Tribal culture of jaunsar bawar and its tourism potential

Tribal Culture of Jaunsar Bawar and its Tourism Potential: A Case Study -Mr. Vinod Negi, Asst. Professor, AIHM, Haldwani

Man has always wanted to explore. Explorations lead to discoveries and discoveries create utility. This describes the basic structure of any scientific and social discovery, also of a utilitarian configuration. Tourism is a fundamental activity that fits into this construction of man’s wandering desires and creates a functional plan of action for consequent economic and social actions. This paper explores the tourism scope in a stunningly beautiful region of Uttarakhand--- “Jaunsar Bawar”. Touching on various categories like cultural tourism, rural tourism, tribal tourism and responsible tourism we have studied in great detail the geography, lifestyle, folk traditions and festivals of the area.

After an in-depth report and documentation on the region we have tried to analyze the problems in the light of tourism. It is one of the most low profile areas of the state, even though it offers the most fascinating stories and traditions. The community is closed and still tribal in nature. We have suggested proper planning, policy making and policy implementation measures for a growth in infrastructure and tourism. Above all, the state Tourism department and the local population of Jaunsar Bawar need to work hand in hand in order to preserve and showcase the unique and rich culture of the land. This and more can cause the tourism phenomenon to enter this tranquil land.

Keywords: Tribal tourism, Cultural tourism, Jaunsar Bawar, Garhwal, Mythology

INTRODUCTION The Jaunsar Bawar is a hilly tribal region 85km from Mussoorie, in Chakrata tehsil, in Dehradun district. It is inhabited by the two prominent tribes, Jaunsar the lower half, while the snow clad upper region called Bawar which includes the “Kharamba peak” (3084mts) that trace their origin to the Pandavas, the central characters of the Mahabharata.

They are a unique tribal community because of the fact that they have remained cut off from the external world for centuries, leading to the retention of their unique culture and traditions.

Jaunsar Bawar is spread over 1002 sqkms and has 400 villages. The village population consists of a number of groups, namely the Khasis, artisan classes, Koltas and Bajgis. The Khasis comprise of Brahmins and Rajputs.

The Khasis of Jaunsar Bawar have evolved a practical mode of Polyandrous matrimony. In their tradition when the eldest brother marries a girl, she automatically becomes a common wife

of the rest of the brothers. If a brother is a minor, he may later marry another girl to match his age. Thus, both polygamy and polyandry have got mixed up and some scholars call it “polygynandry”.

The people of Jaunsar Bawar (upper Dehradun district) and Rawain (present day Uttarkashi) are distinct from their Garhwali neighbors in their styles of dressing and unique cultural practices.

Jaunsaris are also famous for their colorful clothes and festivals. Modes of livelihood in this region are agriculture and animal husbandry. Milk, wool and meat are an integral part of the local economy. Jaunsar Bawar is the place where even today people don’t lock their houses and if somebody is left behind in completing any farming activity then all the other villagers help them in order to celebrate their little festival. Important aspects of their culture are the festivals, temples, folk dances and songs. Some of the important cultural attractions for tourists in the Jaunsar Bawar region are (a) The festivals of Jaunsar Bawar region like Megh mela, Bissu fair, Lakhawar fair. (b) Lakhamandal, Hanol temple built in the Huna architectural style, Ashoka edict. (c) The folk dances and songs associated with the festivals like Baradi Nati, Harul, Mandawana.

These cultural attractions are quite popular among the tribes residing in the Jaunsar Bawar region. But for the rest of the world these cultural attractions are unknown. Hence these cultural attractions have huge potential to be promoted for the tourists who are always in the hunt of exploring new culture and thus helping Jaunsar Bawar to emerge as an important cultural tourist destination.

GEOGAPHICAL DESCRIPTION The Jaunsar Bawar is a tribal valley, spread over 1002sqkms and 400 villages in Chakrata tehsil of Dehradun district. It lies between 7745’and 787’20” East to 30.31’and 31.3’3 north. It is defined in the East, by the river Yamuna and by river Tons in the West, the Northern part comprises Uttarkashi district and some parts of Himachal Pradesh. The Dehradun tehsil forms its southern periphery.

