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Project Sanskriti – A Sustainable Tourism Initiative In Andhra Pradesh, India
The smiles of the kids in the village school warmed our hearts as the Principal excitedly explained about the facilities of the school.
Elsewhere the village postmaster posed proudly in front of the small post office where he has been serving for more than 30 years.
The paddy fields beckoned with their hypnotic emerald lustre while the womenfolk spoiled us with their hospitality at lunch and dinner.
We were experiencing a slice of rural India and for us, city born and bred folks, the experience was like manna from heaven. We were in the village of Madhavmala to experience the impact of Project Sanskriti which is a sustainable rural tourism initiative launched by Andhra Pradesh Tourism in collaboration with Grassroutes Journeys Private Limited.
What is Project Sanskriti
Project Sanskriti has been launched by Andhra Pradesh Tourism for promoting and empowering villages in the state through the channel of tourism. It is a great opportunity for tourists to interact with the villagers and get a close insight into their culture, cuisine, and lifestyle.
Project Sanskriti envisages not only sustainable tourism-related development for the villages but also aims to nurture the local art and give it a fresh lease of life. 12 villages have been identified in the first phase for the implementation of a community-run tourism model. Currently, the villages that are being groomed by Grassroutes are Madhavmala, Srikalahasti, and Venkatagiri. While Madhavamala is well known for its wood carving, Srikalahasti occupies center stage for its exquisite Kalamkari painting, Venkatgiri in Nellore district is known for its handloom weaving. Grassroutes brings with it an experience that spans more than a decade in the development of rural tourism. It is currently working on sustainable rural tourism in over 15 villages across India.
What is Sustainable Tourism
Sustainable Tourism or Responsible Tourism is indeed the need of the hour across the world and in India. India literally lives in the villages and it is imperative that the villages develop economically and socially but at the same time retain their pristine purity and heritage. The ancient arts and culture need to be nurtured and maintained. This is where sustainable tourism comes in.
Sustainable tourism ensures a win-win situation for both the tourist and the place they are visiting. It ensures that any negative impacts whether economic, social, or environmental are minimized. On the other hand, it ensures the generation of employment and the flow of revenues for the local community. The communities themselves are involved in decisions taken for the well being of the community as well as the environment. On the other hand, the sustainable tourism model ensures a satisfying and different experience to tourists, giving them an opportunity for an immersive understanding of the local arts, culture, and environmental issues of the community.
Our Experience of Project Sanskriti in Action
The couple of days that we spent in the villages of Madhavamala and Srikalahasti were a life-changing experience for us. We were able to see how the villagers were actively involved in building a model of sustainable tourism for themselves and their village community with hand-holding from Grassroutes and the support of Andhra Pradesh Tourism.
Take Madhavamala for instance, some of the families in the village have enlisted as homestays and tourists are accommodated in their houses. We stayed with an artisan family and had a close interaction with the family members, it was as if we were a guest of the family and not tourists.
Some of the families have been roped in for providing meals to the tourists which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 
It is very heartening to see the youth of the village involved with a great amount of zeal and enthusiasm in this sustainable tourism project. Lakshman has been groomed to be a supervisor and Kishore as a guide. Together they are being trained to curate enjoyable and unique experiences for the tourists.
The model envisages mutual benefit for all stakeholders. The tourists get a different and first-hand experience of the art, culture, and environment of the village. The village community sees revenue inflow. More tourists mean more interest in the art of wood carving of Madhavamala which again translates into more opportunities. Hopefully, this will result in more youngsters taking to this centuries-old craft and keeping it alive.
Our Unique Experiences At Madhavamala and Srikalahasti
We had a unique experience both in Madhavamala and Kalahasti. At Madhavamala we stayed with an artisan family headed by the octagenarian patriarch Chinnachari who practices his woodcraft like a penance in the name of God. We watched him transform plain blocks of wood into masterpieces of art.
We walked deep into the paddy fields as Lakshman gave us a hands-on demonstration of paddy farming.
The 50 feet deep village well looked really inviting and the urge to take a plunge was irresistible, however, we refrained, but not our Belgian companions, Lola and Andrew who jumped in with gay abandon.
Mornings in Madhavamala are magical. As the village roosters crowed the first light of the sun lit up the green paddy fields. It was time to head to the cows and try our hand at milking!
We drove on tractors too!
