Karnataka

For a new experience in the Western Ghats

BANGALORE: For many, a journey to the Western Ghats would mean losing oneself in the beauty of the Sahyadris, or casting eyes on the delightful sights of varieties of flora and fauna, endemic to the region. Not many would, however, experience the Ghats the way its inhabitants do.

Not often can a visitor be a witness to how lives in these hills are shaped and reshaped around the nature and her moods. So a visitor to the Ghats might not know Bhoomi Hunnime, a festival just before harvest when delicacies that the “pregnant earth” craves are buried in the ground. Nor the Hole Habba, where the local people pray rain just before monsoon, or pray for the clouds to leave once the crops have received their fill of water.

But all that could change when Parampara, a centre that promises to provide the visitor an experience of the Ghats through the life and realties of its people, begins this year. The initiative is the brainchild of the same group of people that started The Adventures, a nature sports activity centre with an aim to promote an experiential approach to the idea of conservation.

“The visitor will get to see how people lead their lives here, right from how they harvest rice to how they make rice flour for the rotis they eat. The rural youth who are partners in the running of our centre will showcase to the visitor the dances, music, and folk arts that are part of their culture,” says Nomita Kamdar, one of the promoters of the centre.

What is unique about the proposed centre is that at any given point of time only about 10 to 15 visitors would be entertained.

“We need to give nature the time to refresh itself from all the visitors. Besides, limiting the number of visitors would keep us busy throughout the year,” said S.L.N. Swamy, another promoter of the centre.

The foundation stone for the centre will be laid on Wednesday and work is expected to be completed in the next six months.

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