Ranikhet – a few new Eco-tourism destinations (Forest Healing Center)

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Ranikhet – a few new Eco-destinations
(Forest Healing Center)

The entry gate of the Forest Healing Center

            I have posted several blogs in the past about the various tourist destinations in Ranikhet, although they too did not contain details in respect of all the destinations, but only the major attractions.  Since these blogs were posted a long time ago, in case some of the readers missed out on them, I am providing a link to my blogs –

i)                   Ranikhet, ‘The Meadow of the Queen’ revisited (2012) - https://ghummakar-biswas.blogspot.com/2013/03/ranikhet-meadow-of-queen-revisited.html

ii)                 Ranikhet – the Queen’s meadow (A photo essay) (2013) –

https://ghummakar-biswas.blogspot.com/2012/04/ranikhet-queens-meadow-photo-essay.html

     However, of late Ranikhet is being developed as an eco-tourism destination and in this series the first such center to be developed by the Almora Forest Division is the ‘Forest healing center’ in Kalika, Ranikhet.  Inaugurated on the 7^th of March, 2021 by the Research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department, this center is spread over an area of 13 Acres of pre-dominantly Pine and mixed forest areas.  The Chief Conservator of Forest (Research) of Uttarakhand, Sh. Sanjiv Chaturvedi while addressing the Press during inauguration ceremony stated - ''It draws inspiration from Japanese technique of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) and ancient Indian traditions and that basic theme is, be silent, go slow, think less and feel more." – here is the link to the news item regarding the inauguration of the said site - India's first forest healing center inaugurated in Uttarakand's Ranikhet - https://www.hindustantimes.com/environment/indias-first-forest-healing-centre-inaugurated-in-uttrakand-s-ranikhet-101615184202227.html

The direction board at main road junction of Kalika temple

A Instruction panel inside the Forest Healing Center

An information panel inside the Forest Healing Center

            Now let us try and understand the Japanese concept of ‘Shirin yoku’, it literally means as – ‘Shirin’ is Forest and ‘yoku’ is bathing.  Forest bathing concept—basically means just being in the presence of tree and it became part of a national public health program in Japan in 1982.  Nature appreciation—picnicking en-masse under the cherry blossoms, for example—is a national pastime in Japan.  From 2004 to 2012, Japanese officials spent about $4 million dollars studying the physiological and psychological effects of forest bathing, designating 48 therapy trails based on the results. Qing Li, a professor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, measured the activity of human natural killer (NK) cells in the immune system before and after exposure to the woods. These cells provide rapid responses to viral-infected cells and respond to tumor formation, and are associated with immune system health and cancer prevention. In a 2009 study, Li’s subjects showed significant increases in NK cell activity in the week after a forest visit, and positive effects lasted a month following each weekend in the woods. This is due to various essential oils, generally called phytoncide, found in wood, plants, and some fruit and vegetables, which trees emit to protect themselves from germs and insects. Forest air doesn’t just feel fresher and better—inhaling phytoncide seems to actually improve immune system function and positive effects lasted a month following each weekend in the woods.  This is due to various essential oils, generally called phytoncide, found in wood, plants, and some fruit and vegetables, which trees emit to protect themselves from germs and insects. Forest air doesn’t just feel fresher and better—inhaling phytoncide seems to actually improve immune system function.

Types of phytoncides

α-pinene

d-limonene

β-pinene

sabinene

myrcene

camphene

A representative image of the impact of the various phytoncides on our body
(sourced from the internet)

Therefore, conceptually forest bathing is a slow process, for example to discover the answer, masters do nothing but meditate in forests to gain illumination. Forest bathing works in a similar manner, just be with the trees and let the phytoncides interact at the molecular levels in the human cells.  No hiking, no counting steps on a Fitbit but imbuing the essence slow and steady.  You can sit or meander, but the focus point is to relax rather than accomplish anything.  Activities associated with the Forest Healing Center thus, involves many activities like forest walking, tree-hugging, forest meditation and sky gazing.  The trail in the Forest Healing Center, Kalika, Ranikhet has also been designed as such, so that people visiting this destination can sit in leisure and have a slow walk inside, with wooden platforms and canopies built for resting and rejuvenating and this helps in healing of both the mind and the body.  A must visit destination for the nature lovers and a brilliant initiative of the Forest Department, Almora for this futuristic endeavor in the country.

An observation cum resting 'Machan' erected inside the Forest Healing Center

Another informative board inside the Forest Healing Center

A informative bulleting about 'Chipko movement' inside the Forest Healing Centre

Here is a link to a short video of the destination -

© S Roy Biswas