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West Bengal Wikimedians/Reports/Annual Activities/2024-2025

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Overview

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Nature

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Nature and Environment

Wiki Loves Butterfly - Phase VII & Phase VIII

8 states
60 field-works
4934 uploads
45 valued images
830 quality images
22 featured images
sponsor: WMF
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The field documentation-based scientific project Wiki Loves Butterfly (WLB) has successfully concluded its 7th phase (running continuously since 2016), thanks to the active and dedicated contributions of a well-organized and highly enthusiastic WLB team. Their effective task management, along with strong collaboration with like-minded special interest groups, NGOs, Forest Departments, and noteworthy scientific organizations, has played a crucial role in this achievement. The prime mottos of this project aided with the funding from Wikimedia Foundation is identification and digital conservation of the available butterfly species and subspecies of Eastern and North Eastern states of India along with subsequent articulation, data and image contribution in different sister project of Wikimedia movement, strong outreach, mass awareness building etc.

In this 7th phase, 60 Field documentation programs have been conducted covering Kamrup district, Kamrup Metropolitan district, Kokrajhar district, Tinsukia district, Dibrugarh district, Barpeta district of Assam, Lohit district and Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh, Champhai District, Saitual district, Khawzawl district, Aizawl district, Mamit district of Mizoram, Phek District and Kohima District of Nagaland. These field studies resulted in the documentation of 4,934 images of various butterfly species found in these regions. These images will not only serve as a valuable resource for scientific research but also help in public awareness and education through Wikimedia projects. Among the uploaded images, 830 have been recognized as Quality Images, 45 as Valued Images, and 22 as Featured Images on Wikimedia Commons.

A remarkable achievement by the WLB team members Atanu Bose, Mahesh Baruah, Abhishek Dutta Chaudhury, and Anitava Roy successfully photographed Neptis philyra (Long-streak Sailor) at Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, in June 2023. This marks the first-ever recorded sighting of this species in India, which has been published as a scholarly article in the scientific journal Tropical Lepidoptera Research on April 5, 2024.

The team organized five butterfly and nature photo walks in West Bengal and Assam in collaboration with WildFeathers Group, Biodiversity of Rabindra Sarobar Group, IISER Kolkata Nature Club Group to promote awareness and appreciation of biodiversity. Additionally a school outreach programme was conducted in collaboration with [Paschimbanga Vigyan Mancha], Dr. Ashima Chatterjee (Kalyani) Vigyan Sabha Group. This program engaged 200 students from the ninth and tenth standards of Springdale High School, Kalyani, West Bengal, fostering interest in butterfly conservation and environmental awareness.

Group photo of WLB School outreach Programme 2024/Springdale High School
Group Photo of WLB photo-walk 2024 at Rabindra Sarobar, West Bengal
Group Photo of WLB photo-walk 2024 at Majuli, Assam.
Group Photo of WLB photo-walk 2024 at Lakhimpur, Assam.

Two online sessions Tracing Wings: The Journey of Judhajit Dasgupta and the Legacy of Butterflies in West Bengal and Kaleidoscope of Colors were organized in September 2024 as part of the Big Butterfly Month observance in India. These sessions featured Mr. Judhajit Dasgupta and Mr. Atanu Bose, highlighting their insights and contributions to butterfly conservation. The events saw participation from more than 50 attendees, reflecting strong engagement and interest in the subject.

The team has also co-organized and participated in three national-level butterfly meets held in Upper Siang District and Lohit District (Arunachal Pradesh) and Kaziranga National Park (Assam). These events were conducted in collaboration with prominent butterfly organizations from across India and the regional forest department, fostering knowledge exchange and conservation efforts.

Wiki Loves Butterfly (WLB) has now expanded its scope to include Bhutan. To pursue this vision, the WLB team has conducted a pilot project in Royal Manas National Park (Panbang area), Bhutan.


Map
Footprint of Wiki Loves Butterfly in seventh phase

The Wiki Loves Butterfly (WLB) – Phase VIII project commenced in the month of April 2025. So far, the team has successfully conducted 35 fieldwork programmes, covering 37 districts and 81 locations. Field documentation programmes were conducted across multiple districts, covering Jamtara, East Singhbhum, Giridih, Koderma and Dhanbad districts of Jharkhand; Rayagada, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Koraput, Dhenkanal and Cuttack districts of Odisha; East Khasi Hills, West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya; Upper Siang, Lower Subansiri, Shi Yomi, Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley districts of Arunachal Pradesh. These field activities have resulted in the documentation of 3,281 images, of which 76 images have been recognized as Valued Images and 20 images as Featured Images on Wikimedia Commons.