Geologically the Jaunsar Bawar region comes under two divisions, i.e. Siwalik in the south and the lesser Himalayas (outer and inner) in the north. The whole region consists entirely of mountain tracts. The altitude ranges from 405m to 3071m, where temperate and climate is cold in higher elevations while lower river valleys of Tons and Yamuna are quite hot. Coniferous forests are in the higher elevations and broad leafed forests are in the lower parts in the region.

The average rainfall is about 175cm. Jaunsar Bawar region is also known for its rich reserves of

forested areas in the higher hills with trees of Deodar, Pine and Spruce making it an important location for procuring timber since the British period.

Location of Jaunsar Bawar in Uttarakhand (india) Co-ordinates State District(s) Population Area

30,75’N77,83’E Uttarakhand Dehradun 7,497(2011) 2,118m(6949ft)

IMPORTANT FEATURES OF JAUNSAR BAWAR CULTURE SOCIAL STATS (2010) Number of Households Total population Population growth Density of population(per hect) Literacy rate(%) Ratio (/1000male) Percentage of workers

30.0 356.0 8.9 2.5 35.8 934.0 56.6

(1) Polygamy,Polyandry and some important facts:- The culture of the Jaunsari tribe is distinct from other hill tribes in Garhwal , Kumaon and Himachal Pradesh, a fact demonstrated by the presence of polygamy and polyandry in the local traditions, a fact which is often associated with the five pandava brothers in the Mahabharata, marrying Draupadi, whom the Jaunsaris trace link ethnic origin with. The village population in Jaunsar Bawar is multi-caste which forms into groups, namely the Khasis, Koltas, Bajgis, Artisan class (Sunar, Lohar) and religious servicemen and magicians (Jagra and Nath).

The Khasis comprise of Brahmins and Rajputs. The Khasis of Jaunsar Bawar have evolved a practical mode of Polyandrous matrimony. Among them,when the elder brother marries a girl, she automatically becomes a common wife of the rest of the brothers. If a brother is a minor, he may later marry another girl to match his age. Thus, both Polygamy and Polyandry have got mixed up and some scholars call it “ Polygynandry”.

The Jaunsaris are well known for their Polyandrous family system, which is far more complete than any other similar system. The ‘high castes’ of Jaunsar Bawar, Brahmins as well as Rajputs, lived in joint families where all the brothers married together, and had one or more wives in common, instead of having separate wives. The elder brother was the controller of all the brothers. It was he who married the wife or wives and through him that his brothers had access to the common wives. The wives as well as the children were common to all brothers, but the tradition prescribed that it was only the elder

brother who married all the wives and it is he who was regarded as the ‘social’ father of all children born out of such Polyandrous unions. Even in the case when a younger brother was very much younger, so that a separate wife was taken for him, it was the elder brother who married the woman. He commanded full authority on this young bride.

As a rule, all the family members abided by the traditional pattern of behavior and obeyed the patriarch in the family. Children were loved by all their fathers, as well as their mothers and stepmothers and they were dependable working members of the family.

In fraternal Polyandry, the wife comes to live with a group of husbands in their house. In matriarchal or maternal form, she remains in her own house and her husband or husbands come to live by turn as casual visitors. Property, under the fraternal type of Polyandry passes from father to son or sons, while in the maternal form, the woman or her parents/ guardians own the Property and pass it on to successors in the uterine line.

The local people believe that Polyandry is necessary for the security of family property.

