If you ever travel to the eastern part of India, especially in the forests and villages of West Bengal, you might hear the earth singing. This music coming from the soil is called Jhumur, and it was traditionally sung when people began working and cultivating the land for use. For many communities who set up this way in West Bengal, it is more than just a song, but also a way of celebrating new life in respect to nature. Jhumur comes from the Adivasi (Indigenous) and rur

Serene landscape of palm trees silhouetted by a sunset over green fields in Midnapore, India | Photo Credit: Shuvrasankha Paul Runner-Up Men enjoy a swim in the Hooghly River with Howrah Bridge in the backdrop; Kolkata, India | Photo Credit: Monojit Dutta

Carolina, MA • Brasil • Março de 2023

Along the banks of the rivers that braided through nineteenth-century Bengal, one woman emerged as a powerful defender of her people during a period of profound political and social change. Rani Rashmoni was born in 1793 into a modest Kaibarta family near present-day Kolkata and rose to prominence through marriage to the wealthy landowner Rajachandra Das. After her husband’s death, she assumed responsibility for a vast estate, demonstrating remarkable administrative skill in