Foundation, promoting organic farming. Her endeavours culminated in founding The Earth Trust in 2004, emphasizing organic agriculture, women’s skill development, and ecological education for children, establishing Vanya as a symbol of sustainability and community empowerment in the Nilgiris. In conversation with Ramya Reddy from her home in Wales, Vanya reflects on her transformative Nilgiris experience. Discussing the region’s spiritual influence, her family’s legacy, and inspiring initiatives, Vanya envisions a sustainable Nilgiris and offers advice to environmental and community advocates, stressing the significance of indigenous wisdom in sustainable practices and the deep connection with nature.
Vivek Raj Singh, once a reserved college student, found an anchor in photography amidst life’s challenges. Approaching his 30s, this passion became a burden, leaving him feeling lost. The pandemic, however, sparked a shift, leading him to explore new creative avenues. He found freedom in capturing spontaneous moments with strangers and birds over rain-drenched streets. In this personal account, Vivek shares his journey of reigniting his passion for photography and the inspiration behind his cherished Landour series, marking a renewed love for capturing life through his lens.
Some dreams die so we can learn to live. In the wake of separation from her life partner, a grieving woman is guided by a homing instinct to the Nilgiris. “The Alchemy of Loss”, by Ashna Ashesh, is a story of coming home to the mountains and to oneself. It is a tender meditation on the alpine alchemy of transforming loss into love and on how grounding presence is an antidote to glaring absence.
Our illustrators for the issue, AJ Mallari, Toshi Singh and Rupali Goel have yet again livened up the pages with their beautiful illustrations.
Thank you so much for being a part of our reader community. All the stories we publish in our journal are free on our website. Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly compilations of our stories and updates.
We deeply appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to sharing more.
Love, Team Coonoor&Co
Looking forward to read the complete stories. An wonderful initiative.
Thank you for your warm words, Kankana. I hope you enjoy the upcoming stories of Kinship!