As per the common belief, Polyandry in Jaunsar- Bawar has been reinforced by the mythology of the Pandavas from whom the locals trace their origin. Polyandry is belived to have been a widely practiced form of marital relationship. Divorce is a common instance in the culture and can be initiated by either side. The great frequency of divorce and remarriage does not carry any social stigma. In an ordinary Hindu family, remarriage of a widow or divorce used to be unthinkable, but in Jaunsar-Bawar, divorce as well as remarriage of a widow, were common practice, even among high castes such as Brahmins and Rajputs

(2) CLOTHING:- Jaunsaris are fond of fancy and gaudy clothes; they are among the best dressed people in the Uttarakhand Himalayas. Most of the Clothes needed are Woolens, as cotton clothes may only be used for two & three months. Jaunsari men folk wear Chola, Jhangel, Safa, Snow Shoes and a Gandhi cap. The women dress up in Ghaghra, Kurti,Dhantu and a Khilka.

(3) FOLK SONGS:- The folk songs of Jaunsar- Bawar can be broadly categorized into several sections: (a) Divine songs: These songs are generally sung at a “Jaagar”. This is a ritualistic gathering of the members of a family, to propitiate the deity of their clan and seek his blessings in resolving their difficulties and feuds. E.g Dev Raso Nritya. (b) Auspicious songs:- These songs are meant for various functions and celebrations like births, christenings, thread ceremonies, marriages etc (c) Religious songs:- These include a few songs especially sung at “ Jaagars” in the praise of Hindu gods and local deities. Some others have been found to be related to the legendary Pandavas of the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, e.g. Mandawana.

(d) Heroic song:- These recount the tales of battles and Heroic deeds of local Kings and Lords; or those of victories of deities over evil spirits or demons. (e) Ghost songs:- The people of Jaunsar Bawar believe in spirits. There are magical songs for ghosts, fairies and the spirits of those people whose last rites were not properly performed.

(4) FOLK DANCES:- The folk dances of the Jaunsar Bawar region are as follows:a. Baradi Nati:- Baradi Nati is a popular group folk dance and song in Jaunsar Bawar region. It is a regular feature during festivals and social events. It is performed in the month of Magh (14th January to 13th February) during the spring season. The human body becomes energetic because of spring season and the villagers arrange the dance and song parties at night. In Baradi, the male dances by keeping hands on other’s lower back in half a circle and goes forward and backwards by two to three steps. Inside the half circle, the singers and the musicians play dhol (drums) damau, turahi and algoza with enthusiasm and energy. The sounds of these instruments and the liveliness, vivacity, and cheerfulness of the atmosphere attract the female dancers to come forward making half circles in similar patterns as those of the males. The energetic dances of male fellows pave the path to metaphorically breaking the vow of celibacy. So, there are two circles of dancers. The male curses the gods for their blindness because the colorful dresses of females are so attractive, eye-catching, and gorgeous that the observer of celibacy feels tempted to not stay a brahmachari anymore. It is said that the deities wait for months to come to Earth from Heaven to take the pleasure of Baradi dance.

BARADI DANCE

b. Dev Raso Nritya:- This dance is performed in the honour of Gods and Goddesses on religious occasions. While songs are sung by both men and women, the dancers are essentially men. c. Harul Dance:- This dance is also performed in the honour of Gods and Goddesses on religious occasions in the Jaunsar Bawar region.

HARUL DANCE d. Mandawana:- Mandawana is a popular folk dance of the Jaunsaris. This dance is performed in the honour of Gods during the Dubbadi festival. The whole village celebrates the festival with prayers, religious songs, and giving away alms. Not only the village folks in and outside but also relatives, friends, guests from all the neighbouring villages participate in the celebration to add to the glory of the event.

(5) FESTIVALS AND MELAS:- An important aspect of the Jaunsar Bawar culture is a line of festivals like Magh festival, Bissu, Nunal, Mond, Dubbadi, Lakhawar mela, Hanol mela, etc. The festivals and melas of Jaunsar Bawar region are: a. Magh Festival: Magh Festival is the biggest festival of the winter season of Jaunsar Bawar. It starts in the middle of January (14 th January) and goes on till the end of February. During this festival, animals (goats) are sacrificed in the white winter month to mark the beginning of Maroj. The Jaunsaris in the Mehravana village, about 150km from Dehradun are more than happy to welcome visitors to witness the festival of animal sacrifice. Once slaughtered goats are taken home, dogs feast on the leftovers. The meat is cut into pieces and wrapped, to be sent to the married daughters called ‘banta’. After the feast is shared with the whole village, the leftovers are hung- dried and stored to be eaten the year round. Legend has it that the celebrations began after an ogre called Maroj whose fear stalked the region was killed. b. Bissu Festival: Bissu is an important spring festival. It marks the harvesting season in the area and reflects the happiness of the local people. It is an intra Khat festival. It is held at the Jhanda ground in cantonment area of Chakrata block of the Dehradun district. It is

