by Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy
From a maiden beach of western India to a Blue-green hills of north east,
here are 5 new travel ideas to boast about.
AMADUBI, JHARKHAND
Though India is known for its rich art forms, the concept of Pyatkar painting is not so widely known. Chitrakars in Jharkhand paint on scrolls made from leaves and barks as they relate ancient legends through a series of pictures.
Just 65km from Jamshedpur, Amadubi is home to these artists and presents a wonderful opportunity to watch the pictorial storytellers at work. Experience village tourism in rustic huts at a newly designed tourist complex while dining on local delicacies like ud-pitha (steamed rice dumpling with lentils), gud-pitha (with jaggery) or zil-pitha (non-vegetarian). The akhara (open stage) showcases traditional dances linked to agricultural practices during colourful festivals such as Tusu parab (January-February), Sarhul/Baha (February-March), Dansai (October-November) and Sohrai (November-December).
The nearest railway station Dhalbhumgarh, 9km from the village, has historic sites like Rajbari, the palace of the Raja of Dhalbhum; and the Trivineshwar and Dasbhuj temples. Samples of Pyatkar paintings, dokra craft, Mithila hand-painted saris and the region’s rich crafts can be bought at Biponi Handicrafts in Jamshedpur, which also organizes trips to Amadubi.
Make it happen: +91 657 232 0109; kalamandir.jsr@gmail.com www.kala-mandir.org
PARULE & BHOGWE, MAHARASHTRA
Bhogwe beach, Maharashtra.
Photo: Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy
In one line: An authentic farmstay experience, complete with plantation walks and Malvani cuisine.
The Konkani settlement of Parule was once Parulya gramam, built around a Surya temple where the rays of the setting sun touched the idol before disappearing over the horizon. The temple’s renovation may have eclipsed this phenomenon but the magic of the region is intact. Stay with the Samants at Maachli while enjoying life on a farm—milk a cow, get a fish spa treatment in a natural stream, go on a plantation walk and learn how to use a laath (traditional method of drawing water for irrigation) as you relish delicious Malvani cuisine.
Go on a morning nature trail to a shepherd’s temple or a longer sunset trek to the beach. Nearby, Bhogwe, lying in the shadow of Tarkarli, has remained unnoticed by travellers. But the rustic eco cottages made of bamboo, cane and thatch offer stunning coastal views and an enriching experience. Visit a devrai (sacred grove) or cashew processing units, go bird-watching in serene mangroves in country crafts, enjoy sunsets at Kille Nivti fort before taking a boat ride to Golden Rocks. Stop by at Chiva, designer George Oomen’s store near Kudal for innovative bamboo products.
Make it happen: Maachli: +91 2366-269531, 9637333284; prathamesh.samant@maachli.in; www.maachli.in. Bhogwe: +91 94230 52022; a.samant4530@gmail.com
HANKON, KARNATAKA
In one line: For the eco-conscious adventurist.
A 12-km diversion from Karwar towards Dandeli on SH-95 leads past agricultural fields,railway crossings and Asnoti village, till finally, you reach the riverside hamlet of Hankon. Spread over five acres by the gently flowing Kali, River Edge Paradise Resort is an eco-adventure camp that offers a range of water sports right on the property!
Try kayaking, canoeing, rafting, tubing and river crossing, or go rock-climbing and rappelling four kilometres km away at Pata. For white-water rafting, banana boat rides and other water sports, head to Kali River Lodge at Dandeli or Devbagh Beach Resort. Stay in wooden cabins or comfortable tents with a river-facing restaurant serving fresh seafood. Solar-lit pathways, solar-heated water supply and the wastewater treatment plant enhance the eco-experience.
Make it happen: +91 8382 266 742, 98455 88439
DAMRO, ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Damro's hanging bridge. Photo: Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy
In one line: Visit the original village of the Adi Padam tribe and witness their age-old customs.
The longest hanging bridge in Arunachal Pradesh at Damro sways gently over a silvery slash of the Yamne River as Adi Padam herders head to the forests with their mithun. A domesticated form of the gaur (Indian bison), these semi-feral bovines recognize their master’s call and lumber forth for salt. Just above the woods, surrounded by terraced fields, is Yamne Abor, a cluster of thatched bamboo houses in a clearing.
Run by Tsange Tsering Thungon and Oken Tayeng, the country home is a great base to explore this hidden back route between Pasighat and Yingkiong. Visit Damro, the original village of the Adi Padam tribe and get an insight into their unusual Donyi-Polo culture centred on the worship of the sun and the moon. Try the local staple of smoked pork, lai (leaves), raja chili chutney and apong (rice beer). Watch men wield daos (machetes) with practiced ease as women carry firewood or harvested crops in cane baskets called beyen. For stay at Yamne Abor or longer explorations in the North East, contact Abor Country Travels & Expeditions.
Make it happen: +91 9863 553 243; aborcountry@gmail.com; www.aborcountrytravels.com
NEDUNCHERI T PUTHUR, TAMIL NADU
In one line: Marvel at the rich Chola tradition and get your fortune read by a parrot.
Just 12km from Chidambaram and two kilometres east of Veeranam Lake, Lakshmi Vilas is a heritage hotel run by the Saradharam group at Neduncheri, housed in a traditional 1927 pannaiyar bangla (landlord’s bungalow) on Sivankoil Street. Replicating Chola architecture and showcasing rich Tamil traditions and cultural heritage, the heritage bungalow has an ethnic charm. The sprawling four-and-a-half acre property has 20 heritage rooms and a restaurant in a coconut grove.
Visit the adjacent Shiva temple, get your fortune read by a parrot (Kili jyotisam) and play traditional games like Pallankuzhi (board game played with seeds), Adu Puli (tiger hunt board game), Goli Gundu (marble stone balls), Pambaram (spinning a top with thread) and Uri Adithal, where blindfolded participants break a clay pot hung above their heads. Lakshmi Vilas is a great base for birding at Veeranam Lake or the mangrove forest at Pichavaram.
Make it happen: +91 414 425 6555/56/66; lakshmivilasheritage@gmail.com; www.lakshmivilas.co.in
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