Chhitki where cows, goats, and sheep were grazing.
Almost four-foot wide path was never deserted
because it was a thoroughfare for the villagers
and their animals. Bells of horses and mules and
conversations of the passersby affected the natural
charisma of the forest. The villagers regularly
stopped at Adhkhora and Meetha Pani. Both the
rest points smelled faintly for litter left behind
on every occasion. I did not feel like drinking
brook water at these points. The thoroughfare
occasionally suffered from “involuntary”
misbehavior of the drunkards.
Badginda, the Starting Point of the Day Hike
Nightly silence never hugged Badginda. The
loyal night guards dogs continuously barked and
affected, especially, the light sleepers. The barks
reminded presence of bears or other wild animals
that frequented the fields and destroyed the crops.
Sickly thin concrete lanes hardly separated houses,
raiding the privacy. The houses were equipped
with both LPG and wood stoves. They burnt the
garbage.
All the villagers had enough resources for roti,
kapada, and makan (bread, clothes, and house).
Big landlords could not fully monetize their
scattered agricultural lands for labor shortage, little
chances of mechanized farming, and wild animal
attacks. Everyone was busy in one’s own life. Busy
locals did not have time to labor for others.
They cultivated jau (barley), wheat, rice, mandua
(finger millet), vegetables-greens and cauliflower,
and dal (lentils). The men collected sattva and
kida jari from the mountain slopes in favorableseason. The latter herb earned them handsome
revenue. The forest department paid approximately
₹2-3 lakhs for a kilogram of the herb. The private
traders bought it for ₹6-9 lakhs per kg, according to
a local estimate.The boys loved urban boy toys bikes and cricket
bats and balls. They wore hair in trendy colors and
styles and craved for DSLRs.Badginda beside the Kalp Ganga is officially Urgam
even though many locals did not understand
the latter name. Tall steep slopes surrounded
the village, warmer than Joshimath. The village
doubled as a basecamp for a number of day
and multi-day treks: Bungpani, Bansi Narayan,
Chhitki Bugyal, Panar Meadow, Philanarayan, and
Sundarvan.The Urgam valley boasted a pair of coveted
temples. Dhyanbadri, one of the Panch Badris,
stood at Silang (Badginda). Kalpeshwar, one of the
Panch Kedars, overlooked the banks of the Kalp
Ganga in the valley.It was spring. Leafless fruit trees bore flowers in
the first week of April. The tiny market did not have
any fruits. The weather changed its mood from
brilliantly dry in the mornings to inconveniently
soggy in the afternoons. It drizzled after lunch. The
herb collectors awaited winter snow to melt from
the mountain crests.
Mulemen and horsemen refused to go on snow
treks. Porters and guides were reluctant to work for
trekkers on the pretext of cold nights on the trail.
How could all season tourism be promoted in the
absence of the basic travel services?theoff.info
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