about 3km from Chakrata. It reflects the cultural heritage and tradition of Jaunsari tribe. A large number of people turn up from closey by Tehri, Uttarkashi and Saharanpur district.

BISSU FESTIVAL c.

Nunai festival: An annual festival in honour of Shilguru, the god of sheep is held in the month of Sravana (August) in Jaunsar Bawar region of Dehradun. This festival is generally known as Nunai, such as is held at Baila and Jadi. At Lohari, the festival is known as Shemiat and is held on the first day of Sravana, usually just a few days before the Nunai is held in Jadi.

d. Dubbadi: Dubbadi festival is held in the Mundhan village in the Jaunsar Bawar. It is the sole village in the entire Jaunsar Bawar where this festival is held. Dubbadi comes towards the end of the rainy season and signals ripening of crops readying them for harvesting. The festival has its own unique characteristics and has been able to generate a lot of enthusiasm and interest.

The whole village celebrates the festival with prayers, alms giving and religious songs and dance “MANDAWANA�.

a. Lakhawar Mela: Lakhawar fair is a village fair, held throughout the months of September and October and is very well liked in the neighbouring area of Chakrata, 78 km from Mussoorie. The fair reflects the customs and traditions of the tribes of Jaunsar Bawar .The activities include cultural programmes and sport competitions.

IMPORTANT PLACES OF CULTURAL ATTRACTION FOR TOURISTS

Jaunsar bawar is one of the hidden jewels of Uttarakhand. It is blessed with natural splendors, diverse flora and fauna. It has very important historical and cultural sites which are the major attractions for tourists. Some of the important places of cultural attraction for tourist in the region are as follows: 1. Lakhamandal: Past Kempty fall, 75km on the Mussoorie-Yamnotri road lies Lakhamandal, on the bank of Yamuna at a distance of 35kms from Chakrata and 128kms from Dehradun. It has both historical and mythological significance as it figures prominently in the annals of Mahabharata. Legend has it that the Kauravas made a shelter house and conspired to burn the Pandavas alive here. In order to set them on fire, the Kauravas built ‘laksha graha’ (palace of shellac). The Pandavas, however escaped unscathed and were saved by the power of the Shakti. Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati are the embodiments of Shakti.

It is called Lakhamandal because there are lakhs of statues and idols of various Hindu gods and goddess placed inside and outside the temples. There are two attractive 5ft tall idols in stone of Arjun and Bhim. The idols of Bhrama, Vishnu and Mahesh along with Shiva and Parvati are also situated here. The idols are believed to belong to the of 8 thand 10th centuries AD. There are many caves around the temples, where the Pandavas are supposed to have taken shelter as per Hindu scriptures and mythology. Excavations are still in process and are revealing ancient artefacts, like half excavated Shivaling. Behind the main temple is a “shining” Shivaling; when one pours water on it, it become brilliantly shiny and one can see one’s own reflection in it.

There is a place called ‘Lakhi ban’ on the banks of the Yamuna with thick jungle covering an area of 15acres. It is believed that if anyone enters this lakhi ban, he cannot find a way to come out. However there is a pond in the centre which can be seen by a lucky man only, as per belief of the people of the area.

The Lakhamandal temple displays the richness of Jaunsar Bawar culture, history and heritage.

LAKHMANDAL TEMPLE

1. Hanol: Hanol is a small village about 15kms ahead of Tuni, located on the bank of Tons river. It has the 9thcentury stone temple dedicated to lord Shiva, known here as Mahasu Devata.

