The simple, spiritual living in Andhra’s Kurma Gramam village

Long before the first light of day touches the hills of Anthakapalli, 28-year-old Srikanth is already awake. At around 3.30 a.m., inside a mud house in Kurma Gramam, the glow of a diya (lamp) flickering inside a lantern, its flame nearly fading as the castor oil runs dry. He quietly refills it. There is no electricity in the Vedic village, the soft illumination of the earthen lamps are the only source of light.

The 28-year-old begins his day with a simple routine. He sweeps the earthen floor of his home, freshens up, and takes a bath with warm water, heated on a firewood stove, as the houses do not have LPG connections. By then, his wife is ready too. Together, they step out, holding a lantern, to the prayer hall, a few metres from their home. With no street lights, the lantern guides them through the darkness. By 4.30 a.m., the village gathers at the prayer hall, located at the entrance of the village.