travelandleisureindia.inTAKE A CLASS IN INDIA’S OLDEST POTTERY STUDIO
——
For a long time, the quaint little village of Andretta was among Himachal
Pradesh’s best kept secrets—until Irish-born actor Norah Richards arrived here in
1920 and set up an artists’ colony. Today, Andretta is home to the oldest pottery
studio in the country and a visit is regarded as a rite of passage for ceramists in
training. Paint on terracotta pots, make functional glazed earthenware or your own
set of microwave-safe ceramic ware by partaking in a 45-minute pottery session.
If you want to commit yourself completely to the craft, Andretta Pottery also
offers a three-month introductory course that begins twice a year—in April and
September. The course starts at `1,20,000, which includes food, stay, and learning
fee; andretta-pottery.business.siteMAKECHEESE
WITHTHE
BAKARWALS
——GO BIRDWATCHING IN AN OAK FOREST
——
Declared a sanctuary in 1988, the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over 45
kilometres in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. With an average altitude of 2,400
metres, it is one of the last remaining patches of oak forests in the Middle Himalayas.
Most of the few thousand travellers who visit the sanctuary each year come for the
200 species of birds found here. Forktails, laughing thrushes, nuthatches, parakeets,
and a number of pheasants are some of the commonly sighted charmers. Hit the road
from Pantnagar airport in Uttarakhand and drive for a little over four hours to arrive
at the sanctuary’s main entrance at Ayarpani. A handful of boutique homestays within
the premises, such as Mary Budden Estate, offer memorable stays in the wilderness.
binsarwildlifesanctuary.com; marybuddenestate.inThink of cheese and your mind immediately wanders away to Europe,
conjuring images of the creamy camembert from France, the crumbly
feta from Greece, or the very Italian parmigiano-reggiano! Few cheese
connoisseurs know that Bakarwal shepherds in the breathtaking valley
of Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, make their own wheels of cheese.
Himalayan Cheese, a sustainable dairy brand in Kashmir, produces a
variety of cheese with the help of these nomadic shepherds. Plan a
trip to Pahalgam and camp amid the verdant meadows by River Lidder,
while sampling some local gouda and cheddar. Himalayan artisan
cheese comes in flavours like cumin, walnut, and mustard. On a flexible
Pahalgam itinerary with Feel The Tour, you can sign up for a cheese-
making experience, where you try your hand at making the traditional
kalari, popularly known as the Kashmiri mozzarella. feelthetour.comVOLUNTEER AT
A ‘GOAT VILLAGE’
A community called The
Green People (Instagram:
@greenpeopleind) is working
to improve the livelihoods
of rural households in the
Garhwal Himalayas by means
of agro- and eco-tourism.
Ever since its inception in
2015, the organisation has
introduced eight far-flung
homestays called The Goat
Villages (thegoatvillage.com),
including groups of cottages
along the trekking routes of
Nag Tibba and Dayara Bugyal
in Uttarakhand which are
run, built, and maintained by
the locals. The Green People
also runs Bakra Chaap, an
organic-farming project that
bridges the gap between rural
farmers and urban consumers.
If you are on an extended
break, you can even become
a ‘guest manager’ at one of
their services for up to three
months. thegoatvillage.com#CONSCIOUSTRAVEL
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: STEVE TAYLOR ARPS/ALAMY; SONDIPON/ALAMY; NITISH WAILA/GETTYIMAGES; COURTESY OF ANDRETTA POTTERY