Experience the mountain living!

 Himalayan Village Tour

It is solitude what the heart desires once in a while, to get away from the hustle & bustle, to breath fresh air and to get soaked in the beauty of nature.  

Sari Village, Uttarakhand, India
Photo courtesy: Café Buransh FB post

For such yearnings, I suggest one of the most breath-taking Himalayan Villages to you –Sari Village in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, India.  

Why Sari Village?

Sari Village Photo courtesy: Café Burannsh FB post

At an altitude of 6601 ft., with its rustic charm, Sari village is just right for the nature lover in you.  A perfect getaway from the maddening rush of the city life and the hectic daily routines. 

Just to get immersed in pure and pristine nature, to experience the ‘pahadi’ village culture and hospitality, to enjoy local cuisines, to hike and trek and just to be a part of a different community for a few days..........Oh! there are many more reasons why you must visit Sari village.

Time slows down a bit here, let your mind too slow down to savor the quiet moments.  

Trust me… It’s cool, quiet and refreshing!

Life in a ‘Pahadi’ (Mountain) village

The mountain village life is very different from the ones you see on planes.

Photo courtesy:  Cafe Buransh FB post

 The ‘pahadis’, especially the women folk, are very strong, brave and hardworking.

The villagers go about with their day to day activities undisturbed by tourists or any other kind of commercialization.

Photo courtesy: Cafe Buransh FB post

Farming, livestock rearing, small businesses and tourism are villagers’ major sources of livelihood.  The young educated boys join army too. 

Photo courtesy: Cafe Buransh's FB post

Ajay with a villager's dog

Pets are a part of the ‘pahadi’ household, in fact mules are their lifeline and dogs are the permanent companions!

Photo courtesy: Cafe Buransh's FB post

Sari Villagers are excellent hosts, they are warm and pleasant. While visiting, please respect them and also, pay respect to local customs and beliefs too.

Brij bahi's shop enroute Deoria Tal

View from Brij bhai's shop

The small shops on the village paths are excellent refreshment points where you can enjoy local flavours like ‘Buransh sharbat’ (Buransh flower syrup) or fresh ‘Malta’ fruit juice.  The buransh sharbat has a sweet unique mild flavour whereas the malta juice is ‘Khatta, Meetha, Namkeen‘ ( Sour,sweet & salty) .Yummy and refreshing, you must try it!

Malta Tree

Burans Tree( Rhododendron)

Where to stay?

Though many home stays and lodges available in Sari village,  I strongly recommend, Café Buransh , named after Uttarakhand’s state tree, Burans (Rhododendron),for an authentic Himalayan village experience. They are just about a fifteen-minute hike from Sari Village, the starting point of  the Deoria Tal hike. 

Photo courtesy : Cafe Buransh's FB post

View from Cafe Buransh

 

Photo courtesy : Cafe Buransh FB post

Rajani & Randheep, the co-owners of the facility are excellent hosts and same is the case with their staff Rakesh, Hanumant & Nitin.

Nitin & Hanumant, the CB boys 

Rakesh , the chief cook 

“We'd love for you to arrive a traveler and leave as family” is what they say and they mean it!  

With Rajani , Randeep and other guests

Even their doggies make you feel at home, yes, it’s true! 

With Choko and Phooli , the CB doggies

Their curated trips will help you explore the mountains and their culture, at a pace that suits you, which ‘am sure, will let you slow down to savour every moment of your stay there.

Courtsey : FB post, Randeep Hari 

Courtsey : FB post, Rajani Muraleedharan

For more details about the facility please visit www.cafeburansh.com or WhatsApp /call @ 09526053669 . They will assist you with end to end logistics at a moderate/ affordable cost.

How to reach Sari Village?

Dehradun Jolly Grant airport is the nearest airport and Haridwar is the nearest railway station.   Taxis and buses are available from Rishikesh.

Sari village is about 192 km by road from Rishikesh and it takes about 7-8 hrs. The route is Rishikesh > Devprayag > Srinagar> Rudraprayag (take Kedarnath route) > Agustmuni > Ukhimath > Sarivillage.

On your way to Sari, take a break at Devprayag, the confluence of Alakananda and Bhagirati rivers. 

    It's Ganga (The Ganges) from here onwards

Dr Brinu, a gifted photographer

Dr Brinu at work

What can you do for a week in the mountains?

