The term atithi devo bhava or the guest is god is taken very seriously by the residents of these five villages in Binsar, Uttarakhand. They are a part of Village Ways, a rural tourism initiative that helps the local villagers earn a livelihood by hosting guests in community-run homes.
“Before the programme began, most of our young people were being compelled to take up jobs in the plains,” said Nanda Ballabh Joshi, a resident of Risal village which falls within the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. “Now we have a choice. I worked in Delhi but returned to my native village when I got an opportunity to participate as the community cook for Village Ways.”
The Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, which lies about 20 km from the district headquarters, Almora, was declared a sanctuary in 1988 to help reverse the damage caused by logging. The forest area is home to wild animals like the barking deer, porcupine, wild boar, martens, langur monkeys and several breeding pairs of leopards.
“In this context, the Village Ways programme was also started to help the local communities build a bond with the forests and create awareness for conservation and the environment,” said Manisha Pande, co-founder, Village Ways. Pande, who hails from Uttarakhand, is the owner of Binsar sanctuary’s Khali Estate, a historic retreat where Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once stayed.
The Village Ways initiative, which began in 2004, involves local guides who take guests on walking trails that meander through the sanctuary. At nightfall, guests are lodged in village houses where locals congregate to cook regional cuisine and showcase traditional cultural performances. The houses that function as homestays have been refurbished for this purpose. A three-night itinerary with stay, food, services of guide and porters, and the hikes costs Rs 53, 950 for two persons. Longer walking tours custom-made to suit guests’ schedules are also offered.
The five villages that are a part of the initiative – Kathdhara, Gonap, Satri, Risal and Dalar – are not connected by a motorable road and can be reached only through walking trails. These villages are inhabited by small-scale farmers, and the communities have traditionally shared a unique equation with the forests around them. There are a total of five community-run guest houses in the villages that are a part of the tour itinerary.
The aim of the walking tours from one village to another in the sanctuary is to bring commercially sustainable tourist income to the villages to reduce the need for out-migration, conserve the natural environment and retain the local culture and traditions.
“The local villagers promote low-impact tourism that runs alongside but does not displace traditional livelihoods,” said Pande.
The village guesthouse is run by the community, and lies at the core of the village enterprise. Local community members get additional employment by becoming hosts, guides, cooks and porters.
“The living standards for visitors are maintained and monitored regularly by the local tourism committees formed in these villages with assistance from Village Ways field team members,” Pande added.
The lead image at the top shows one of the properties offered as a homestay at Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary by Village Ways. (Photo courtesy Village Ways)
Smriti Mukerji is a Delhi-based journalist turned freelance writer