At Srikalahasti, we visited a workshop where the famed Kalamkari artists were hard at work. We learnt how a simple and plain looking piece of cloth gets transformed into exquisite sarees and other apparel.
We again had a hands-on experience of the Kalamkari art as we tried our hand at drawing and painting at the Kalamkari workshop. A few of our friends also bought some of the Kalamkari sarees.
On the sidelines of these incredible experiences, we also found time for a curated visit to the famous temples in and around Srikalahasti.
Our experiences in Madhavamala and Srikalahasti suggest that a silent revolution of sustainable rural tourism engineered by Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Grassroutes is happening in these villages. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience which was like nothing we had experienced before in our travels across India and the world.
Are you looking for a different kind of holiday? Do you feel that you are disconnected from nature? Are your interested in heritage and art? Then this kind of experience is something that you are going to enjoy and cherish. Do let us know your thoughts on sustainable tourism and what you feel about Project Sanskriti. Put in your thoughts in the comments section and they shall flow to us.
We were hosted by Grassroutes. However, the views and opinions expressed here are our own.
#travel #art #culture #heritage #handicrafts #AndhraPradesh #IncredibleIndia #sustainabletourism #experientialtravel #responsibletourism
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This is a very nice initiative. Congratulations to all stakeholders for their commendable efforts.
I have been to A.P and I love your sanskriti project. You guys are doing a great work. If you need me ever let me know.
These days we have started preferring blogs over newspaper. We get good info just like what your blog provided.
This looks like a very good project. The country and the world needs more like these.
This looks like an amazing experience. I have stayed at a Heifer International Camp once before, but didn’t realize this type of travel exists. Thanks for sharing!
Looks like a great trip. I enjoy visiting places where you interact with the people living there. For me it is the best part of the travel experience, learning about the people, culture and history if the places I visit. Doing home stays is always a great way to get to know the people.
What Project Sanskriti is doing is commendable. Sustainable rural tourism is a wonderful opportunity which very few understand. That’s why I am pressed that Andhra Pradesh Tourism has taken this initiative. Skills like wood carving, Kalamkari painting, handloom weaving should be protected and nurtured. I am delighted to read this blog.
Now this is the way to do tourism. You really got to experience the village on every level. Cool initiative.
Great topic and amazing photos! Sustainable tourism should be practiced everywhere 😊
That is some awesome talent of the sarees. To be able to hand paint those to these beautiful clothing is amazing.
What a great sounding initiative this is! It is great that people are coming up with such things around the world.
Project Sanskriti sounds like a great idea. I’m sure these villages really appreciate the tourism opportunities. And I know that when I travel, I like to experience a real experience, which these villagers offer. Sounds like a win-win for everyone!
How cool is this love all the initiatives that do good. All yoru pictures are really nice too.
This sounds amazing! Hats off to the people involve and making this project possible.
Loving the sound of this initiative but after reading this post, I have to ask with the angle of that photo, is it really high to dive into that pool or is it not so high? That is a crazy thing to do. 😀
What a wonderful post! Such an inspiring world. There need to be more people like this. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
This is such a wonderful project. I feel so happy for the kids and the community. Thank you for what you do. I admire the commitment and kindness of the people who made this possible.
Children smiling always warm my heart also. It is great the the principal has a passion for the village school.
I love all the hands-on activities and being able to stay with a local host. Both of those add so much to the experience and understanding different cultures and customs. That is so great this project exists and I hope it has a lot of success in helping villages create a balance between tourism and everyday life.
When I travel I always like to explore the local culture, but of course it’s important to do so in a way that is ethical and responsible. Project Sanskriti sounds like a wonderful to travel in such a way. Being able to stay with an artisan family and getting a farming demonstration is a great way to really learn about and experience the place your visiting. Whenever I get to India I’m going to have to look into doing this for my trip.
Wow, very offbeat and interesting experience. Project Sankriti is brilliant in terms of giving both the locals and tourists a good experience. Tourists will enjoy interacting with the locals, learning about the arts and crafts, their means of support and skills, and locals will have an additional and sustainable way of making some money. That well does look inviting, though I wouldn’t dare to jump so deep. Also, driving a tractor, watching the locals make artistic wooden carvings and learning about paddy farming – all amazing things to do!
I do sometimes feel disconnected from nature. We spend a lot of time inside.
Rural living is really exciting. You get the feel of fresh air, root crops and farm animals. And, It is sometimes nice to spend days in rural areas to appreciate nature and our lives more.
