Footprints in the wind

EDITION

2025, Shortlisted

school

National Institute of Design, Gandhinagar, India

links

@muskaanistrying ↗

Akin to the Himalayas, for centuries, the myths and folklores of the Kinnaura tribe have stood as steadfast pillars within their community. These narratives have not only influenced various facets of tribal life but have also served as protective shields amidst the challenges posed by the rugged terrain they inhabit. Traces of these creatures seemingly roaming the land for centuries, exist. This project explores the folklore of mythical creatures from Lippa Village (Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India), as a means of understanding a community and its relationship with ecology. These creatures, once symbolic representations instilling both fear and reverence for the sacred land, now, in their apparent extinction, symbolize the losses incurred in the relentless pursuit of “development” as a superior form of modern living.