Are you a person who enjoys nature? Are you happy with the basic amenities? If so, the mountains offer everything you ask for- hiking, trekking, camping out, photography, reading & writing, just lazing around, yoga & meditation or work (yes, I did attend to some unavoidable routine work) …. you just name it.

Below are some of the activities I did during my one week trip to Sari village in February 2021.

 i)                   Rishikesh: Temple, ashrams, boating, food and shopping

Rishikesh, Photo courtesy : Brinda

The city is synonymous with its grand temples, rituals, architectural marvels and yoga ashrams. The twin Ram & Lakshman Jhulas are outstanding architectural feats in themselves. The Ganga Aarti is a pleasant ritual of worshipping the Ganga.

Laxman Jhula

There are many good restaurants and cafes in Rishikesh and the Laxman Jhula market is a good place for shopping. Rishikesh has its share of offbeat and adventure activities too.

 

ii)             Hiking: Deoria Tal/Khiri top (option of camping)

Deoria Tal is a natural freshwater lake in Sari Village. The hiking to this lake is comparatively a moderate to easy one, would be an ideal trial session for those who are stepping into the world of Himalayan hiking/trekking for the first time.  The hike rewards you with an incredible view of snow clad Chaukhamba, dark forest covers along the way up, and an abundance of open space with patches of snow around the lake. Top it all up with numerous spots to meditate, read a book or just take a nap and to get refreshed with malta juice J.

Rajani & Brinda

Dr Brinu as shephered

Trekkers..

iii)               Trekking: Chopta/Tungnath/Chandrashila

Chopta is about an hour’s drive from Sari village and is the starting point for the 5 kms long Chandrashila trek.  The trek offers excellent views of snow clad Himalayas and passes through Tungnath-the highest Shiva Temple in the world, forests and vast ‘snowy’ meadows.  

How do I explain this majical moment...

Wow! what a sight..

Moments from the trekking

 While climbing up, the snow covered areas of the trek path was quite slippery and was a bit hard to manage.  A big thank you to Nitin, the 17 yr old pahadi boy, who assisted me with a helping hand to manage the tricky patches. But while descending, we were blessed with a mild to strong snow fall. The fresh snow transformed the already beautiful mountains to a more pleasing and picturesque landscape.

The best trekking experience I ever had in my life, an unforgettable experience, indeed!  

Thunganath Temple

At Thunganath Temple

Dr Brinu enjoying the fresh snow fall

Nithin, the local boy, at Thunganath

Ha...Chandrashila....

Brinda

Photos courtesy: Abhi, Ajay, Fariz , Dr Brinu, Brinda & Rajani - Thank you my dears for these beautiful captures.

iv)               Village tour: Local trails, Pahadi hospitality, temple visit

Just walked up with Rajani to Brij bhai’s shop on the way up to the Deoria Tal to enjoy the ‘Khata,Meeta , Namkin’ wala malta juice ( couldn’t resist itJ ) . On our way up, met many localites and interacted with them.

Omkareshwar temple , Sari Village

Ajai, Abhi & Fariz with Babaji

With Babaji

While returning, visited the Omkareshwar Ratneshwar Shiva temple, just above the Café Buransh and listened to the wisdom of Babaji. He presented me a bag full of malta fruits which I brought home and replicated Brij Bhai’s techniques to make the juice.

Baba's gift - Malta fruits

v)                 Ukhimath visit: temple visit, mini shopping in the local market

Ukhimath is a small town, about 12 km away from Sari Village. It is here the famous Omkareshwar temple, the winter abode of Kedarnath, Thungnath and Madhyamaheshwar, situates. Mythology says that this temple was the venue for the wedding of Usha (Vanasur’s daughter) and Anirudh (Lord Krishna’s grandson).

 

Entrance to Omkareshwar temple, Ukhimath

There are no markets in Sari village. The nearest one, for shopping of any kind, is in Ukhimath only.

 

 Experience of a lifetime

Everyone experience places differently , but this one, for all of us, was an experience of a life time! Sari village is a place which challenged us, changed us and standing out in our minds even today.

Thank you Sari Village , Thank you Café Buransh...!💖💖💖

With Ajay , Abhi, Fariz, Brinda , Randeep & Rajani  

  Without great solitude, no serious work is possible (Pablo Picasso).