Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Kudumi Culture (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a community archive and research website at kudumiculture.com that documents the culture, history, music and personalities of the Kudumi community. The site was created and is edited by its founder, Manisha Manjari Mahanta, Kendujhar, Odisha, India. Design and development is by Chronition Web Services.

For the purposes of Indian data-protection law, Kudumi Culture is the party that decides why and how your personal information is used. This policy explains our practices in line with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (including the rules made under it, as they come into force).

2. Information we collect

We do not ask for sensitive financial details, government ID numbers or similar information. Please do not send them to us.

3. How we use your information

• To reply to your messages, questions and requests.
• To review, edit and, with your consent, publish the stories, images and recordings you contribute, and to credit you.
• To understand how the site is used so we can improve content and performance.
• To keep the site secure and to prevent spam and misuse.
• To meet legal obligations.

We process your information on the basis of your consent (for example, when you submit a form or contribution) or where it is necessary for the limited, lawful purposes listed above. You may withdraw consent at any time (see Section 10).

4. Community contributions & published material

Much of this archive is made of the memories and images of real people. We therefore apply extra care:

• We publish personal stories, photographs and recordings only with the permission of the person who owns the material and of the people who appear in it.
• You may ask for your name to be withheld, shortened or replaced with “a member of the community”.
• We take care with religious, ritual and family information that a family or village may consider private or sacred.
• If you send us material that belongs to someone else, please tell us so we can obtain their permission.
• You may ask us to edit or remove published material that relates to you (see Section 10).

5. Cookies & analytics

Cookies are small files stored on your device. This site uses:

• Essential cookies that keep the site working, for example for security and form handling.
• Analytics cookies that help us see, in aggregate, which pages are visited.
• Third-party cookies set by embedded services such as YouTube (see Section 6).

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. The site will still work, although some embedded content may not load.

6. Third-party services

To deliver the site we use services operated by others. These providers have their own privacy policies and may process data such as your IP address:

• Web hosting — EDIT: name of your hosting company.
• Google Fonts — to display the site’s typefaces.
• YouTube and other video or audio platforms — when you play embedded media.
• Google Maps — for the map on the Contact page.
• Analytics and form or email tools — EDIT: list the plugins or services you actually use.
• Social media — if you follow or share via our linked profiles.

Links on this site may lead to external websites. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

7. Sharing of information

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information. We share it only:

• with the service providers above, to the extent needed to run the site;
• with our website developer, where technical support requires it;
• where required by law, court order or a lawful request from a public authority; or
• with your permission.

Some providers may store data on servers outside India. Where that happens we rely on providers that apply reasonable security safeguards.

8. How long we keep your information

• Messages and emails: kept only as long as needed to deal with your request, and normally for no more than EDIT (for example, 2 years).
• Published contributions and credits: kept for as long as they form part of the archive, unless you ask us to change or remove them.
• Analytics and server logs: kept for a limited period, as set by the relevant provider.

When information is no longer needed, we delete it or anonymise it.

9. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information, including secure (HTTPS) connections, access controls, regular software updates and limiting access to those who need it. No method of transmission or storage on the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a personal data breach affecting you occurs, we will act promptly and notify you and the authorities as the law requires.

10. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you may:

• ask for a summary of the personal information we hold about you and how it is used;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to erase information we no longer need to keep;
• withdraw your consent at any time (this does not affect past use that was lawful);
• make a complaint about how we handle your information; and
• nominate another person to exercise these rights on your behalf if you are unable to.

To use any of these rights, write to us using the details in Section 13. We may need to confirm your identity first, and we will respond within a reasonable period.

11. Children

This site is meant for a general audience and is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the verifiable consent of a parent or legal guardian. If you believe a child has sent us information, or that a child’s photograph or story has been published without proper consent, please contact us and we will review and, where appropriate, remove it.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time, for example as the law or our services change. The “last updated” date at the top shows when it was last revised. Significant changes will be highlighted on the site.

13. Contact & grievances