In Bhutan, WLB team members conducted field documentation at Chele La Pass, the country’s highest motorable pass, situated at an altitude of 3,988 metres (13,083 feet), as well as at Dochula Pass. Both locations represent high-altitude ecosystems and were selected to document butterfly diversity in challenging mountainous habitats. In addition to these sites, the WLB team carried out field documentation across several districts of Bhutan, including Chukha, Paro, Thimphu and Punakha, thereby significantly expanding the geographic and ecological coverage of the project within the country.

Issoria gemmata (Butler, 1881) - Gem Silverspot
Parnassius hardwickii Gray, 1831 - Common Blue Apollo
Aulocera brahminus (Blanchard, 1853) - Narrow-banded Satyr
Colias fieldii (Ménétriés, 1855) - Dark Clouded Yellow

In this phase, the team briefly expanded its focus to explore the diversity of moths, documenting several species alongside butterfly records. Field documentation was carried out across Roing, Tiwarigaon, Mayodia, Hunli, Anini, Mathun Valley, Dri Valley and Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. These efforts resulted in the recognition of 39 images as Valued Images on Wikimedia Commons, highlighting the scientific and documentation quality of the moth records.

Actias parasinensis Brechlin, 2009
Agnibesa pictaria (Moore, (1868)
Callambulyx poecilus (Rothschild, 1898)
Callopistria repleta Walker, (1858)
Cyme euprepioides (Walker, 1862)

The team organized or co-organized ten photowalks as part of the project. Of these, two photowalks were held in West Bengal, while eight were conducted across various districts of Assam, including Jorhat, Guwahati, Biswanath, Sivasagar, Majuli and other locations. These photowalks were organized in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Society and Assam Tourism’s Awesome Assam initiative, contributing to student and public engagement, nature education and biodiversity awareness.

The team also co-organized and participated in four national-level butterfly meets held in Upper Siang District, Shi Yomi District and Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh, as well as in Chukha District, Bhutan. These events were conducted in collaboration with prominent butterfly organizations from across the Border and the respective regional Forest Departments, fostering knowledge exchange, capacity building and conservation efforts.

In addition to field documentation, the team conducted three School Outreach Programmes aimed at fostering early awareness and appreciation of biodiversity among students.

One of the key outreach activities was the Wiki Loves Butterfly (WLB) School Outreach Programme 2025, held at IISER Kolkata in collaboration with the IISER Nature Club, as part of the institute’s 20th Foundation Day celebrations, observed as an Institute Open Day. The event witnessed participation from over 1,000 students representing more than 40 schools, including institutions from Kolkata and neighbouring districts. The WLB outreach stall experienced high footfall throughout the day, with hundreds of students and teachers visiting and actively engaging with the activities. WLB volunteers interacted closely with participants and distributed the butterfly story booklet An Autumn Morning and Tinni’s Secret Friend to school students. In addition, butterfly- and biodiversity-themed booklets were provided to schools, along with species-based stickers and badges, further enhancing student engagement and awareness. An interactive Draw Your Favourite Species activity was also organized at the stall, where students enthusiastically created sketches of butterflies and other species. This activity reflected a strong interest in biodiversity and promoted nature-based learning among young participants.

Another outreach activity under the Wiki Loves Butterfly (WLB) School Outreach Programme 2025 was conducted at Binduidih Primary School, West Bengal. The programme engaged 80 enthusiastic children, whose curiosity and eagerness to learn created a vibrant and interactive learning environment. WLB volunteers guided the students through age-appropriate activities designed to introduce them to butterflies and nature in an engaging manner. As part of this outreach, the children were introduced to a short story titled Sharat er Sokal O Tinnir Gopon Bondhu (An Autumn Morning and Tinni’s Secret Friend), a gentle narrative written by Sandip Das and Ananya Mondal. The story portrays the magical friendship between a young girl and a butterfly, helping students connect emotionally with the concepts of biodiversity, empathy towards living beings and nature conservation.

