Devikothi Village The Shodh Yatra led us in the beautiful village of Devikothi, one very isolated hamlet of the Chirah Valley about 110km from the district headquarters of Chamba in Himanchal Pradesh. This village was typical of the ones we went through during our visit of Himanchal. Perched on the flank of the mountain, nestled in a forest of tall resinous trees, it is a charming intertwining maze of little alleys and flights of stairs. We crossed paths with very welcoming and friendly villagers, but also with flocks of sheep and the occasional cows and mule. The narrow paths through which this vivid crowd flows are flanked with charming houses painted in pastel colors. Some majestic wooden buildings look down into the deep valley of shining green. At the bottom of the village, in front of a square sits the temple of Chamunda dedicated to Devi with its rich depictions of animals and the exploits of the goddess Durga. The wooden carvings an...
I was most excited when I was selected for the journey of exploring the unexplored. What is Shodh Yatra? What was I looking forward to? What all did I see in the Churah Valley region? Did I get the answers I was looking for? There are many questions I want to answer. Before that, Lets understand what Shodh Yatra is all about. Shodh Yatra is to undertake a journey for the search of knowledge, creativity and innovations at the grassroots. Shodh Yatra is an attempt, on the part of SRISTI, to reach out to the most remote parts of the country with a firm belief that the hardship and challenges of natural surroundings are prime motivators of creativity and innovations. Shodh Yatra aims at unearthing such traditional knowledge and grassroots innovations. A group of IIMA students led by Prof. Anil Gupta started this journey towards one of the remotest parts of Himachal Pradesh i.e. Churah Valley in Chamba district. The place lies safe protected ...