Mountains are Calling - Part5
Mountains are Calling - Part5
It had been more than 2 years since we had gone on a trip to the mountains. Hence we planned this trip to the mountains. Read about how we planned the Trip here.
Reaching Noida, from where we had to start our journey to the hills, became an ordeal in. itself. Later on 30th October we started our journey and reached Haldwani. We enjoyed our journey to Haldwani. Enjoying the way and various stoppages in between was really fun. Read here.
On 31st we started our journey to Pithoragarh, it being my maiden driving experience in the hills we travelled via Hills and Valleys and enjoyed every bit of it. We travelled via Bhimtal, Padampuri, Paharpani, Saharphatak, Lamgara (Read here), Suakhan, Danya, Panar Bridge, Ghat, Gurna Mata Temple, Igyar Devi, Pithoragarh to finally reach Wadda (Read here).
By the time we reached Wadda, it was already 9:30 - 10 pm. The place we halted our vehicles was a broad area on the road which was used as the Jeep Stand. Jeeps (locally called Commander, Sumo based on the model name of the vehicle) ply frequently between Pithoragarh and Wadda.
This place was also being used for showcasing Ramayana. A stage was built to perform Ramayana and chairs were placed for the audience. It was very interesting to know that Ramayana was showcased after Dussehra. Contrary to the ritual followed everywhere else, where Ramayana is enacted before Dussehra, in Wadda Ramayana is showcased after Dussehra until Diwali. Localities still gather together in the evening to come and see Ramayana being enacted.
The tradition of enacting Ramayana has somehow died down in larger cities. It was soo good to see that our traditional values are still intact in these mountain villages & settlements. It took be back to my childhood where we celebrated all the Festivals with so much fun. I have penned down my memories of how we celebrated various festivals during my childhood on my blog read here, here. here and here.
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| Mountain Villages |
Anyways we had to park our vehicles on a place owned by our relatives. This was a parking area developed by them for them and various other people to park their vehicles.
Another fact surfaced, in these mountain villages where there are narrow lanes (just enough to walk) to reach the houses, cars etc. are parked in community parking areas away from the houses. These community parking areas are some large plane areas where the cars could be driven down.
People are happy leaving their vehicles at these parking lots as robberies are not heard of in these mountain settlements.
Our luggage was carried by porters from the Jeep stand to our relative's house. You get porters easily who carry your luggage from the Jeep stand to the houses uphill. These porters are stout mountain men, who can carry massive loads uphill. They have a lot of stamina and strength.
Anyway we reached our relative's house, had some delicious food and ended the day with some really good chit-chat over dinner. Later we went to bed.
Before I move on to what we did during the course of our stay at Wadda, I wanted to pen down some amazing things and people characteristics that I noticed during my stay at Wadda. I have added them in no particular order as under:
Everyone knows Everyone :
In these mountain villages and settlements everyone knows everyone. These days when in big urban towns and cities people seldom know their neighbors, there are still places like Wadda where every person knows every other person.I met elderly people here who would know the complete ancestry, i.e. who was your grand farther, great grandfather and so on. They show special interest in knowing what people who have left Waada are doing. They show genuine concern and love.
Another amazing fact is that, people still get letters and money orders in these settlements. The addresses on these letters are sometimes very insufficient i.e. they would just have the names without any elaborate address. Still these letters always reaches to the concerned person, as people know each other and they know them by their names and family names which is enough for the postman to deliver the letter as he also knows everyone. Contrary to what I have seen in larger Urban cities where sometimes you lose your parcels even when they have the perfect elaborate mailing address and other contact details, here letters and money orders always reach their destinations.
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| Small Terrace Farms |
People are simple, helpful and very hardworking:
I saw people to be very simple and down to earth by nature. They are very welcoming and eager to talk to you. I heard that if there is any problem that you are facing, people unite and help you sail through the problem that you are facing. In general people are very helpful.
People are very hard working. Other that the men, I saw the ladies working in the fields, taking care of the cattle etc. and then devoting their complete attention on the household chores and to their families & kids.
Festivals are celebrated as a Community :
Contrary to what happens these days in Urban Cities, festivals are still celebrated as a community affair. People meet and greet people on various festivals.
People are religious and follow local traditions :
I saw people are very religious and still respect and follow the local traditions. I saw people praying at Temples of local Deities. Most of the villages have their village Deity. Other than the village Deity each clan (family group) has their own Deity. Even the youngsters also still follow religious rituals. It is kind of passed on as a family heritage.
People still live in traditional houses :
I saw people still live in traditional houses. These houses were traditionally made of wood with stone (slate) roofs. Sometimes one would see the outer walls of the houses made of boulders & wood with stone roofs. These traditional houses were suited for the harsh winters in these regions.
All new constructions are made of concrete also a large majority of people have renovated to the concrete structure, but still the traditional houses can be seen. Traditional houses are slowly dying down but they have still not vanished.
Continue Reading : Mountains are Calling - Part6...
Quick Links:
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| Traditional Chulha (Small Earthen Stove) |
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