I slept at 2.30 am and woke up around 5.45 am because I had to catch the local train of 7.08 am for Asangoan from Dadar station.The excitement didn't let me sleep because I was going to visit this beautiful rural place surrounded by mountains on all the side.
From Asangoan local station I took the shared rickshaw to Shahpur and later hopped on a bus for Dolkambh. Then you need to take shared taxi which would finally drop you at Dehene.
The ride from Shahpur to Dolkambh is mesmerizing.You will come across beautiful open fields and forests.
Finally you reach this offbeat rural destination-Dehene.
I was greeted by my sweetest guide Raksha with widest smile.
She made me sit ,offered water , did Tilak on my forehead and put the authentic cap on my head as a welcome gesture.
Then I was offered mouth watering breakfast i.e Potato bhaji and Rice Bhakri. Trust me ,it was so yummy and I ate Rice Bhakri for the first time ( My mom makes Jowar and Bajri Bhakris at my place).
Finally the time for my first activity.
I learnt how to make Rice Bhakri from the scratch.
1. Rice pounding is a Filipino custom still done in many small, rural villages. Pounding the rice allows the seeds to be released from their husks. In simple language-
Beat the paddy rice with heavy wood stick until the hulls are separated from rice.
2. Then the rice is poured into a separate container and winnowed to separate the hulls for the grains. This entire process is called rice husking.
3.The stone grinder is used to make rice flour.
This whole process requires lot of strength and efforts. This is not everyone's cup of tea.
4.Then we make the dough from flour to make Bhakri ( Rice Bread) .
5. At last bake it on Chula and eat with some garlic chutney , and your taste buds will definitely thank you later for straight from the farm ,organic Bhakri.
(P.S : The color of rice is slight reddish, it is polished which gives the white color to it)
In addition to this there are plenty of activities like learning rice farming in the fields, wood cutting , making chulha (stove) out of mud.
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*In this village you will come across villagers carrying heavy firewood on head.
* Women fill water in pots at the handpump.
And carry those pots on their head till their houses.
( In rural areas people don't get things easily , people work really hard here for their livelihood)
*Hens and cattles everywhere :p
* Villagers will greet you with wide smile all the time.
The hospitality of this village would leave you spell bound.
Later in evening , we trekked a bit till one of the Adivasi community nearby.
It was fun visiting this tribal community and learn about their lifestyle, their clothing and cuisines. These people generally do hunting of wild pigs , rabbits and other wild animals .
It's incredible how much you increase your knowledge from your trips , especially when you have that urge of learning from nature, the roads, the locals , the cuisines and many more.
Later we trekked back and headed the river.
The river side in this village is extremely peaceful and beautiful . You can see the reflection of mountains in river water , the view is breathtaking .
Also don't miss the beautiful sunset which is generally very dramatic here. I am a die-hard sunset lover , who isn't?
If you love star gazing and if you are into Astro photography ,this place is a paradise for you.
To spend quality time under the blanket of the star studded skies and unadulterated air is a life changing experience.
In dinner ,eat some authentic food cooked freshly by the villagers -the house of warm community.
Sleep tight after the adventurous and day of great learning.
"Love of the wilderness is a common language that can transcend religious , social and political beliefs "
Good morning from this beautiful village located at the foothills of Mount Ajobadad(Rishi Valmiki's last resting place) - trek to the top and witness a piece of religion and history. and yes not to forget, the view from the top is breath-taking.
On the way up , watch the sun coming out from behind of these huge mountains .
Trekking for me is love and it has always been a training in life skills .
After every trek I come out wiser .
Other activities you can do here includes:
- Shower in waterfall
- Work on rice field
-Help locals in their daily activities and learn fr them.
-Help locals by buying souvenirs from them
Dehene is literally surrounded by mountains on all the sides. And you can witness 100s of waterfalls in monsoon with lush green views everywhere.
My stay at Dehene was arranged with a local , and staying with local family helps you learn a lot about rural culture , their lifestyle.
I ate the authentic maharashtrian onion poha in breakfast and ofcourse tea.
Thank you Grassroutes for curating one of a kind rural experience .
It's always great to take time off from the loud noise of horns , traffic ,mobile phones, junk food , the luxury we live in cities.
It's important that we take a break from fast city life to live and learn how rural people live their life to the fullest far away from the luxurious city life.
Experience the best community tourism here and villagers are especially trained to take your utmost care .
And who wouldn't want to have such rustic local experience ?
