Gori Tera Gaon Bada Pyaara! Let’s Go Village Hopping!

Aaaaah! The Village!

Mitti ki khushboo

Ganne ke khet….baajre ki roti….aur taazi hawa!

This is what villages are for all of us.

Late night sessions on the terrace, listening to Raja Rani Ki Kahaaniyaan form some daadi naani or taayi...

To top of it, all the food that we get to eat comes fresh from the source. The milk directly from the cows and buffaloes,  the fresh farm produce of fruits and vegetables and freshly flour made out of farm wheat and mirch ka achaar!

Life seems so dreamy and fulfilling.

So, today we take you to a beautiful holiday to some of the unique and picture perfect villages of India to make it a different yet a holiday which is worth every minute. Guess what, this absolutely mesmerising village hopping holiday comes at no cost at all!

Well almost!

Lachen, Gangtok

North-east is like a heaven on earth with its virginal landscapes and unexplored mountain ranges. Lachen, in particular, is amazing because it is perched at the altitude of 8500 ft and is devastatingly beautiful.

It has some of the most beautiful treks and is a home to the Bhutia tribe, who are inhabitants of this place since the 6th century.

Visit in summers to have an experience of famous annual Yak race called, the Thangu. Lachen is usually a part of the itinerary when one is visiting Lachung Pass from Gangtok.

You can get to eat some typical mountain food cooked at a villagers home, which has a lot of steamed varieties too.

Pothanikkad Village, Kerala

You may have not heard of this village, but this little hamlet was the first one to achieve cent per cent literacy rate in the whole of India. The name derives from the Malayalam words poth, meaning buffalo, anaa, meaning elephant, and kaddu, meaning forest, as it was originally a forest with wild buffalos and elephants. Now, this small village has developed into one of the most educated and culturally advanced villages in Kerala. Pothanikkad is 16 km away from Thommankuthu waterfalls, the nearest tourist location and approximately 22 km from well known bird’s sanctuary Thattekkad near Kothamangalam.

Though cut off from urban areas, this village boasts of high end public and private schools. It is definitely a must to visit such village which has revolutionized education in India.

Hodka Village, Kutch

This quaint yet fascinating hamlet in the vibrant district of Kutch in Gujarat. A heaven, loaded with white stretch lands of the great Rann of Kutch. Villagers here are engaged in is making leather goods mostly, and oh-so-colourful lovely embroidered items. Remember those angrakhas, ghaagras and odhnis from Goliyon ki Rasleela, Ramleela… Yes, that is exactly what the villagers weave here. Famous for their handwork, the women of the area weave magic with their fingers creating embroidery with such finesse that would put modern machines to shame

You can get a taste of some delicious homemade curries and roti served with spicy green chillies. A must!

Best time to visit Hodka is between October to April.

Banavasi Village, Karnataka

Pampa, the eminent Kannada poet of the Kadamba era wrote in Kannada which we are translating here for you’ “It is a virtue to be born in Banavasi as a human being. If not as a human being, then at least one should be born as a bee or a cuckoo in the garden of Banavasi.”

Well, true to its word, Banavasi and its surroundings are gifted with nature’s bounty. There are numerous ponds around the districts and they are filled with lotuses and water lilies. On a winter morning, when the mist is just lifting, their sight acts as a balm to the weary urban soul.

The village is known for endogenous rural tourism as it is nestled along the banks of river Varada and is blessed with an amazing eco-system. You will find ancient relics of the Kadamba dynasty, which ruled from here.

Homely food, streams running with crystal clear waters to drink from, green pastures and lovely coconut trees…this place is tucked away in the lap of nature for a perfectly calm holiday.

Shani Shingnapur, Maharashtra

Shani Shingnapur is a village in Maharashtra, about 350 kilometres away from the state capital Mumbai and 60 kilometers from the popular pilgrim place Shirdi, which houses a temple worshipping planet Saturn. So far so normal. The delightfully weird thing is that, here villagers do not lock doors of their houses but keep them wide open!    It may seem unbelievable, but as a matter of fact, true! There is indeed a tiny hamlet where houses and other buildings like shops have no doors, and that place is in the country of countless legends and myths – India.

So, do not miss visiting this thief-proof village next time you are in Maharashtra. It will an experience in self.

A vacation to these beautiful villages of the nation will precede a vacation to any of the popular tourist spots, I can assure you that.