Sounds and looks like a wonderful experience for all involved. It’s true that the need for sustainable and responsible travel is great now. I’m looking forward to a trip with Purposeful Nomads in India next spring. Keep going.
The sustainable tourism is a very nice and thoughtful initiative – a great way to preserve and promote different cultures and lifestyles!! I would certainly love to give it a try sometime soon! 🙂
That’s great to know more about the sustainability of traveling in India, especially you have shared a lot of unique and interesting experience including the natural environment, cultural, arts, and food. Thanks for that and I hope to see them in person one day 🙂 @ knycx.journeying
This is such a great project. It’s nice to be able to experience and learn different cultures and their way of living but also be able to give back.
Project Sanskriti looks like a wonderful initiative and a win-win situation for all. Wish more states would take up something similar.
This Project Sanskriti looks like an excellent idea, a great iniative to promote sustainable and responsible tourism and allow visitors to learn more about the natural landscape, the local culture, about crafts and cuisine.
What a great experience. This is really something we would love to do.
Project Sanskruti is great initiative by A.P. government for rural areas. Actual traditions and handicrafts take birth in small villages and we should not neglect them. Publicizing them through various media is very important as those craftsmen would become extinct if they don’t get proper coverage. Thanks to you and your mission to showcase our beautiful part of A.P. which I was not knowing. Loved those intricate designs of Kalamkari and those hand-sculpted woodcraft.
This sounds like a great project! It’s a great way to help and get in some local culture and living.
That woodwork! Such amazing skill. I’d love to do a homestay in a village like this. Being close to locals really helps you understand a place – and that’s what travel’s all about.
What a great program for promoting sustainable tourism! I love that it develops the villages as well as the locals living there. So cool that you were able to try out various day to day activities of the villagers including milking the cows and drawing and painting of the Kalamkari art. 🙂
This sounds like an amazing experience
This sounds like an amazing experience. Such a great opportunity to completely experience the villagers lives. I especially like the idea of this encouraging the younger generation to learn crafts and carry on traditions. Very cool.
I love this initiative! To interact with the villagers/LOCALS and get a close insight into their culture, cuisine, and lifestyle is truly what most REAL travelers want. It’s incredible how the art is so detailed its beautiful! I’d jump into that water too!
That’s an excellent initiative. We have so much in our country. Esp., when western tourists talk so much in awe about paddy fields, I’ll be amused, coz that’s something I saw everyday! So yeah, our own paddy fields have so much tourism potential. Glad to see APTDC’s initiative.
Sanskriti Project sounds like an awesome initiative by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism. I came across one such project in Maharashtra worked by Grassroutes in Purushwadi. I am glad to see so many initiatives coming up these days by the government to promote travel and tourism. The homestays look amazing and I am sure the authentic meal provided by them would be yummy too.
I love that organizations like Project Sanskriti exist! There can be a serious disconnect between travelers and locals and a sense of exploitation so I think that bringing this type of sustainable tourism structure that is fair and beneficial to everyone is amazing. I think it’s even more amazing that there are 15 villages participating! I think a lot of other communities can benefit from a similar type of tourism organization.
Sustainable tourism or responsible tourism is actually the need of hour. Good to hear about the project Sanskriti and that youngesters are partciipating it with quite zeal. That well looks quite deep and I too would be scared to jump into it. The Kalamkari art is so beautiful. You seem to had a great experience there.
I love the whole idea of Sustainable Tourism! I agree that the world needs this! In my country, we have loads of tourists coming in every year. While we like it very much when foreigners show love and interest in our country, I also know that the environment is compromised, the government turns to modernization and the culture is left out. Project Sanskriti proves that it doesnt have to be this way!
This is a very nice project that will help preserve ancient art. These kind of ventures are so much needed across the world to preserve the rich heritage.
Great initiative by the Andhra Prakash Tourism Board. Very noble. Seems like a once in a lifetime experience.
Wow, this looks like a great tour! I love travel experiences where you get to see the local culture and understand more about customs, food and life in the area. This looks like it would provide all that learning! I’ve never been to India and want to visit someday – and I think this may just be the tour I end up doing! 🙂
Wow after reading this post I could imagine myself on this lovely part of India. These places are so hidden I feel from our day today life but are so beautiful..Given the great work happening in this rural part I think it’s imperative to have very strong connectivity and network in these places..