Asha was born in this village in the year 1999.
When she talks about Janwaar, she always calls it “my village”.
She loves it – and I get it why.
Janwaar is one of India’s 700.000 villages.
It is a small hamlet in rural Madhya Pradesh.
1200 people are living there.
The next bigger town is Panna, ten kilometres away.
Panna is known for its Tiger National Park. And that’s it.
Janwaar is located in the eastern buffer zone of the Park.
Tucked away from the main road, it is surrounded by woods and fields.
A quaint village, lacking any modern amenities.
Simple. Peaceful. Charming.
The village ticks all the boxes of the rural India clichés.
No electricity. No sanitation. No work. No doctor. No network signal. No cars.
A few motorbikes but mainly bicycles. No public transport.
Many malnourished children in worn-out clothes. Barefoot.
Beautiful women in colourful saree.
Sun-kissed faces, etched with deep lines.
Groups of beared men sitting under shady trees.
Smoking. Drinking. Gambling.
Time doesn’t matter. There is no rush.
Buffalos, chicken, goats and stray dogs here and there.
And lots of smelly rubbish, especially around the half-rusted water pumps.
Most of the houses are made of clay and mud –
some of the roofs are only covered with plastic.
There are a few “better” houses – built with bricks and cement.
The people are very friendly and hospitable.
You can easily see the simple and primitive past of India.
People leading a natural lifestyle, they feel content with it.
It feels somehow untouched. Still wild and raw. Very authentic.
The kids are playing cricket with self-made bats.
They swim in the nearby lake – nude or in holey underpants.
And they climb up trees like little monkeys.
In Janwaar, poverty is visible and striking.
Yet, at the same time it is very inviting.
For me, it was love at first sight.
