The narrow, gravelly road leading to Ranavade village has a surprise at the end: clean streets, well-planned houses and colourful rangolis greet you inside the village. Located about 120km from Mumbai, this village in Raigad district is an oddity in modern India. Nobody here takes a loan from a bank or a moneylender, nor do they go to court. And they even vote for the same person. Around 110 families live in the farming village. "No one is very rich or very poor here," says Pandurang Ambekar, 67, deputy sarpanch of the panchayat. The village has not waited for progress to reach its doors, but adopted a self-reliant life through unity and cooperation. There is only one shop in Ranavade, and it is jointly owned by all the villagers. The village had a rice-bank 25 years ago. People could take grain from it when in need, and return with an additional measure, which was the interest. Around that time, a migrant family opened a shop in the village, and the shopkeeper allowed people to purchase goods on credit but charged them an interest on repayment. This prompted the villagers to set up a community shop. "Some villagers who had migrated to Mumbai felt that rather than having a granary which occupies a lot of place, a shop would help the villagers more," says Dattaram Pate, president of Ranavade Gram Vikas Mandal, a voluntary body of villagers. The shop allows credit up to Rs 3,000, and up to Rs 5,000 in case of an emergency. There is no interest. The cooperation gives the villagers more bargaining power. "We buy whatever we need together. When we buy 100-120 bags of fertilisers, we get it for Rs 250 a bag instead of Rs 300 a bag," says Pate. Though they welcome politicians warmly, the villagers do not follow any political party. "While we believe that no progress will come through political rule, we will not relinquish our right to vote," says Rambhav Chiman, the village shopkeeper. On the night before the election, they gather to decide whom to vote for. Drinking, gambling and prostitution are not allowed in Ranavade. The villagers have collectively resolved to stay away from loans as well. Every house in the village is built at a distance of 5-10 feet from the other. "The logic is that a vehicle should be able to reach the door of any house," says Ambekar. More girls than boys enrol in the village school. After class seven, the students go to the neighbouring Mangaon to study further. The villagers have devised a system to reduce the burden of organising a wedding. "We take over organising, cooking and welcoming the guests," says a villager. Also, there is a village committee, which settles disputes and no one goes to court. The women contribute Rs 5 every month to a fund, which is used in festivities, and the men contribute Rs 10 a month, which goes to pay water and electricity bills. The Mumbai Ranavade committee also collects money. The committee provides shelter to villagers who come to Mumbai in search of work. While the village has tried to fill some of the gaps in development, there is still a long way to go. The village school has only two teachers, while it needs seven. The roads leading to the village are not good. But Ranavade shows what can be achieved through shared effort; a lesson for both India's underdeveloped villages and its bursting cities.