Why Ramtek holds Promise ??

 

Have been observing and saying this for past six months !!!

There is a Shift in Priorities of Celebrating Holidays ……..

Looking at the positive aspect, people would now like to visit the  offbeat destinations which are not crowded but full of scenic beauty. They shall rather not like to disturb others or in turn get disturbed in the post Covid19 scenario.

There is a likelihood that people will prefer rural areas for the change of taste. Especially, remote villages surrounded by the forests, hillocks, nearby river, lakes, reservoirs or  mountains will be in demand. This is a blessing in disguise as the rural economy through rural tourism  may get a boost if  farm tourism and  nature tourism is addressed pragmatically.

Ramtek tahsil  in the  Nagpur District forms an ideal ground for carrying out all these activities

Challenges

The Covid19 is still not over hence all need to follow the guidelines and SOP’s formulated by the Government of India majorly of social distancing, washing hands regularly and temperature checking with thermal guns.

It will become mandatory for the  rural community to take lead in training themselves in first aid, hygiene, sanitation  and emergency procedures of evacuation.  

We also want to take utmost care and ensure that the tourism activity does not disturb local life of the rural community  and have a negative impact.

Further….

As of now a softer form of tourism will begin where guests will come in their own vehicles, enjoy the environment, the farm stay, take a stroll in the field, taste the rural cuisine and return with pleasant memories.

As the time progresses, the demand for the home stays in rural areas will rise. But, we need to be cautious as the accommodation should be such that the local people could manage it.

Advantage Ramtek !!!

Ramtek tahsil is majorly covered by forests and has a good road connectivity. You will find hillocks, lot of heritage sites, numerous water bodies, a knowledgeable farming community, friendly welcoming village people, remote tribal areas, pilgrimage sites, scenic locations,  etc. 

Recently a film was  shot in one of the rural locations.

The supplementary sources of income for the locals…. A Sustainable way!!!

• ·  Both women and men in the rural areas can contribute to this concept and earn a respectable supplementary income from tourism.
• ·     They can train themselves to be a guide and can help guests during nature trails. It is often found that the people residing especially in the tribal areas are well aware about the trees , shrubs, flowers, roots of the medicinal origin.
• ·      Bird watching is another such activity which can be done by the local community. Some of them may be well aware about them with local names. A simple training with technical knowhow on the local birds and their habitats can be helpful for them.
• ·     There are water bodies at remote locations which attracts migratory birds for breeding during the winters here. A simple knowledge about such birds can again be helpful in the long run.
  
  
  
• ·        A thick forest covers major part of the tahsil. The local people can be trained as a naturalist by updating them with the information on herbivores and carnivores. The forest forms an important corridor for the migration of wildlife – tigers !!!
• ·        These guides especially girls can be a good source for sharing information about the welfare activities being carried out by the local government.
• ·        The numerous waterbodies have local sweet water  fishes and prawns adored by many. Special cage based fishing is done in Pench reservoir and has a high touristic value. This can be a good way to introduce the guests to the  special traditional ways local fishermen rely on to catch the fish. Truly an experience in itself.
• ·        The villages have a welcome feel here. Many of them have very old houses which can serve as a home stay for the guests provided proper sanitation is done. Some of the villages are in the remote scenic locations surrounded by the green hillocks and thick forest. Heritage properties or 'Wadas' are still existing in many villages. Some of these wadas are constructed with wood and its worth a visit.    
  
  
  
• ·        The Ramtek tehsil is full of heritage spots. There are forts, a revered temple fort, excavation sites where mysteries are still being unfolded and experts are  spellbound about the treasure of information coming out. The area is full of stories and each excavated site brings out a new story.  Local people can be trained to be a guide to share the information about the history, entertain guests with the stories and in turn get a decent amount.  Nagardhan fort and Dongartal fort are the special mention  sites which can be  visited by the interested ones. Mansar excavations is already attracting heritage lovers.
• ·        The knowledgeable farming community grows varieties of paddy. In the well irrigated region of Ramtek, lot of paddy varieties are grown and have a bumper yield. They can be a good source for our guests to understand how the paddy is cultivated. There are lot of rice mills where the actual processing of the paddy can be observed.
• ·        Depending on the availability of the water for irrigation during winters, some of the farmers also take double crop of the paddy which often gives higher yield. This is called summer paddy as it is harvested during June.
  