Legend has it that a man eating demon stayed at Hanol. He was a terror for everyone and created a lot of destruction. Later, at the request of the villager, he agreed to eat one person per day. So, one person was sent to him every day from nearby villages.

Then Uma Bhatt, a bhramin staying in Mandrath came in the picture and brought a change. He had 7 sons and started sending them one by one. When the turn of the 7 th son came, he could no longer take it. He worshiped Shiva with all his heart and soul. Shivaji was impressed by the man’s dedication and decided to help him. He directed Deolari Devi, one of his woman devotees to help the man. On hearing the man’s story, he requested her four sons to go to Mandrath in search of the demon. They found the demon in Hanol, surrounded him from all sides and after a battle lasting several days, killed him. Deolari Devi asked the man to plough his field, on doing which he discovered four shivalings, subsequently named Mahasu, Pavasi, Vasik and Chalda, after the four sons.

The villagers rejoiced at this and built temple for the four brothers. Mahasu Devata’s temple is in Hanol; Pavasi Devata’s temple is just across the Tons river in Hanol on top of a small hillock.

Vasik Devata’s temple is a 40 km trek up the mountain from Pavasi’s temple, while Chalda Devata’s temple is a 2km trek from Tuni.

HANOL DANCE 1. Ashoka pillar rock edict at Kalsi: Kalsi is 42km away in the north west of Chakrata. Kalsi is of great historical importance because of Ashoka edicts which were discovered at this place. The empire of Ashoka extended from Bengal to Afghanistan with Patliputra as its capital. After his war in Kalinga, Ashoka embraced Buddhism because of mass destruction of human life. He sent his messengers to different parts of

the world to preach peace, love and brotherhood and to that end he set edicts on rocks for the benefit of the people. One such edict at Kalsi is made of quartz which is 10ft tall and 8ft broad.

‘Gajottam’ (means the most excellent elephant) is inscribed on the right side of the rock.

The inscription is in Pali language. In 1912, a dome was built here to protect and preserve the edict. It is believed that Kalsi must have been the capital of Raja Virat who provided shelter to Pandavas during their exile.

1. Lord mahasu temple at Lakhawar: The Lord Mahasu temple at Lakhawar has a grand structure, containing a hall on the ground floor, an overlooking circular balcony on the first floor opening to both the hall inside and a view of the temple ground outside. The seats of the deities on the top floor are on either sides of the temple leaving enough space for devotees to queue up in between after the first darshan. There are spacious and separate stairs to enter and exit. The temple samiti has done a great job in planning, arranging men and material, and monetary resources in building this grand temple.

LORD MAHASU TEMPLE

The Dussehra Paryatan Mela at Lakhawar occupies a unique cultural display in the Jaunsar bawar region. It signifies progressive character and unity and is trend setting in many ways for the whole of jaunsar bawar hilly and tribal area. The lord Mahasu’s tharan (seat) at lakhawar adds to the attraction of Dussehra . Lord Mahasu comes out of the temple sancta-sanctorum for darshan of the palkis by the general public. Amid the chants of “Mahasu Maharaj ki jai” the palki of Lord Mahasu comes out and the palki of Lord Chalda follows suit. The followers, each trying to outdo others in offering their shoulders to the palkis or atleast being able to touch them, while they are taken around the temple ground to the dedicated beat/ rhythms become a part of the ritual with full enthusiasm.

2. Jagatram

It is situated 45km from Chakrata near Kalsi. The excavation of this place revealed that an ‘Ashwamegha yagya’ (the ritual of horse sacrifice) was performed here in 3 rd century AD by king ‘Sil Verman’ to prove his power, who was then regarded as Yugeshwara (lord of the age).

Some large bricks which were found in 1953 in this area, resembling those referred to in ‘Yajurveda’ prove that Vedas dealt with not only myths but also the facts of history.

