By Kannan R, Manickam A, Daniel Samraj and Ranjani Prasad, People and Nature Collectives
Aracode, Nilgiris – October 2025
Kwol Radio is a community-based wi-fi mesh network that is helping revitalise cultural identity and traditional knowledge of tribal communities in Aracode region, Nilgiris district. This hyper-local platform was established in 2020 and built using low-cost tools and simple infrastructure—Raspberry Pi (a small single board computer), a recorder, and a speaker fit into a bee box. The main goal of this initiative has been to record, share, and facilitate inter-generational knowledge transfer in Irula language, ensuring that valuable cultural practices are not lost with changing socio-economic contexts.
The station is managed by an Irula Community Foundation, Porivarai, which has been active for many years in strengthening the social and cultural fabric of Irula communities in Aracode. With technical assistance from the Keystone Foundation, Kwol Radio was designed as a model for an accessible, decentralised and community-controlled media platform that empowers local people to express themselves in their own language.
This media network was named ‘Kwol Radio’ by people of Garikiyur, after their traditional double reed wind instrument with the same name. Until recently, the recordings on the media network could only be heard within a 100-meter radius, serving the immediate community of Malligoppaiur village. However, an effort to extend this network and create a community-owned WiFi mesh has been undertaken this year, made possible by the D4GX award (Video) and with support from our long time partners from Janastu, Bengaluru to support community resilience via affordable technology.
Kwol Radio’s programming is deeply rooted in local culture and priorities. Porivarai and the community journalists who facilitate and contribute to Kwol Radio have created content on traditional music, songs, Indigenous practices, farming techniques, and community festivals. It also serves as a platform for discussing environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture, alongside other vital issues affecting communities across the Nilgiris Biosphere In addition, the team has been recording oral histories in a bid to revitalize the Irula language, build community capacities in audio-visual documentation, and pilot a new infrastructure for maintaining a community archive of traditional knowledge.
Now, Kwol Radio is connected to Garikyur and Mallikopaiur, and can reach more than 100 households through 5 Nodes, comprising Solar panels, inverters and 2 routers mounted on a pole, along with basic electricity infrastructure in the host’s house. This is connected to a local server setup and a user interface for streaming and storage of contents. Kwol Radio’s new set up, while seemingly “low tech”, ensures that the technology is not entirely dependent on electricity supply and has its own power source, which is vital in rural areas. The expanded technology has made it possible for more people to listen to local broadcasts, share information, and participate in discussions relevant to their localities with a customised user interface in local languages.
The Aracode region is home to 36 Irula and Kurumba tribal villages—in the future, we envision Kwol Radio as part of an ecosystem of self-documentation, allowing many of these villages to document their traditions. The project provides an opportunity for elders to share their wisdom, while inspiring the younger generation to connect with their roots. One of the most promising outcomes of the initiative has been the enthusiastic participation of youth, as many young people are learning how to operate radio equipment, record sound, create informational programmes, and manage digital tools. This hands-on training has not only improved youth technical skills, but also encouraged them to take pride in preserving their cultural identity.
Kwol Radio stands as a powerful example of how community-driven media can foster awareness, education, and empowerment at the grassroots level. By combining traditional knowledge with modern technology, it continues to strengthen cultural connections and build a more informed and united community. With future plans to expand broadcasts to additional villages, Kwol Radio is paving the way for inclusive communication and knowledge documentation in the Nilgiris.
