The incidence, I am going to relate occurred with me in the year of 2014. At that time, exhausted by the busy and bustling life style of the metropolitan city, I was planning to visit some hill station. The main intent was to pass some quality time in the calmly ambiance, in the lap of the nature. My one friend had suggested me to enjoy a sojourn in this “home stay ” hotel type accommodation in Hill side. This kind of “home stay” recently been introduced in the hilly provinces of the India, with the sheer intent to promote the job oriented local tourism. This too might be helpful to put some check on the issue of migration of youth, who to find job at some other distant provinces often desert the parental place.
( source- booking.com)
Ferede village “Home stay” : Location
Generally this kind of “Home stay” having location at the outer skirt of the Himalayan foot hill cities. These Home stays been surrounded by rising hills, either on one side or both side and some times guarded all around. When you visit this side of the North West of the India, it seems the Northern Himalayan range begins from this point. Though that’s not true. But this kind of impression, it generates upon one’s mind. And if you visit the other foot hill Himalayan cities, you experience the same experiences about the Himalayan range. No doubt, it all was so panoramic and soothing to one’s eyes and mind.
I was a man, who was born and brought up in metropolitan city and and remained muddled into the bustling, clamorous life style there. But natural always dreamt, to pass some time in the soothing, peaceful surroundings of the nature. Visiting a hill station type location, is like a “reversal mode” given to the city life. Here tourists experience an admixture of life style of people, that contains the tint of both, one that of small city as well as rustic, pastoral life. In total, it generates a soothing and indelible imprint into the mind of the visitor.
In fact, when I planned to visit some hill station, as it often happens a man discusses his plan with his friends. The same thing I did. My one friend had been once a visitor of this ” Ferede Village Home stay.” He too knew my mental inclination. He had recommended this site to me so pressingly. This site was at the end of the outer boundary of a Himalayan foot hill city. In fact, it was not with in the precincts of that city, it located just in the geographical boundary of the adjacent district. But the easy approach was conducted from the previous city. This previous city had had a renown and name all around the India for its soothing climate round the year. From the location of this home stay, you make a journey of twenty five km and and you are destined back into the heart of that popular city, to enjoy a life fraught with bustles and clamor.
Ferede village “Home stay” : Arrival
Following a suitable option to reach my this destination, I too had traversed through that city. The reason was, the city helped facilitate my journey to this site in every aspect. Firstly, I boarded on the bus from my own “Inter State bus terminal.” The bus made me drop at the at the main bus stand of the adjacent popular city. From there, I hired the service of a cab and reached here within an hour. It astonishes tourist like me, after a short journey to find such a peaceful, panoramic destination after a short duration traversing through the bustling of a modern city. It seemed a near distance to me. Since, in the metropolitan cities, we people encounter one after another, the same bustling clamorous cities in our incessant journey.
Ferede village “Home stay” : Architecture of the Home Stay
For us denizens of metropolitan cities, a distance of twenty five Km is a no distance at all. This type of “Home stay” has got a pattern. They are run in the old timed tenement. The main theme is old time architecture and facade, to generate a look of hill’s culture. Inside you are provided with cozy facilities of the modern time. Although, the food and recipe may be of both the flavour, local as well as of other types. My friend having the phone number of this Home stay had booked the room for me in accord to my program. It took my entire day, travelling from my Metropolitan abode to reach here. When I arrived here, evening had begun to fall. Otherwise also, in the month of October, in hill sides, it’s the beginning of winter season that maketh dwindling of the day span. The same phenomenon was noticeable here.
I was given a room in the upper story of this double storied “Home stay.” Room service served me tea. With the sips of tea, I threw a long observational glance out of the side window. The location of the hotel was on an high elevated place by the side of an upper ledge. At some far sighted distance, I spotted an outline of a lake. I knew about that, my friend had told about that, it was a huge water reservoir. Much before that lake, just at about one Km areal distance from my window, I noticed a pair of old minaret like towers on both sides of the river. This river seemed to originated from the same lake. Though it was not so. In fact, river had had its origin, long above behind many montanes. It all was similar to the description, my friend had in advanced described to me.
Ferede village “Home stay” : The canal
From the side pf this reservoir, a canal was connected in which water from the reservoir got sluiced down. This canal carried the water to the agriculture fields of the previous district from where I had traversed here. There at the border of the same district, at some five Km distance from this point, a perennial rivulet too collected the water in an another short length canal. That canal merges into the main canal which originated from the main reservoir. Over the same rivulet, an old Iron cast bridge was constructed in British period, that still is in proper service. When I came here, my cab too had crossed over the same short span of the bridge. That rivulet and bridge is the boundary mark of the previous city/district and this another district where in, this Home stay locates.
This main canal has got a network of other short canals which bifurcate from the mother canal. It all is to facilitate the irrigation services to a wide range locality, stretched in many square Km. I was informed, the water reservoir and main canal was constructed about in the year of 1901. This information, I gleaned from Home stay’s staff and from some MYSTERIOUS SOURCE. Truly say, the information gleaned from MYSTERIOUS SOURCE was corroborated by Home stay staff later on. I was so tired through the long journey and needed a rest. I took my evening meal prior to my daily scheduled time and went to bed. There I slept like a log. (End of the Part 1 of the story.) Penned by– Vinay Pharasi …..
