IIMA Shodh Yatra Aug-Sept 2018

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 and a few sculpt

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 by the mountains an

Churah valley is located a remote corner north of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the few places which has maintained the nature in its pristine form. The place shows us the stunning view of the majestic Himalayas which cannot be captured by any camera. It is a 6 to 7 hour drive from Pathankot which is the nearest railway station connecting the valley. The valley has the following key attractions which will be present in the bucket lists of people when it comes to tourist places. The valley is one of the must go destinations for trekkers who like to unpack their tents in the wild. The place is mostly safe as there is no animals which are dangerous to human beings. During the trek you can see some of the most amazing visuals which will stay with you for your lifetime. The trek will be physically exhausting and will be satisfying for people who want to push their limits. Even though I mentioned that it is not possible to capture the beauty of Churah, it is one of

 A day in Churah Valley. The first day of Shodyatra began with climbing up the hill to Bhanjararu for breakfast. It was a steep hill. On our way we could see in far away distance mountains which were covered with lusty green trees. Below these mountains we could see dried river covered mostly with small rocks. The entire day was spent on walking up and down the hills on virtually deserted roads. Finally, we reached Devikothi village late in the night. We spent the night in one of the schools. Since we were very tired because of the day long trekking, we slept off immediately after having dinner. On our way to Bhanjraru for Breakfast I woke up the next day to a beautiful sight of the mighty Himalayas and found myself sipping tea with friends amidst the cold breezes. During the day, we had an interaction with a herbal healer from whom we got to learn ancient ways of healing and curing various illnesses. This individual had been doing such practices for years and his knowledge ab