KHADKI
sense of the place Khadki is a village at the edge of Gujarat separated from Maharashtra by a flowing river. It is very close to Valsad, with a population of around 800 people amounting to about 160-170 houses. The terrain is mostly with sloping, located on a higher ground. The region receives extreme amounts of rainfall in monsoon months, sometimes coupled with thunderstorms. The village has a lively chawk with a temple, general supply store and large open space in front of it, which is generally used to play games during the day. People of the village and the ‘mandali’ (music troupe) come together during festivals in the temple, to sing native and religious songs all through the night. There are two main bus stops in the village, receiving buses helping to commute to surrounding areas. Every Wednesdays, a pop-up market is organized close to the bus stop, for everyday supplies and necessities. The village has one government school and one boarding school run by Sarvoday trust. People of the village are essentially self-sufficient managing everything on their own other than sugar, electricity and clothes. Most villagers are engaged in more than one occupation, being not just farmers but also basket makers, carpenters, drivers, workers in vineyards of Nashik etc. Warli art is also prevalent in this area, artists are disappearing with only a handful remaining. The Sarvoday trust, a non-government organization, led by Sujata ben has been working in the region since the past 25 years. They have been helping to restore the forests, making many check dams and providing villagers with different employment opportunities. Since the ban on usage of Valsadi teak, a high quality wood, procured from forest; the trust has been promoting bamboo plantations. To be used not only as a building material but also as a means of generating developments in craft, observed in neighbouring villages.
Birdview of khadki village 8