Explore A Nomadic Village in Rishikesh: an offbeat experience

In Rishikesh nature has come to town. Or the town has come to nature. Whichever way you look at it India’s yoga capital, 233kms north of New Delhi, is ideal for scenic walks which provide a penetrating flash of insight into rural life.

Gujjar a nomadic village in Rishikesh  where four families tend a small herd of cows and Patho Village whose 40 inhabitants cultivate a variety of crops can be reached by turning off the busy Badrinath Highway opposite the Raj Resort into Balaknath Mandir Road.

The mandir (a small temple) offers great views if you feel like climbing up more than 200 steps. Balaknath Mandir Road is a haven of yoga centres, auyrvedic (traditional Indian medicine) centres and restaurants and cafes serving Indian, Chinese and Israeli cuisine.

The Revival Cafe has inspiring quotes: don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you sow, Kailas Art Cafe encourages visitors to have a go at painting. Ira’s Kitchen; Tea Room is one of many eateries serving a variety of dishes.

Further up the road is Motley a shop with clothes, bags, incense, perfumes, Jewellery – a motley collection of crafts and eatables – hence the name. Atal Kuksal once a hotelier wanted to provide something different and strike a work life balance.

The shop opens between 1pm and 6pm leaving him with time to spend with his family and with God. A deeply religious man he has a small altar on the premises and tells his customers about his guru Neem Karoli Baba.

A small private road just before Motley leads to Om Homestay, a villa like house where Om and Anju accommodate guests in spacious rooms with en suite facilities and provide delicious vegetarian meals.

The couple and their two children Sidharth and Tushita moved to Rishikesh from Varanasi in search of a better life free from the restrictions of the caste system and built the house four bed room house to cater specifically for tourists.

Om through his company Rishikesh Day Tour organises sight seeing trips to temples and holy places and leads half and whole day treks.

Overview: Village in Rishikesh

The treks to Gujjar and Patho Village are half day excursions through the forest behind his house – home to monkeys and panthers. As they rise above Rishikesh the narrow tracks, which require a guide as the path is not always obvious, provide spectacular views of the Ganges and even Haridwar, a large town 25 kilometers away.

Forty people live in Patho Village which has been around for 400 years but during the day only the old and the very young are at home. The others have gone to the town to work. They either walk or go on a scooter. There is no road for vehicles. The children go to school on foot.

The crops, some sold at the market and others kept for the villagers own use include maize, ginger, potatoes, onion, garlic, radishes, mustard, finger millet, wheat, rice, tomatoes, pumpkins, mango, lemons, red chill’s and turmeric. Cows, chickens and goats also make an appearance.

Parvati (85) gives visitors an amazing smile as she sits on the steps of her modest house. The villagers love having their photo taken and are happy to serve tea for which a small donation is always gratefully received.

While Patho is a well to do village with idyllic concrete homes in a scenic setting Gujjar is poor with only four families looking after a small herd of cows. The problem in Gujjar is a lack of water which makes growing crops impossible.
Bibi (36) the mother of six children sells milk in Rishikesh.

A strong woman she has no trouble carrying 10kilo containers up and down the trek. The money from the sale of the milk is the family’s only source of income but Bibi and her husband Hussain, who enjoys a cigarette with visitors, are content with their simple life in a wooden hut with a straw thatched roof.

Water is boiled over a roaring fire, the cows are fed on a variety of leaves outside the door of the hut and the proud parents listen intently as their children tell them about their day at school. The trek to Patho Village is an 8km round trip with a well defined track on the way down.

A round trip is not possible with Gujjar and care has to be taken on the trek strewn with small loose stones. Men and women in colourful attire walk quickly past the tourists with a
welcoming smile.

Both treks end on the asphalt Balaknath Mandir Road with its tent camps and adventure holiday accommodation. The asphalt comes to an end at a waterfall where the locals take a dip. “Expect the unexpected when in the Himalayas,” Om advises.

Photo Captions:
Balaknath Mandir
Eva Ayurveda
Atal Kuksal who achieves a good work life balance by running his shop Motley
Om and Anju (we have to take this photo)
View from the tracks
Paravati (85) Bibi
Hussian enjoying a cigarette with Betty
Time for tea

Village in Rishikesh Village in Rishikesh Village in Rishikesh Village in Rishikesh Village in Rishikesh Village in Rishikesh