Wiki Loves Bangla 2025

40 days
2 affiliates
191 participants
160 new users
1771 uploads
16 featured images
208 quality images
328 species
The user group has joined hands with Wikimedia Bangladesh under the collaborative banner of the Bangla Wikimoitree to enrich contents about the nature, culture, heritage, history and language of Bengal, the region where both the affiliates belong but divided by an international border. It has been decided to run a photographic competition named Wiki Loves Bangla each year with a different theme, common to both side of the border. The theme of the second iteration of the competition was decided to be birds found in the region of Bengal. The Organizing team and jury members were carefully selected from both West Bengal and Bangladesh. The competition ran from 1st March, 2025 to 10th April, 2025, after which winning photographs were selected by the jury members. The competition saw participation from 191 photographers, 83% of them were new, who had uploaded 1771 photographs
Tarunno, RockyMasum and Moheen from Wikimedia Bangladesh for this wonderful collaboration.

Built Heritage

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Built heritage

Wiki Loves Monuments in India

The user group has organized Wiki Loves Monuments in India for the seventh and eighth consecutive years during the months of September 2024 and 2025, to increase the media content of different built heritage structures located in the country.

Wiki Loves Monuments 2024 in India

1 month
4702 images
148 photographers
84 new users
sponsor: WMF
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In 2024, the user group had retained the same organizing team and jury members from last year's competition. This year, 148 photographers uploaded 4,702 images in total, out of which 4% of total uploaded images are used on different Wikimedia sites till now. 57% of all the uploaders were new users. The ten winners were selected by the jury members within deadline and were sent for the international competition to compete. Like previous year, this year too, prizes were also declared for the photographer with highest number of uploads and also for the photograph of an monument located in West Bengal which gets into top 10 of the national contest. The user group designed the prizes and has sent them to the winners.

Wiki Loves Monuments 2025 in India

1 month
4769 images
98 photographers
40 new users
sponsor: WMF
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The organizing team and jury members were slightly changed for 2025 competition. For the first time in eight years of organizing the competition, the user group decided to bring quality photographers from outside West Bengal into the team to bring different perspectives. This year, 98 photographers uploaded 4,769 images in total, out of which 2% of total uploaded images are used on different Wikimedia sites till now. 41% of all the uploaders were new users. The ten winners were selected by the jury members within deadline and were sent for the international competition to compete. This year, prizes were declared for the photographer with highest number of uploads, highest number of quality images and highest numbers of featured images. Apart from the 10 winning images, 20 more photographs were specially mentioned.

Wiki Exploration Program

5 phases
3 states
16621 images
sponsor: WMF
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Wiki Explorarion is a field documentation program organized by the West Bengal Wikimedians User Group since 2017 to document under-represented built heritage structures of different places in India. In 2024 and 2025, 5 phases of Wiki Exploration were conducted. Among them two were conducted in the Nadia and Cooch Behar districts of West Bengal, where the heritage sites declared by West Bengal Heritage Commission were focused. Two phases were focused for the neighbouring state of Sikkim, where different little known Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries were covered. A major phase was conducted in the Aurangabad district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, by which the UNESCO world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora caves were covered among other places.

  • Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad
    Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad
  • Interior of Cave No. 10 in Ellora
    Interior of Cave No. 10 in Ellora
  • A painting of Mahajanak Jataka on the wall of Cave 1 of Ajanta
    A painting of Mahajanak Jataka on the wall of Cave 1 of Ajanta
  • Bird's eye view of Tumlong palace ruins in North Sikkim
    Bird's eye view of Tumlong palace ruins in North Sikkim

Wiki Documents Bengal Terracotta

9 places
29 temples / clusters
8516 files
sponsor: WMF
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Wiki Documents Bengal Terracotta is a field documentation program organized by the West Bengal Wikimedians User Group was to photograph the terracotta panels of the temples of Bengal, individually and in groups, systematically, to document the socio-cultural events depicted in them. In 2024 and 2025, 9 cities/villages were covered under this project with a total of 29 temples / cluster of temples. Besides terracotta, nearby temples with stone works called "Phool Pathar" were also covered. Mainly the temples of Birbhum and Bardhaman were covered during this time, along with one village in the neighbouring state of Jharkhand.