1. Duryodhan temple at Jakhol: Jakhol is located at a distance of 20 km from Mori and here is situated a temple of Duryodhan.

These temples don’t have an idol to worship but on the kar-ki-dun trek route, there is an idol of the lord and this place is treated as a seat of divinity.

2. Netwar: Netwar is located 11km from Mori, at the point of confluence of the Rupin gad with the river Tons. Here is located a magnificent temple which is dedicated to Karna. The Jaunsar Bawar is probably the only region where Duryodhan, the anti hero in the epic of Mahabharata is adored and one can find beautifully architectured wooden temples devoted to Duryodhan and his allies.

3. Chakrata: Chakrata is an old cantonment town which is 92 km from Dehradun and 74km from Mussorie. It is situated between the two hills Chakrata and Kailna in the heart of Jaunsar Bawar. Chakrata has a very famous “chinta harna temple”. It is a Shiva temple and as the name suggests prayers here help to get rid of all your worries. The access of foreigners to military cantonments of Chakrata is restricted. For visiting Chakrata, foreigners have to obtain a permit from the commandant 22 force c/o 56 APO. 4. Attractive sports and cultural event: There are many sports and cultural events associated with the different festivals and fairs that take place in the Jaunsar Bawar region. During the Lakhawar mela, the major attractions for the tourists are sports and cultural events.

Volley-ball has been one of the important sports during the mela, along with local sports like kabbadi. No wonder sports competitions held on Dussehra at Lakhwar have been one of the important ones in the entire region for decades. International sports like chess and badminton among other have also become quite popular, attracting players from Chakrata, Vikas nagar and Dehradun, Sharanpur etc. There have been occasions when teams even from Delhi have participated. Hence due to this fact, the area in and around Lakhawar khat have produced several important sports persons who have brought laurels at local and national level.

Most often during the festivals and fairs, matches between villages are played by teams of the god and if the match is won, the trophy is give to the god!! Thus the unique feature of jaunsar bawar temple is the hanging of trophies on the walls of temples.

The cultural events include enacting Ram Lila or a play in the evening on different days. The stand up comedians and voluntary local dancers and singers make up for variety and laughter.

During these events, traditional songs are sung and dances are performed in order to entertain the gathering. Sometimes cultural evenings also have performances from celebrated musical troupes and artists. They are invited from as far as Himachal Pradesh and Garhwal besides the famous popular ones from Jaunsar Bawar to perform for a gala evening on two days, the Dussehra and the day before.

The event is also unique as it witnesses the participation of girls and ladies in joining the male folks from nearby villages of Gadol, Rampur, Singor, Chillad, Bhadou, Dabra etc. The girls and especially ladies rarely go to other villages for fairs and other celebrations in the Jaunsar Bawar area. In this way the practice here sets an example for other villages towards providing equality to woman. Apart from the nearby villages the relatives and acquaintances from several villages in Garhwal also visit in large numbers for the cultural events.

Thus these spots and cultural events send a strong message of gratitude, equity, warmth & sharing cultural links with the roots. It also showcases how girls and women too can be given a better place in the society.

STATUS OF TOURISM: THE PRESENT SCENARIO Jaunsar Bawar is a hilly tribal region. The inhabitants of the area are a unique tribal community because of the fact that they have remained cut off from the external world for centuries, leading to the retention of their unique culture and traditions.

It offers a panoramic view, natural beauty, varied flora fauna, and the most important are the monuments, temples in the region which date back to the Mahabharata era, thus retaining the history and culture of that era.

Currently, the following places and events are very popular amongst the tourists.

(1) KALSI- LAKHAMANDAL TREK :This is a culture trek in the Jaunsar Bawar region between the holy rivers of Yamuna and Tons. The villages along this trek are worth seeing culturally and architecturally.

Clustered houses with tiled roofs to match the environment form a scenic view.

Historically this trek has its own antique significance. At Kalsi, one can witness the rock inscriptions of the Ashoka. At Birat Khoi there is an epic fort in ruins now. Then at Lakhamandal, there are ruins of the ancient temples.

