Village Tourism: The Village Tourism Options for You

Village Tourism, though a new concept in India introduced from the West is rapidly gaining in popularity owing to the fact that a huge bulk of our population still resides in the villages and to know ‘India’ in totality you have to know the Indian Villages first. That’s the reason why the tourism department of the Government is making strong moves to foster Village tourism in the country.

Our country India leaves travelers mesmerized with astounding vistas, stunning landscapes, and a culture that is all colorful and truly captivating. But since a major part of our population resides in the villages, it’s equally important to explore rural India alongside the commonly visited tourist destinations of India. In fact, the beauty of rural India is no less than the well-known tourist spots. It’s an un-spoilt virgin beauty of Mother Nature you would perhaps get nowhere else. To get the real essence of Indian culture, to sniff in the smell of raw earth or draw the whiff of the fresh blooms coming up with every changing season you do need to visit an Indian Village untouched by the evils of Industrialization.

That’s the reason many Travel and Tourism Companies offer Village Tourism Packages for enthusiasts. Often Students are taken for Village Tourism Tours because such tours are truly a learning experience for them. Visiting Rural India, which is rightly called the ‘Heart of India’ allows people to gain an understanding of the lifestyle of rural India; even at times participate in it.

The Key Advantages of Village Tourism are:

• Learning something different from urbanization.
• Getting an opportunity to visit farmlands.
• Getting introduced to artisans and even purchasing locally manufactured handicrafts.
• Socio-economic development of the village.

With the increasing popularity of Village Tourism, many villages of India which were once totally unknown to the Nation and also to the world, have come to the fore and are frequented every year by tourists now. This has led to the economic development of these villages.

If you want to embark on a Village tour of India, you could consider the following options.

Purushwadi Village: This Village falls in the District of Ahmednagar, in the Akole Block. It’s located at a distance of 220 Kms from Mumbai as well as Pune on the way to Nasik. The Villagers are all tribal people belonging to a Tribe called ‘Hindu Mahadeo Koli’. You would get to smell here the fresh whiff of crops coming from the pastoral lands and as you wander about you could even have to hold your steps back because of the melodious strains emanated from a typical rural instrument called Masak been, quite similar to bagpipe or a tapping instrument, the Hudki player.

Diveagar Village: This is a coastal village situated at 170 Kms from the Tinsel town of Mumbai and about 156 Kms from the city of Pune. It is a part of the well-reputed Shrivardhan-Diveagar-Harihareshwar tourist route plan. The place is well famed for the Temple of Suvarna Ganesha consisting in a pure Gold deity of Lord Ganesha. The place is ideal for lazing in the solitary, virgin beaches far away from the madding crowd.

Kumbalangi Village: This is an island village of the South Indian State of Kerala. The idyllic charm of the village characterized by far-reaching stretches of serene backwaters, mangrove forests, boat cruises, paddy fields of the Pokkali Rice, the fishing nets flung across the waters wistfully in the hope of a big catch, the crab culture all would leave you utterly spellbound. You can accompany the fishermen on his fishing venture into the sea early morning and it would indeed be a lifetime experience for you to return with the best catches and freshest ones from the sea at dusk fall.

Naggar Village: This village in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is one major attraction for those going for a village tourism tour to the state. It is very close to Kullu, and one of the ancient villages of Himachal Pradesh. Visitors to the village would be able to breathe in the cool refreshing mountain breeze and would really be exulted on viewing the Snow-clad peaks, the gurgling fountains, the meandering walks, and the plentiful plum and apple orchards that exude a sweet aroma filling the air of the place. The Naggar Palace is one visit-able place which you shouldn’t miss on your sightseeing.

Raghurajpur Village: This Village is located in the East Indian State of Orissa, 45 Kms from Bhubaneshwar and in vicinity to the famed pilgrimage destination Puri. This Village is famous for its many creative art forms such as Applique Works, Pata Chitra, various Gotipua Dance styles, and forms or the marvelous Inscription of complete poetic verses on unusual materials like parched palm leaf or treated cloth. If you are passionate about art and crafts, you should definitely pay a visit to this village of Orissa at least once.

So this is all about Village tourism and how it can benefit you.