You could call them the oldest time travellers of the world – the communities who have been on the move for centuries, living by the seasons and the ways of nature as they trace familiar routes. This year, the United Nations is attempting to draw global attention to them by designating 2026 as the Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
“Pastoralists raise animals, contribute to food security, and hold diverse cultural heritage and local and indigenous knowledge, preserving ecosystems across the world,” says an official statement from the UN.
It adds, “By working with the land, pastoralists’ work provides benefits to both people and the planet. They maintain ecosystems and preserve indigenous livestock breeds that are adapted to the local environment. Pastoralism is not only a livelihood but also a cultural heritage. Their practices show how human livelihoods and nature can coexist and thrive together.”
One of the famous pastoralist communities of Maharashtra are the dhangars. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana are homes of the Lambadi people. A travelling exhibition, “Living Lightly: Journey with Pastoralists 2026”, at Pune’s Zapurzha Museum of Art and Culture, aims to reveal the vibrant stories of such communities who have been rendered invisible by the glitz of towering cityscapes.
“Pastoralists have contributed hugely to our our cultures that we are not aware of. So much of our music, across the world and in India, comes from pastorals. You trace the history of the flute and you will be taken back to the culture of pastoralists,” says Sushma Iyengar, the lead curator of the exhibition. The exhibition is the result of years of work by Iyengar with nomadic pastoralists and other indigenous communities.
The journey of a visitor to the exhibition begins with a fully hand-embroidered map that has been made to scale, depicting even the elevation, of the Deccan Plateau. To see the representation of a land up close is the first step to understanding how it became hospitable to pastoralism so that they formed a solid bedrock of the culture and societies of Maharashtra and Telengana, among others.
As the map opens your eyes, you will see that the Deccan has the largest number of pastoral communities and pastoral animal breeds in the country. India has the second-largest sheep population in the world, and many of the animals are living in the Deccan. The visitors are taken through different themes, such as forests and wool. A section reveals the challenges and the skills required in a transient life. “Their home is on the move. We have a section called ‘Homes on the Move’, which shows how they carry their entire home on their animals,” says Iyengar.
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The exhibition uses a multi-layered design to form a bridge between the pastoral communities of the region and visitors to the Zapurzha Museum of Art and Culture. In the galleries are stories, such as of the folk deity Khandoba and his wives, Mhalsa, who is from a settled trading community, and Banai, who was a pastoralist and believed to represent nature. Visitors will meet the skilled pastoralists in workshops on Lambadi embroidery, hand spinning with peti charkha and drop spindle, and leather puppet.
Since pastoralists lead isolated lives in the forests where they graze their animals, music is a natural wellspring of emotion. The exhibition is accompanied by concerts on the evenings of May 9 and 10 that showcase the “oral traditions to celebrate the ancestral labour and the spiritual grit of these arid-land pastoralists”. May 9 will feature Shilpa Mudbi, a multi-disciplinary artist and researcher, and Kalaburagi Kala Mandal, made up of the kuruba community of northern Karnataka. The next evening, Shruti Veena Vishwanath will perform with members of the dhangar community of Maharashtra.
The showcase of pastoral traditions would be incomplete without appreciating their handicrafts. A dozen selected artisans will display their wares at Sanjha Bazaar. The items are made up of indigenous raw material and include dung-based items, leather goods and products made from grass and wool, among others. “This culture is invisible only because we we have made it invisible,” says Iyengar.
Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life.
Professional Background
Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint.
Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series).
Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season:
1. Climate & Environment
"Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week.
"How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
"Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner.
2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage
"Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle.
"Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport.
"The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle.
3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc"
"Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema.
"Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups.
"How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor.
Signature Style
Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune.
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