KALSI- LAKHMANDAL TREKKING ROUTE PLACE

POINT TO POINT DISTANCE RUNNING IN Kms DISTANCE

Mussoorie (2004m)

--------------

--------------

Kuwa (1090m)

69 by motor

69

Kuwa (1090m)

69 by motor

69

Goraghati (2310m)

12 Trek

81

Dungyara (1608m)

16 Trek

97

Chaurani (2180m)

17 Trek

114

Birat Khai (3080m)

Strek

119

Kalsi (850m)

22 Trek

141

Facilities at “Kalsi – lakhamandal trek” a) Package tours (round the year trek): Gahrwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd., a public sector organisation under the Uttarakhand government offers a deluxe coach for packages tours to Kalsi – Laakhamandal trek. Tour guides are also made available for this package. b) Government accommodation :- The following types of accommodations are available 1. CPWD rest house (new ) 2. CPWD rest house (OLD ) 3. FOREST REST / GUEST HOUSE 4. GREEN HUT IRRIGATION DEPARTMENT Some highlights of this accommodation are : 1. Types of rooms: - deluxe, family suite, dormitory and huts.

2. Total number of beds :- 84 (subject to change) 3. Designed as per budget and focus on eco-tourism cottages.

Kalsi : The Ashoka pillar rock edict built in 350 BC at Kalsi represent the post war fare era when king Ashoka converted himself to Buddhism . There are Dak Bunglows , Forest rest houses/ Guest houses at Kalsi which provide decent accommodation for tourists . Foreign tourists are allowed only upto Kalsi.

Lakhamandal : Lakhamandal is the spot where a Shellac house was built by the Kauravas to burn alive the Pandavas. There are lakhs of statues and idols of various Hindu gods and goddesses placed inside and outside the temple. Since, it has plenty of relics of archaeological value; the ASI (Archaelogical Survey of India) has taken over the temple for research, care, preservation and maintenance. Finding accommodation at Lakhamandal is difficult as there are

no dak bungalows or Forest rest houses. There are hotels which are situated at a considerable amount of distance from Lakhamandal.

Chakrata : Chakrata has a very famous “Chinta Haran Temple�. The access of foreigners to military cantonment of Chakrata is restricted. For visiting Chakrata, foreigners have to obtain a permit from the commandant 22 Force c/o 56 APO. The best accommodations in Chakrata are the Forest Guest Houses, located all over the place. Middle range hotels like Hotel Snow View, Hotel Himalayan Paradise also provide accommodations in the town. Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam has two guest houses about 100 kms away from Chakrata city in Hanol and Arakot.

Hanol : Hanol has the 9th century stone temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, known here as Mahasu Devta at an altitude of 1429 mtrs. The temple was constructed in Huna architectural style initially but over the ages, acquired a mixed style. The only place to stay in Hanol is the GMVN guest house. It has five reasonably comfortable rooms and a dormitory.

Lakhawar : The Lord Mahasu Temple at Lakhawar is an epitome of modern architecture.

Dussehra celebrations at Lakhwar with palki darshan of Lord Mahasu are of great cultural importance in the region. Large crowd of devotees from various parts throng during Dussehra to be a part of the grand celebration. There are dharamshalas available for accommodation at Lakhawar.

POSSIBILITIES OF CULTURAL TOURISM As Jaunsar bawar is a hilly area where Jaunsari tribes have been existing for hundreds of years.

These tribes have their own culture in terms of folk dances, songs, festivals, temples and monuments, sports during culture events which are quite popular among themselves, but for the rest of the world these cultural events and dances are unknown and that’s why these have huge potential to be promoted for the tourists who are always in the hunt of exploring new cultures.

Cultural Tourism has a special place in jaunsar Bawar because of its past civilization. Among the various motivating factors governing travel to Jaunsar Bawar, its cultural is undoubtedly the most important. For any foreigner a visit to Jaunsar Bawar must have a profound cultural impact and in its broader sense tourism in Jaunsar Bawar involves quite a large content of cultural contact.

