Culture & Agriculture in India is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary volume that explores the deep, enduring relationship between India’s agrarian systems and its rich cultural heritage. Agriculture in India is not merely an economic activity; it is a way of life shaped by rituals, festivals, folk traditions, indigenous knowledge systems, community institutions, and evolving technologies. This book brings together diverse scholarly perspectives to document, analyse, and interpret these complex linkages across regions, communities, and historical periods.

Structured into six thematic parts, the book begins by tracing the sacred and ritualistic foundations of agriculture, highlighting how beliefs, proverbs, and traditions have guided farming practices over generations. It then examines agricultural festivals, folkways, and regional cultural expressions that reflect ecological rhythms and seasonal cycles. Subsequent sections focus on agrarian landscapes, livelihoods, and socio-cultural change, including the impacts of urbanisation and modernisation.

A significant strength of the volume lies in its dedicated treatment of Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK), conservation practices, and climate resilience, emphasising the relevance of traditional wisdom in contemporary sustainability discourse. The book also critically engages with agricultural education, communication, and extension systems, showcasing models, innovations, and best practices that bridge research, policy, and farmers. The final section addresses entrepreneurship, tribal livelihoods, disaster management, sustainable food systems, and emerging technologies such as digital twins, positioning culture as a vital driver of innovation and resilience.

Contributed by scholars, researchers, and practitioners from across India, this edited work serves as a valuable reference for students, teachers, extension professionals, policymakers, and development practitioners in agriculture, rural studies, sociology, anthropology, and sustainability studies.

Prof. Kalyan Ghadei: Ph.D(BHU), B.Mus (ABGMM),C.C(PI) has a good academic career throughout . Prof. Ghadei has successful record activities at All India Radio, Cuttack, CIFA(ICAR), Bhubaneswar and in OUAT Odisha for transfer of Agricultural , aquaculture and pearl culture technology in Odisha and India. He is serving as a Professor & Head in the Department of Extension Education in Banaras Hindu University, BHU, Varanasi. He has published more than 60 research papers , authored 09 books  and about 25 book chapters. He is a member of many national and international professional societies. Prof. Ghadei has received many awards of national and international repute. The most significant award to his credit is Raman fellowship as a visiting scholar to USA and Post Doctoral fellow at Virginia Tech , USA to study climate change issues and its mitigation strategies.

Part I: Foundations — Culture, Rituals & Meaning

The Sacred Roots: A Timeless Bond of Indian Culture and Agriculture Shreejita Roy; Trisha Manna

Fields of Faith: Rituals and Traditions in Indian Agriculture Barnamala Kalita; Debasmita Nath; Simran Kaur; Arnab Rajkumar; Dimpi Dutta; Hemanga Kumar Kalita

Agricultural Proverbs as Knowledge Systems: A Linguistic Study M. Srinivasa Rao; M. Uday Bhaskar

Part II: Festivals, Folkways & Regional Expressions

Agricultural Festivals and Folkways Abhishek Kumar; Suman Roy; Shalu Srivastava

Cultural Dimensions and the Adoption of Agricultural Technologies Kamini Bisht; Kushagra Joshi; Amit Thakur; A. A. Raut

Agrarian Festivals of India: Cultural–Ecological Significance with Special Reference to West Bengal Samarpan Chakraborty; Ritam Dhar; Tamalika Mondal; Debabrata Basu

Agricultural Festivals and Festivities of Odisha Prasant Kumar Panda

Influence of Farming Culture and Seasons on the Folk Arts and Rituals of the North Malabar Region of Kerala Jayashree M. P.; Kalyan Ghadei; Ranjan S. Karippai

The Celebration of Harvest Babita Mondal; Litan Das; Jagadish Roy; Arindam Sarkar; Titiksha Sarkar; Pushpita Sarkar

Part III: Landscapes, Livelihoods & Change

Land–Water–Ecology, People and Culture: An Interwoven Relationship in Indian Agriculture Raj Parvadiya

Agrarian Life, Culture and Livelihoods Sasanka Lenka; Biswanath Sahoo

Culture and Agriculture of Darjeeling and Kalimpong Ankita Tamang; Trisha Manna

Urbanised Culture and Agriculture Shanila S.

Part IV: Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) & Conservation

ITK, Culture Connection and Conservation Dheeraj Kumar Tiwari; Shailesh Kumar Mishra

Indigenous Technical Knowledge as a Paradigm for Conservation and Climate Change Madhusmita Sahoo; Souvik Ghosh

Indigenous Technical Knowledge Rohan Prasad Gupta; Kalyan Ghadei; Sarvesh Kumar

Technology Assessment and Validation of Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Sakaray Vaishnavi; Pibarel Khunjanmayum

Bridging the Gap Between Research and Farmers: Harnessing Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Agriculture B. Srishailam; V. Sailaja

Part V: Education, Communication & Extension Systems

Culture and Agricultural Education: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge with Modern Science Avinash Kumar; Deepak Kumar Patel; B. K. Jha

Green Education: A Sustainable Approach to Learning Sampraja Bandi; Felix Nikith Kumar; Gonugunta Madhumitha Rama Tulasi

Theories of Communication Sampraja Bandi; Gonugunta Madhumitha Rama Tulasi; Felix Nikith Kumar

The Role of Community Radio in the Empowerment of Rural People Priyanka R.

Models of Agricultural Extension and Good Practices Sasanka Lenka; Biswanath Sahoo

Extension Models and Best Practices D. P. Rai

Innovative Pathways in Agricultural Extension Education: A Roadmap to Transforming Practices Demian C. Johnson; Jayant Goyal; Ajay K. Chaturvedani; Saurabh Karunamay; Deepjyoti Roy; Manju Sahu; Ajmi Bin Azeez

Cooperative Movement 2.0: Paving the Way for Sustainable Agricultural Development Harisha N.; V. Chinmayi; M. Uday Bhaskar; M. Shanmukh Raju

Custom Hiring Service Centres Gonugunta Madhumitha Rama Tulasi; Sampraja Bandi; Felix Nikith Kumar

Part VI: Entrepreneurship, Resilience & Emerging Technologies

Cultural Foundations of Agripreneurship: A Case Study of Commercial Floriculture Nursery Owners in Kadiyam, Andhra Pradesh M. Uday Bhaskar; M. Srinivasa Rao; N. Hareesha

Tribal Livelihoods and Agrarian Transformation through Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) Dibyajyoti Behera; Aditya Prasad Kanungo; Swatee Prangya

Tribal Entrepreneurship: Indigenous Ingenuity Felix Nikith Kumar; Sampraja Bandi; Gonugunta Madhumitha Rama Tulasi

Sustainable Food Systems Suman Singh

Disaster Management Strategies in Livestock Farming Felix Nikith Kumar; Gonugunta Madhumitha Rama Tulasi; Sampraja Bandi

Introduction to Digital Twin Technology Gonugunta Madhumitha Rama Tulasi; Felix Nikith Kumar; Sampraja Bandi

Cultural Ethos and Practices for Sustainable Development Mamata Nanda; Souvik Ghosh