Within the ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ) in Bannerghatta, Bangalore, lies a village called Ragihalli. The primary occupation of the people living here is agricultural. Growing mulberry and rearing silkworks, sheep and poultry, cultivation of ragi, coconuts, jackfruit, among various other fruits on a small scale which mostly depend on rainfall.

The women here are also known to run a bakery making delicious cookies and other snacks sometimes using the produce from their own farms.

Recently, through a new initiative by Buffalo Back Collective, the women made silver earrings using silkworm cocoons at the village. They went on to to exhibited and sold at an event in the UK.

Here are pictures from the training workshop held at Buffalo Back Collective’s farm where a jewellery maker was invited to train the women in crafting jewellery from silkworm cocoons.
The cocoons had been previously dyed using natural plant based colors.