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

 

Visiting Ranikhet again after a long hiatus (Journey through a new route via Chimtakhal)

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Visiting Ranikhet again after a long hiatus

(Journey through a new route via Chimtakhal)

After a long journey - taking a short break

             I used to visit Ranikhet region to take care of my property every few months, whenever my engagements with work permitted.  However, during the previous year, due to the Corona pandemic, I could visit village Badankhet/Timila only in November, 2020 during the entire year.  So in order to keep my track record of the blog continuing in 2021, I had posted about this trip in January, 2021 and that was the only blog that I could post last year.  As I myself got afflicted with Corona in March end/early April, 2021 and the continued lockdowns and stringent measure in force, I could only visit my village again in end of October in 2021.  With the advent of newer Corona strain spreading its wings, I am posting this blog in January, 2022 to atleast keep the yearly tab filled albeit the fact that this time around I did go around a bit and will be posting a few more blogs in this series.

Distribution of rainfall during the disaster in October, 2021 (sourced from web)

Devastation caused by the rains during October, 2021 in Naintal (sourced from the internet)

            After the curbs imposed by Uttarakhand Government were eased to some extent, coupled with the fact that our family had got itself double vaccinated, I decided to visit my home in village Badankhet/Timila in end of October, 2021 as most of the official engagements had been rounded up for the time being.  We were getting ready for the journey, after being struck in our home for about a year in Delhi, we were very excited about the intended trip, sans our kids who had decided to stay put in Delhi because one of them was busy with his online job and the other with online classes, internet accessibility being a problem in the village home.  However, news started trickling in from the late evening of 18^th October, 2021 about incessant rains hitting the Kumaon region hard and by the next day, it had attained alarming proportions akin to 2013 calamity in Garhwal region i.e. when Kedarnath tragedy took place.  By the time the rains slowly relented by late evening of 20^th October, 2021 and a clearer picture emerged the next day i.e. 21^st October, 2021 it could be seen that Nainital district of Kumaon region was the worst affected (I have placed a graphical representation sourced from the internet) and most of the roads etc. in the Kumaon region were very badly affected.  All the tourists and trade routes had been devastated and it would take months to rebuild.  Only the State Highway route running from Ranikhet to Ramnagar/Corbett, across my village, remained the only source of road communication that linked the hills to the plains below.  We had become apprehensive about our trip that was to commence on the 25^th of October, 2021 because of the road conditions.  After talking to few locals over telephone we were informed that instead of the usual route running from Delhi-Ghaziabad-Moradabad-Ramnagar-Mohan-Totam-Bhatraujkhan-Ranikhet, we were required to divert our route a little by diverting towards Marchula just before Mohan and take to the roads towards Chimtakhal (before reaching Marchula) and travel through some small nondescript villages before reaching Bhatraujkhan via Machor.(here is the link to the news about the devastating floods - News report about the floods in Uttarakhand in October, 2021)

Passing through some pristine nature

Mobile signal towers now perched even in remote villages

             Not being familiar with this new route, although the road upto Ramnagar and a little way beyond it would be the same, but thereafter we were totally unaware of the road conditions etc., hence we started very early in the morning from Delhi.  Part of the journey has been covered by me in the video that is embedded below in the blog.  The road conditions were excellent, as travelling after a year, we found that most of the flyovers etc. that had been under construction during the journey during the previous year had been completed and we went past Ghaziabad in a jiffy.  Earlier, the Ghaziabad part was a real headache, as traffic, especially two-wheelers would travel on the opposite direction on the roads, thereby making the passage narrower and consequently leading to huge traffic jams.  But it had become a thing of the past, but a new issue awaited us on the Highway, it was compulsory use of ‘Fast tag’ to be affixed on the Car, for smooth passage across various toll plazas maintained by the NHAI on these roads.  After waiting for about half an hour, we were able to get the ‘Fast tag’ affixed and thereafter, the journey was smooth.  We reached Gajraula well in time for B’fast at Bikanerwala and proceeded ahead with our journey.  The road till Moradabad crossing of the National Highway is in prime shape, but thereafter it is a mess till one reaches Thakudwara and this portion consumed a lot to time.  Thereafter, we again got struck in a jam at Kashipur due to construction of a flyover in the township and apparently very little progress has been made, since my last visit a year ago.  However, after having gone past this irritant, we crossed Ramnagar smoothly and just before Mohan we turned left towards Marchula and this road leads towards Pauri Gharwal via Manila.  The road though narrower, passes through some really nice landscape, with very few vehicles, but is bereft of facilities like food joints etc.  The road takes a U-turn from Chimtakhal and passes through nondescript villages like Godiyon-Kankot-Toliyun-Khabli-Burjangarhi till it joins the earlier taken road just before Machor village.  This road is about 14-16 Kms. longer than the normal route through Mohan and Totam and hence it took us about an hour longer to reach our home than usual.  It was late in the evening that we reached home and after having an early dinner, we retired for the night.

