Of Armatures, Fields and A Sowing Ground

Gethipada, a village by the foothills of Sahyadri Ranges is unique in its physiography due to the presence of numerous dykes and sills. These fissures of the land help the Warlis, a community of indigenous tribes in the cultivation of paddy. The cycle of farming is interwoven with their culture. The reference and reflection of these can be seen in their belief in a myth about a curse of Kansari Mata. This continues to be influencing the present-day lives of this farming community. Low yield, loss of indigenous seeds, and meagre livelihood means have driven the community into a state of distress. Hence, the objective of the project is to increase the productivity of the land and help generate a surplus of various produce for the community to sustain and thrive by devising a three-staged system of live fences which will act as a productive binding network, field revisions for increasing agricultural yield and a ceremonial community sowing ground.