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  • Home
  • About
    • The Initiative
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    • Our Volunteers
  • Stories
    • States
      • Gujarat
      • Himachal Pradesh
      • Kerala
      • Ladakh
      • Madhya Pradesh
      • Maharashtra
      • Meghalaya
      • Nagaland
      • Tamil Nadu
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    • Languages
      • Hindi
        • Written (Hindi)
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      • Dangi
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  • How One Man’s Conviction Put Jibhi Valley on the World Tourism Map

    October 6, 2020 /

    An ex-army man’s inspiring and amusing journey of grit, passion and dedication to introduce Jibhi Valley to tourism

    Go to story
    Bhagwan Singh Rana
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Voices of Rural India is a not-for-profit initiative that aims to revolutionize storytelling. For perhaps the first time, we bring you curated stories of rural India… in rural voices.

We hope to turn the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis into an opportunity to upgrade digital skills and create alternate livelihoods among rural communities, while building a repository of knowledge and traditions that are slowly fading away.

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Mahadu teaches at the Sangli District Council Scho Mahadu teaches at the Sangli District Council School. He is a master trainer and senior guide cum facilitator in Purushwadi village. He has been working on a local climate change adaptation watershed project for the past 5 years. He has a keen interest in reading, writing and documenting the old way of life in Purushwadi. He shares his story on an Adivasi freedom fighter from Kumshet village of Maharashtra, a story that has disappeared from the pages of our history.
Winter, for most of us, means a time of relaxation Winter, for most of us, means a time of relaxation and rest, of quality time with loved ones and great food! Faraway in Tirthan Valley, the community in Bihar village feels exactly the same way. While people here celebrate local festivals almost every month, the month of Magh Mahina is extra special. As snowfall envelops the mountains, seemingly sleepy villages come to life with festivities and food! Soniya Thakur documents this wonderful community festival and its culinary traditions in her story, “In the Cold Himalayan Winter, a Celebration to warm the Heart”. Soniya’s story also happens to be the first one we published on Voices of Rural India. Seems like ages ago! Visit the link in our bio or voicesofruralindia.org to read!
Divya was born in Mukhwa and and brought up Matli Divya was born in Mukhwa and and brought up Matli village in Uttarakhand. She shares with us her childhood memories of dancing to the drum beats with my friends and family, celebrating the fair of Selku in her village. Read her story in link in bio.
"The fireplay begins at night. Chips of deodar woo "The fireplay begins at night. Chips of deodar wood are tied with a metal wire, lit on fire and swung by the men. Everybody dances to the beat of the drums and performs Rasu, the Garhwali folkdance, around a big fire." Want to find out more about this festival? A young student and adventurer from Uttarakhand’s Garhwal region introduces the revelry and history of Selku (meaning: who will sleep?) – a local festival celebrated with fireplay and a walk in trance on holy blades. Curious to find out more. Read the story in our link in bio :)
Continuing our celebrations of IWD's, we're happy Continuing our celebrations of IWD's, we're happy to share our author for the week: Saniya Meher - a grade 11 student who aspires to be independent in her life. She loves stories as it's inspiring and a great medium to spread message or a lesson! She's shared her story at The Lost Traditions of Dressing Up in Garhwal :)
This International's Women's Day - we celebrate al This International's Women's Day - we celebrate all the women in our community who upkeep tradition. In the latest story 'The Lost Traditions of Dressing Up in Garhwal'. Saniya Meher attempts to dress up as her grand mothers' did in the past using various elements of nature - soapnut, bhimal and malu trees! Click the linkinbio to read more :)
Bhagwan Singh Rana is an ex-Army man turned entrep Bhagwan Singh Rana is an ex-Army man turned entrepreneur who started the first-ever guesthouse in all of Jibhi Valley! Born to a farming family in Salano Village, Rana completed his schooling from Jibhi and Banjar. While in college in Kullu, he joined the National Cadet Corps and was later selected for flying. He received a scholarship, 60 hours flying experience, and second position in the All India National Corps Skeet Shooting Competition. He was also awarded the best cadet in an all India flying competition! In 1977, he joined the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and trained at different places across the country. During his postings in Srinagar, the rugged and beautiful mountains reminded him of home - Jibhi Valley! Numerous tourists visited Kashmir but nobody seemed to know about Jibhi. A man with a vision, Rana left the army after serving for 8 years and started Doli Guesthouse way back in 1992. Ever since he’s also witnessed the rise of unchecked tourism in Jibhi. “Villages have turned into towns with many concrete buildings. Local businesses and tourists are putting a burden on nature. I think that the younger generation needs to understand that it is possible to succeed without harming nature.” Words of wisdom to live by! Read about his inspiring journey or hear audio snippets through the link in our bio, or or on www.voicesofruralindia.org
When Rana left the army to establish the first gue When Rana left the army to establish the first guesthouse in Jibhi Valley, people thought he had lost his mind! “New beginnings come with their own set of challenges. The village residents were skeptical about my success. They often laughed and gossiped, “These army men are crazy. Who will come to this place and think of staying here?!”... My first guests – an American couple and their kid – randomly arrived at the guesthouse looking for accommodation. When we shared the same table to have tea the next morning, my neighbors watched, scandalized. At least 25 people had surrounded us, looking at my guests with curiosity! My first guests stayed with us for six months!” In 1992, Bhagwan Singh Rana set out to introduce tourism in Jibhi - when publicity happened through word of mouth, letters, or patchy landline connections! Imagine exploring new trekking routes where guests were happy to camp overnight in caves! From then to now, the journey has been an incredible one for Rana and the people of Jibhi Valley. He reflects on what these times of no travel mean for tourism in Jibhi “In a way, the pandemic has given us an opportunity to introspect, go back to our roots and look for sustainable solutions. My guesthouse, for instance, remains built in the traditional way with local material. Tourists like to learn farming at my organic farm where I grow my own vegetables.” Read this inspiring story of grit and passion through the link in our bio or on www.voicesofruralindia.org