Cultural tourism plays a major part in increasing national as well as international good will and understanding. There are many archaeological and historical monuments scattered throughout Jaunsar Bawar which provide opportunities to learn about ancient history and culture. According to a survey undertaken by the pacific Area travel Association, 54% of the tourists enjoy their stay because of the beautiful creations of man-temples, heritage monuments and their art and architecture.

Music, dance and festivals, i.e Folk music (songs), folk dance and festivals i.e Folk music (songs), folk dance and festivals are also very important aspects of cultural tourism. The folk songs, dances and festivals become the primary attraction for large numbers of domestic as well as foreign tourists.

Those cultural attractions need to be exploited so that the domestic as well as foreign tourists could have an opportunity to witness the performance of professional dancers and musicians.

Also the cultural events and sports associated with the festivals have an enormous scope for attracting tourists for cultural tourism.

WHY PROMOTION OF JAUNSAR CULTURE It is important to know the reasons for promoting the culture of Jaunsar Bawar:

Social Reasons

Promotion

Economic Reasons

Promotion and Attraction

Environmental Conservation

One of the most overt results of promotion of a destination is that of encouraging cultural exchanges among different groups of people and introducing festivals, sports, its culture and environment to people from different parts of the world, both domestic and international.

Elimination of misconception, development of good image can assure positive results for the respective destination which has yet to prove its identity as an ideal or sacred location for cultural tourism. In short, the geographical reasons are helpful in development of cultural tourism.

Apart from this, there are few important reasons that need to be mentioned. The major constraints associated with cultural tourism are as follows: a. Seasonality. b. Accommodation.

c. Transportation.

CONCLUSION Uttarakhand today is a lavish melody of various communities. Among these, the tribes of Uttarakhand hold an important place as they are the original natives of the land.

Major tribes of Uttarakhand are the Jaunsaris residing in the Jaunsar Bawar region. They are the largest tribe in terms of population and having a rich and unique culture in terms of temples, festivals, folk dances etc.

Jaunsar Bawar region is still not recognized and preferred as one of the important Cultural tourist destinations .The festivals of jaunsar Bawar region like Magh Mela, Bissau etc folk dances and songs like Baradi Nati, Harul and temples such as Lakhamandal, Hanol etc are not famous among the domestic as well as international tourists and these are not even promoted by the Uttarakhand Tourism Department. The efforts taken up by Tourism departments and other Key players like GMVN are not enough to ensure tourist inflow in the region.

Cultural Tourism today is on the boom as more tourists are interested in understanding the culture of different areas and educating them. Hence by proper planning, implementation and by the mutual co-operation of Tourism Department and local public, Jaunsar Bawar can emerge as one of important Cultural tourist destinations in future and can have the following future advantages. (a) Good inflow of tourist arrival in Uttarakhand. (b) Increase in state revenue by promoting cultural tourism in the jaunsar Bawar region. (c) Employment generation. (d) Economic stability to local people.

References: Books:    

Bisht, B.S. (2006), Tribes of Uttaranchal Bisht, D.S. (Maj.) (2001), Guide to Garhwal & Kumaon Hills Jain, Madhu (1995), The Abode of Mahashiva.

Joshi, M.D. (2010), Know your State.

     

Kohli, M.S. (2002), Mountains of India: Tourism, Adventure, Pilgrimage Pande, Ashok (2004), Uttarakhand- A Cultural Kaleidoscope.

Rana . J. P. S (Maj.) (2004), Jaunsar Bawar Darshan.

Sahu, Chaturbhuj (2006), Aspects of Tribal Studies.

Tyagi, Nutan (1991), Hill resorts of U.P Himalayas.

Zeitzen, Mirian (2008), Polygamy- A cross- Cultural analysis.

Websites:     

www.garhwalhimalayas.com www.ghutiuttarakhand.blogspot.com www.gmvl.com www.jaunsarbawardelhi.net www.uttarakhandtourism.gov.in