Rural tourism in India: A complete guide
Rural tourism initiatives are not just giving city-slickers a taste of life on the other side of the farm hedge; they are creating sustainable eco-systems, which provide alternate sources of income for village dwellers without straining their existing resources.
Stop. Take a deep breath. And walk, fly or catch a train away from the city and into a world where the average pace of life is slower than slow. "It is not down in any map; true places never are." ~ Herman Melville. In a land of 7 billion villages and 330 million Gods, there is more off the map than there is on it. But slowly and surely, rural tourism initiatives in India are connecting the present to the past, the avenues to the gallis, and people to people, making history, culture, craft and tradition relevant in a contemporary context. Whether through milking a goat, ploughing a field, harvesting rice, learning a few Warli strokes, building a greenhouse, watching fireflies outshine each other in the mating game, or simply sleeping under the stars, rural tourism initiatives are not just giving city-slickers a taste of life on the other side of the farm hedge; they are creating sustainable eco-systems, which provide alternate sources of income for village dwellers without straining their existing resources. If you're in the mood to explore some less-travelled roads, read on for a few leads. Earthy Endeavours How would you feel about waking up in a nursery rhyme, complete with crowing cockerels and lowing cattle? Would you rub the remnants of your dreams out of your eyes and walk down the dirt road to try your hand at milking a goat? Or perhaps, chopping wood? Or maybe, you would prefer an early morning dive into the river nearby? Is that your rumbling tummy demanding your attention? Perhaps, you'd better follow the aroma of that sumptuous poha, cooked on a wood-fire, and help yourself, before we make you do any more thinking. If you're still pinching yourself, and wondering why you haven't yet woken up in your real world, which is typically a chaos of sound, LEDs and fast-moving consumer goods, in fact, fast-moving everything... please stop before you have an angry black and blue patch on your arm, and we'll tell you what's going on. This is Purushwadi, and you are one of the few city-weary travellers who were enticed enough by Grassroutes' description of a million fireflies lighting up the night sky just before the monsoon storms in, to step on a train and head straight out of town, without a second thought. Friendly people, seasonal food... this is the village life for you. You could knock a few mangoes down from the trees, try your hand at ploughing the field or come back later in the year, during harvest season to listen to the story of rice.
"In India, there's a unique food experience practically every 200 km," tells us Gouthami, the founder of Travel Another India; and yet, food experiences are not the only point of discovery when you choose to take a trip with Travel Another India, which puts together experiential tours that let you partake of the culture, art and daily lives of the people in Pranpur, Ladhak, Hodka, Khanapur, Mysore, Sonapati, Spiti, Aldona, Curtorim, Olaulim… Try your hand at weaving silk in Chanderi, which is also know for its pottery, metal work, stone carving and 'beedi' rolling; tour Pranpur with a local guide who will acquaint you with the craftspeople and a whole lot more; explore the folklore and music of Bundlekhand; participate in the farming, cooking and other everyday activities; learn to cook Ladhaki cuisine such as mok mok and thukpa; try wood carving in Ludia or sit at the potter's wheel in Khavda. Travel Another India also features trips for wheelchair wanderers. We could go on, but we'll leave you to do a bit of exploring by yourself at http://www.travelanotherindia.com Locations: Pranpur (Madhya Pradesh) and Ladakh, Hodka, Khanapur, Mysore, Sonapati, Spiti, Aldona, Curtorim, Olaulim Duration: Varies with the route chosen Best Time to visit: August to February Facilitators: http://indiauntravelled.com/ Costs: Rs.1,100 – Rs.24, 250 per head (customizable) The Ministry of Tourism is reportedly funding the development of 189-odd rural tourism destinations in India, through the state governments. If you are the adventurous sort and like to find your own way around, do log on to www.incredibleindia.org and check out the Explore Rural India initiative, which lists rural travel destinations categorised by state, by craft, as well as by site features. It may still be a while before these places are highlighted on a tourist map, but that perhaps is the best part of visiting before the rest of the world decides to. Other rural tourism options include: http://www.cultureaangan.com – for customised fishing trips; agriculture, culinary, culture and walking tours in Rajasthan and Sawantwadi (Konkan), to join the morning opium meeting, to learn block printing, blanket weaving or pottery http://www.villageways.com – for guided walking tours in the Himalayas as well as cultural experiences in the Thar desert and South India http://www.indiaruraltours.com – for rural lifestyle packages, homestays and volunteering opportunities across India http://www.agritourism.in – for agricultural tourism in Baramati http://www.savefarm.in/tarpa.html – for agro-tourism in Tarpa and Dahanu http://www.hideout.co.in – for farmstays in Vikramghad http://www.grassroutesjourneys.com – for rural experiences in Odisha http://www.mawlynnong.com – to visit the cleanest village in Asia http://www.theblueyonder.com – for responsible tourism adventures in Kerala, Orissa, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Spiti and the Andamans http://www.himalayan-homestays.com – for a traditional Himalayan experience http://ecomantra.com – for trips across India http://helptourism.com – for tribal tours in North East India http://mangalajodiecotourism.com – for an experiential village stay in Mangalajodi, Orissa Must haves for the village-bound traveller: Mosquito repellant A torch (with extra batteries) Sensible walking shoes Cap, stole or some other form of head protection Appropriate attire, to suite the climate, and to prevent triggering a culture shock Energy bars In case you can’t stomach the local food What is rural tourism? Travelling to an unarguably rural environment with the intention of experiencing the culture, traditions and lifestyle of its inhabitants.
Photo credits:
1. Try your hand cleaning rice in Purushwadi, Maharashtra. Image: Courtesy Grassroutes 2. A tourist setting off on a walk through the Kumaon with a local guide, Uttarkhand. Image: Shikha Tripathi, One Planet Journeys 3. Look out for the parrot motif as you walk through the Kumaon, Uttarkhand. Image: Shikha Tripathi, One Planet Journeys 4. Help build a greenhouse in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. Image: courtesy Ecosphere