Growing in abundance throughout Uttarakhand, this spicy tasting Malta fruit is a storehouse of vitamin C and also has medicinal properties that are so good for the immune system. But alas! the rest of the world is unaware of the fruit’s immune-boosting properties due to insufficient or negligible marketing. Coco Cola and Pepsi – are you listening?
Dhamas Village Tour and Immersive Kumaoni Experience:
After a refreshing trek the day before, Chandan wants me to be grounded in Dhamas village today – enjoy the bright sunshine and immerse in the rural life of Kumaoni. And O God! At 8.30 am, as the mist cleared and gave way to a clear blue sky, all eyes were on the kaleidoscopic vignette of the powdery peaks – Nanda Devi, Trishul…….which gave me a sense of deep connection that no words can describe.
Breakfast consisted of Kumaoni Alu Paratha, Bhang ki Chutney and a glass of Malta juice, recently picked by me from the jungle on the way to Dewlikhan.
The joy and satiety you experience from the “From farm to table” concept resonates deep within and your inner self knows by default that you have consumed something pure. And in my case, I picked the bag of Malta oranges with my two hands and when I gulped the juice, I felt that I was the personification of Wellness!
Just below the Woods Villa, another old Indian drama took place: an old man in the early eighties plowing his small plot of land with a lone bull! This was the way our ancestors harvested and took me to an India I never knew existed; at least not in today’s high-tech world!
2 km. Downhill from Wood Villas is a village hamlet/settlement with barely 15 huts where the houses are made of local Kumaoni architecture. Some seemed to have fallen into disrepair due to the vagaries of nature, yet the sense of being part of a close-knit community was very palpable.
Kumaoni residents do not accept strangers at first sight and they will only open up if a local Kumaoni introduces strangers/visitors to them. Because I was accompanied by a local guide from the Wood Villas, the transition from stranger to honored guest did not take long. What followed was absolutely mind-boggling: their native hospitality, knowledge on issues such as climate change, their belief system, especially on gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, and their sense of patriotism.
Talking about patriotism, I would like to inform you that Kumaon Regiment is one of the oldest and most trusted infantry regiments of the Indian Army. It is also the most decorated. You will find army men in every village of Kumaon. This regiment fought on the battlefields for the British Indian Army and after India’s independence, their stellar services saw them deployed in rugged terrains such as Siachen Glacier, Jammu and Kashmir, North East and Punjab.
The villagers are proud of serving the nation and especially Kumaon Regiment’s contribution to the armed forces. And why not? General SM Shrinagesh, General KSThimayya, General TNRaina and General Bipin Rawat all contributed immensely to make India a military superpower.
Apart from patriotism, the Kumaoni people are culturally sensitive and have protected their age-old traditions – festivals, dance, music and local art forms from the intrusion of contemporary trends. In this part of the Himalayas there is no chasing of trends. Rather, a sublime continuation of India’s ancient civilization.
Back to the cozy comfort of Chandan’s Wood Villas, after dinner, as I curled up in my bed, a realization hit me.
Wrapping up:
Every winter we, the so-called modern-day citizens of the world, make such a rapid flight towards achieving our goals, as if there is no tomorrow! But in retrospect, winter was never about speed. It was intended for tranquility, refined sophistication and wisdom. Winter is the harbinger of a slower, more immersive life and as we bow to this rhythm of nature, the destination itself unravels its bewildering diversity, like a veil slipping from the forehead of a beautiful bride. And Kumaon in winter is all this and more.
#deep #dive #domains #regenerative #tourism #Yoga #Magazine