Make Every Village Your Home

Tiny villages with quaint homestays and the ancient art of yoga are attracting Thousands in Uttarakhand.

Not much is farther removed from the persuasions and pursuits of our frenetic cities than the rural world.

At Uttarakhand, especially, there exist uncountable villages with bucolic settings, where man and nature live in close amity. Though blessed and richly endowed they may be, courtesy their proximity with nature and India’s cultural heritage, there is a dark side to this—these breathtaking villages are in dire need of development. The key lies in creating sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment for the people.

Speaking about the subject, Uttarakhand’s Tourism Minister, Satpal Maharaj, revealed that the government already has several plans in place to keep people, especially those living in hill villages, gainfully employed. An excellent initiative towards this end is Uttarakhand’s Homestay Scheme, under which villagers can allocate certain rooms in their houses to accommodate tourists. Launched to help boost the rural economy and conserve local cultures and traditions, it has been met with the fond approval of local communities. Visitors can choose among plenty of options, be it traditional wooden havelis, heritage buildings, village huts or contemporary residences. The state government aims to enable around 5,000 homestays in the state by 2020. (It has even allocated funds towards that end.)

A world of adventure