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Mahadu teaches at the Sangli District Council Scho Mahadu teaches at the Sangli District Council School. He is a master trainer and senior guide cum facilitator in Purushwadi village. He has been working on a local climate change adaptation watershed project for the past 5 years. He has a keen interest in reading, writing and documenting the old way of life in Purushwadi. He shares his story on an Adivasi freedom fighter from Kumshet village of Maharashtra, a story that has disappeared from the pages of our history.
Winter, for most of us, means a time of relaxation Winter, for most of us, means a time of relaxation and rest, of quality time with loved ones and great food! Faraway in Tirthan Valley, the community in Bihar village feels exactly the same way. While people here celebrate local festivals almost every month, the month of Magh Mahina is extra special. As snowfall envelops the mountains, seemingly sleepy villages come to life with festivities and food! Soniya Thakur documents this wonderful community festival and its culinary traditions in her story, “In the Cold Himalayan Winter, a Celebration to warm the Heart”. Soniya’s story also happens to be the first one we published on Voices of Rural India. Seems like ages ago! Visit the link in our bio or voicesofruralindia.org to read!
Divya was born in Mukhwa and and brought up Matli Divya was born in Mukhwa and and brought up Matli village in Uttarakhand. She shares with us her childhood memories of dancing to the drum beats with my friends and family, celebrating the fair of Selku in her village. Read her story in link in bio.
"The fireplay begins at night. Chips of deodar woo "The fireplay begins at night. Chips of deodar wood are tied with a metal wire, lit on fire and swung by the men. Everybody dances to the beat of the drums and performs Rasu, the Garhwali folkdance, around a big fire." Want to find out more about this festival? A young student and adventurer from Uttarakhand’s Garhwal region introduces the revelry and history of Selku (meaning: who will sleep?) – a local festival celebrated with fireplay and a walk in trance on holy blades. Curious to find out more. Read the story in our link in bio :)
Continuing our celebrations of IWD's, we're happy Continuing our celebrations of IWD's, we're happy to share our author for the week: Saniya Meher - a grade 11 student who aspires to be independent in her life. She loves stories as it's inspiring and a great medium to spread message or a lesson! She's shared her story at The Lost Traditions of Dressing Up in Garhwal :)
This International's Women's Day - we celebrate al This International's Women's Day - we celebrate all the women in our community who upkeep tradition. In the latest story 'The Lost Traditions of Dressing Up in Garhwal'. Saniya Meher attempts to dress up as her grand mothers' did in the past using various elements of nature - soapnut, bhimal and malu trees! Click the linkinbio to read more :)
Bhagwan Singh Rana is an ex-Army man turned entrep Bhagwan Singh Rana is an ex-Army man turned entrepreneur who started the first-ever guesthouse in all of Jibhi Valley! Born to a farming family in Salano Village, Rana completed his schooling from Jibhi and Banjar. While in college in Kullu, he joined the National Cadet Corps and was later selected for flying. He received a scholarship, 60 hours flying experience, and second position in the All India National Corps Skeet Shooting Competition. He was also awarded the best cadet in an all India flying competition! In 1977, he joined the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and trained at different places across the country. During his postings in Srinagar, the rugged and beautiful mountains reminded him of home - Jibhi Valley! Numerous tourists visited Kashmir but nobody seemed to know about Jibhi. A man with a vision, Rana left the army after serving for 8 years and started Doli Guesthouse way back in 1992. Ever since he’s also witnessed the rise of unchecked tourism in Jibhi. “Villages have turned into towns with many concrete buildings. Local businesses and tourists are putting a burden on nature. I think that the younger generation needs to understand that it is possible to succeed without harming nature.” Words of wisdom to live by! Read about his inspiring journey or hear audio snippets through the link in our bio, or or on www.voicesofruralindia.org
When Rana left the army to establish the first gue When Rana left the army to establish the first guesthouse in Jibhi Valley, people thought he had lost his mind! “New beginnings come with their own set of challenges. The village residents were skeptical about my success. They often laughed and gossiped, “These army men are crazy. Who will come to this place and think of staying here?!”... My first guests – an American couple and their kid – randomly arrived at the guesthouse looking for accommodation. When we shared the same table to have tea the next morning, my neighbors watched, scandalized. At least 25 people had surrounded us, looking at my guests with curiosity! My first guests stayed with us for six months!” In 1992, Bhagwan Singh Rana set out to introduce tourism in Jibhi - when publicity happened through word of mouth, letters, or patchy landline connections! Imagine exploring new trekking routes where guests were happy to camp overnight in caves! From then to now, the journey has been an incredible one for Rana and the people of Jibhi Valley. He reflects on what these times of no travel mean for tourism in Jibhi “In a way, the pandemic has given us an opportunity to introspect, go back to our roots and look for sustainable solutions. My guesthouse, for instance, remains built in the traditional way with local material. Tourists like to learn farming at my organic farm where I grow my own vegetables.” Read this inspiring story of grit and passion through the link in our bio or on www.voicesofruralindia.org
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