You can sow seeds, till the land, and water crops, right at the heart of the city this weekend. At Village Ticket 2.0, presented by Brand Avatar and the Grand Catering Company, the organisers have arranged for a one-acre plot of land at the venue, on which those who walk in can try their hand at agriculture, and get an experience of how it feels to be a farmer. The event, that’s being held in the city for the second time, is a celebration of everything rural — food, culture, games, and traditions.
This year, it is all about honouring the ‘three pillars’ of rural life — farmers, artisans, and cooks. “We are inviting cooks from across Tamil Nadu who will present a feast of sorts,” says L Hemachandran, founder-CEO, Brand Avatar. “They will cook three different menus, such as the gramathu virundhu , the non-vegetarian kari virundhu , and kalyana virundhu ,” he adds. He explains that the spread includes Arcot chicken biryani, Nagoor halwa , kambu thayir sadham , vada curry, and poricha parotta .
In keeping with the organisers’ philosophies, no food brands have been invited to participate. The idea is to encourage local skills and knowledge, and introduce to the city aspects of rural life it is missing out on. The water pump in the fields, for example: how many Tamil movies have shown one, bang in the middle of a green field? “We’ve set up a pump-set on the premises,” says Hemachandran.
The highlight this year is nalla sandhai (farmers’ market) by team Nallakeerai. He adds, “The farmers’ market will present traditional rice, pulses, cold-pressed oil, honey, and organic fruits and vegetables from 80 farmers across 32 districts.”
Apart from inter-college and inter-school competitions, Village Ticket will also feature karagattam and therukoothu performances, and guests can go on bullock cart rides. “There will be cattle at the venue; we’ve put up a panchayat stage, a vadivasal (entry point for bulls at a jallikattu event), and tile-roofed houses similar to ones in a village,” explains Hemachandran.
The best thing about the event, however, is that it is entirely plastic-free. He says, “We do not allow plastic water bottles inside.” Instead, they will place mud pots with water and vetiver root at various locations.
Village Ticket 2.0 is on at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Jeppiaar Nagar, from January 3 to 6, 11 am to 10 pm. Tickets, priced at ₹100, are available at villageticket.com. For details, call 42925050.