  
  
• ·        There are lot of farm houses constructed on these farms near forests which can double up as a stay for tourists. Normally there is no light pollution during the night here, hence an ideal spot for star gazing. There are many such spots where you can  enjoy star gazing. Only thing you need is a good quality telescope. 
• ·        These farm houses can also serve as an ideal agri tourism place for the guests. Pure rustic experience is an understatement. Guests can enjoy farm cooked food, on field fruit and vegetable picking. Guests can also involve themselves in the farm activity during the transplanting of paddy. You need to get down in the puddle and do the transplanting. It is observed that while transplanting the ladies sing and it’s a treat to watch.
  
  
  
• ·        The soft adventure activity also finds a place here in Ramtek. Just behind the fort temple hillock there is a site- Cherry farms, which  is an ideal place for the adventure  beginners. They organise special treks up the hillock called Sindhuragiri trek or  near the Khindsi lake. Once the water recedes, it forms an ideal ground for conducting parasailing. They also conduct training in rescue operations for the disaster management government bodies. They have organized para motoring tournament here some time back. Some years back Hot air ballooning activity was also conducted here. The most recently organized Full Moon Treks have been a HIT among the participants !!!
• ·        The boating activity has been done in the Khindsi lake and has been attracting locals from Nagpur for a day outing.
  
  
  
• ·        Ramtek town is full of heritage sites and temples. The Bhonsla period fort temple has its own glorious history and the adjoining Ambala lake is a renowned place for all. The place is full of trees of medicinal value.  You can go on counting the temples on the banks of Ambala lake.
• ·        These temples form an ideal sites for the numerous photographers who regularly visit for their assignments. Lot of Vakataka period idols are spread over the hillock many of them are in dilapidated condition.
• ·        The guests coming for the wildlife safari can have opt for staying at the nearest farm stays or home stays in the gates vicinity for the  experience sake
  
  
  

• The social aspect
• ·        There are lot of apple custard trees deep in the forest. During the season, the kids pickup the fruits from the forest, bring them home and then the ladies collect them in the baskets. These baskets are brought to the market for sale. You will also find lot of ladies selling these fruits on the highways or at the road side shacks. The proper management of the fruit collection and then bringing them to the market shall help the ladies earn a decent amount.
• ·        The star gazing activity can be an added attraction in the remote forest villages. The girls and boys can be trained to handle the telescopes and share their knowledge about the celestial bodies. This can be a good source of  income generation as it shall involve a special class of guests interested.
• ·        As mentioned earlier, the girls and ladies can become ideal guides for the showing the village around. They can be trained to communicate, to tell the stories in an entertaining way to the guests. They can show the ancient temples and the stories associated with the village.
• ·        Lot of girls / ladies train themselves for the naturalist’s role and can be helpful to conduct nature trails in the forests with proper care.
• ·        They can be an ideal choice to conduct heritage walk in the Ramtek town which houses many temples. There are lot of idols along the slopes of the hillock of temple fort. The area around the fort temple is full of heritage sites and small temples. A combination of heritage walk and naturalist can be appreciated by the guests.
• ·        The folk and tribal art is yet to get its due. There are lot of artists who can display their skills of performing art at a given time. Perhaps some kind of rural festival can be organized to showcase their talent. This will give the necessary boost to the diminishing art form.
• ·        The pottery and the bamboo work has lot of takers. But it has not been well introduced or informed or made aware about to the outside world. The guests coming to Ramtek can be shown this art form and this shall give an additional push.
• ·        The most important site everyone must visit is the Govigyan Anusandhan Sanstha at Devlapar which is a reputed  ‘Desi Cow oriented’ organic farming training and research center.

A cluster of villages covering the natural spots, farms, forest, heritage, pilgrimage can be developed…

There are lots of places.... Unseen, Unheard ........waiting to be discovered !!!

But as they say ……a lot would depend on the political will power of the local leaders!!!

Praying for the best things to happen at Ramtek !!!

 

Amit Naseri

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