  • Terracotta panels of Lakkhi Janardan Temple in Ghurisha
    Terracotta panels of Lakkhi Janardan Temple in Ghurisha
  • Indexing to identify the panels
    Indexing to identify the panels
  • Documenting Dewanji Temple in Hetampur
    Documenting Dewanji Temple in Hetampur
  • A cluster of temple in Maluti
    A cluster of temple in Maluti

Culture

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Culture

Museum of Santal Culture GLAM

1 museum
158 artifacts
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Museum of Santal Culture is a small private community-led museum located in the village of Bishnubati in the Birbhum district of West Bengal which aims on preserving the intangible cultural heritage and way of living of Santal people of the region. The user group engaged with the museum founders and curators to digitally document its collection items through a GLAM project. All the 158 museum artifacts were individually photographed and uploaded to Wikimedia Commons.

  • Kat Banam, a Santal musical string instrument
    Kat Banam, a Santal musical string instrument
  • Tamak, a Santal percussion instrument
    Tamak, a Santal percussion instrument
  • Gudu Pasi, a kind of trap to catch mice
    Gudu Pasi, a kind of trap to catch mice
  • Tangi, a kind of axe used by Santal people
    Tangi, a kind of axe used by Santal people
  • Kiko, a kind of trap to catch fish
    Kiko, a kind of trap to catch fish
Dr. Boro Baski for allowing to work together.

Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust Living GLAM

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Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust is a trustee-run organization operating at the villages of Ghosaldanga and Bishnubati in the Birbhum district of West Bengal with an aim for development of the indigenous population of these villages. The West Bengal Wikimedians User Group is collaborating with the the trust to photographically and video-graphically document the rich cultural tradition of Santali people of the area, which includes, songs and dances, cuisines, festivals, the way of living etc.

Santal Food Festival, 2024

Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust organizes a Santal food festival once every year on 8th December to showcase Santali cuisine to food-lovers during the foundation day of Museum of Santal Culture in the village of Bishnubati. The user group decided to document the celebration in December, 2024 in collaboration with the organiation. A team of photographers and videographers visited the village for three days to document the preparation of different Santali food which were displayed during the festival.

  • Home brewed Mahua, a variety of alcohol consumed by the
    Home brewed Mahua, a variety of alcohol consumed by the
  • Jhinuk Pitho, a food prepared from the oysters collected from rivers and ponds
    Jhinuk Pitho, a food prepared from the oysters collected from rivers and ponds
  • Santal people trapping field mouse to prepare a roasted rat meat named Gudu Lat.
    Santal people trapping field mouse to prepare a roasted rat meat named Gudu Lat.
  • Red ants and their eggs collected to grind and prepare a chutney named Hao Rit
    Red ants and their eggs collected to grind and prepare a chutney named Hao Rit
  • Rice prepared by Santali community
    Rice prepared by Santali community

Relicensing and Digitization setup

28 books
5 languages
2576 pages

The user group has set up a digitization infrastructure at the Rolf Schoembs Vidyashram, a non-formal primary school operated by the trust. A CZur ET18 Pro scanner has been installed and a two persons from the organization were trained. The plan for this setup is to bring contemporary literary works on indigenous culture, history written by different authors in different languages, re-license them in CC-BY-SA licenses, so that they can be digitized, uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and transcribed in Wikisource.

  • A trilingual book on origin of world and human according to Santal lore by Dr. Boro Baski
    A trilingual book on origin of world and human according to Santal lore by Dr. Boro Baski
  • A Bangla book on folk songs of Mahali people compiled by Dr. Kalachand Mahali
    A Bangla book on folk songs of Mahali people compiled by Dr. Kalachand Mahali
  • A Santali primer by Dr. Boro Baski
    A Santali primer by Dr. Boro Baski
  • A Santali book on Ramchand Murmu by Boidyanath Murmu
    A Santali book on Ramchand Murmu by Boidyanath Murmu
Dr. Boro Baski for allowing to work together.

Language

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Language

History and Legacy

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History and Legacy

Bengalee Association Bihar GLAM

1 Wikimedian-in-Residence
pages uploaded
sponsor: WMF

Supporters and Partners

  • WMF
    WMF
  • Kiwix
    Kiwix
  • Bihar Bengalee Association
    Bihar Bengalee Association
  • Wikimedia Bangladesh
    Wikimedia Bangladesh
  • Wikimedia Portugal
    Wikimedia Portugal
  • Ghoshaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust
    Ghoshaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust
  • CIS-A2K
    CIS-A2K
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