Payal’s Traditional Family — Stories from Jhalawar, Rajasthan

The first family I had the opportunity to visit was one of my student’s, Payal (little girl in the middle). They greeted us with warmness and excitement. Next thing I knew I was drinking chai that was made with their own cow’s milk and asking them about their dreams and aspirations. Payal’s family were farmers and very proud of that fact — they never really questioned their career as farmers because it was something their family had been doing for hundreds of years. They farmed mostly soy bean and lentils; their house was also inherited by previous generations. They were happy continuing the legacy. When asked about travel, they shared that they do not travel much due to farming, but when they do, it’s usually to religious sites. Payal’s grandmother dreams of travelling to a pilgrimage in Kashmir when she has the time and money.

Payal’s family was primarily women with the exception of her father and her younger brother. They shared something that was unique to the female experience in their village: when someone dies, the woman is supposed to mourn the deceased by crying for twelve straight days. If they do not fulfill this, it implies that they did not truly care for the person who died.
— Written by Karina Callegas
