“Whenever Dussehra festival comes around, I think of my grandchildren. I feel so happy when they come to the village. I get to cook for them, sit and talk with them, and show them the things we do here.

I have lived in Mulkalpally village all my life. We do farming and raise cattle and sheep here. After my children got married, they moved to different cities. During the summer holidays, my granddaughters would come to the village and stay with me.

They love the Telangana Pindi Vantalu I make, especially Sarvapindi, Bakshalu, and Sakinalu. We sit under the mango tree, eat together, and also celebrate Bathukamma festival with our villagers. We go to the fields to pick flowers on our own instead of buying them from the market.

I teach my grandchildren about how we live in the village and they tell me about their lives in the city, too. I enjoy listening to them and seeing what they are learning.

I want my grandchildren to study well and do good jobs, but I also want them to learn farming, cooking, and other things we do here. They may live in big cities when they grow up, but they should know these things too.

Nowadays, everyone lives in small nuclear families in big cities, and people are slowly losing that feeling of togetherness. But for me, family is everything. Being with each other, sitting together, and sharing our lives—that is what keeps us rooted. No matter where life takes us, nothing is more important than coming back together.”