A small village perched on a ridge

A typical village with a temple as seen on the road

Birds eye view of Ramganga River flowing by Bikhiyasen as seen from Harara village

             We returned back to Delhi on 31^st October, 2021 and by that time the road from Mohan side had been opened for traffic and hence we descended towards Ramnagar from this side.  The place where the road had been blocked near Totam has been covered in the video.  But due to the blockade of the Highway by the infamous Kiasan rally activists at Ghaziabad border, we had to take a torturous detour and were delayed at the last leg of our journey by more than two hours and thus concluded our one and only journey for the year 2021.

Here is a link to a video of the destination -

© S Roy Biswas

Beating the lockdown blues – a visit to my village Badankhet

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Beating the lockdown blues – a visit to my village Badankhet

(A Photo blog)

Panoramic view of Himalayan ranges seen from village Badankhet

As my daughter is to appear in the Board examination this year, there were no big plans for the year 2020 as such, regarding our summer vacations or winter vacations.  But still everyone looks forward for a short trips, as a break from the mundane and in order to replenish our souls and body.  I had last visited my home in Badankhet in Ranikhet Tehsil in October, 2019 for undertaking cleaning and maintenance works.  Thereafter, although we had made a very brief winter trip, but had gone to our home only for a day in December, 2019.  In the year 2020 also, we had planned to take a few days break in summers of 2020 at our home in Badankhet village.  But the COVID-19 Pandemic that resulted in total lockdown in the country being imposed from 24^th March, 2020 onwards, resulted in all the plans for the year going haywire.  Everyone was struck in their homes, with children having online classes and tuitions, ladies busy in collecting essentials through online portals and as the offices and businesses had started opening up gradually by June, but inter-state movement remained barred.

 

A male Khaleej pheasant in Badankhet village

A female Khaleej pheasant in Badankhet village

A close up of the Moon against an azure blue sky and pine tree top in foreground

Close-up of the perennial mountain spring in village Badankhet

In order to maintain my blog, I had stitched together a few blogs using my old journeys, albeit being presented in a different manner.  It was only in November, 2020 that we finally decided to take a break and head for our home in Badankhet village for a week.  Accordingly, after procuring the mandatory e-pass from the Uttarakhand Government portal, we commenced with our journey from Delhi in the first week of November, 2020.  The journey was a lot different this year, as it was sans any stoppage at any restaurant or eatery, which was one of the favorite parts of our usual journeys.  The road was almost free with very few vehicles, due to the lockdown and we went past the first bottle neck i.e. Gaziabad in a jiffy, as during this period of almost a year, a bye-pass over the entire crowded stretch had been constructed, which resulted in a smooth and hassle free ride.  Having covered a sizeable distance because of the good road conditions coupled with scant vehicles, after turning towards Moradabad for onwards journey to Ramnagar, we had our first stop at around 10.00 A.M for Breakfast.   Wife had prepared stuffed sandwiches and hot piping coffee in thermo-flasks, we had our belly full and thereafter we headed towards Ramnagar.  After having crossed Ramnagar, Corbett and Mohan region, we took a short break and as some stuffed parathas had been prepared for partaking in lunch and I had also purchased a Butane stove and cans for heating up the food, just before start of the journey, but everyone declined to skip lunch as we were still full.  We had some chips and biscuits only during this short stop over.  The journey upwards on towards the hills gradually begins after Mohan and finally the steep gradient begins from Kumheria onwards.  I and the driver took another break only for tea en-route and did not even stop at Bhatraujkhan for purchase of groceries etc., as my wife had carried everything from Delhi.  Thus, we reached Badankhet in record time and were home by 3.15 P.M.

 

Wild Himalayan Pear tree flowers in Badankhet village (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrus_pashia )

Wild Mexican Levander flowers in Badankhet village

A rose flower - early morning shot - in village Badankhet

A bouquet of Chrysanthemums in my garden  in village Badankhet

Close up of Gazania flower growing in my garden in  village Badankhet

Some acorns growing on an Oak tree  in village Badankhet

As my caretaker had got the verandah and garage cleaned up, we just opened up the flat and within a few minutes had got the rooms swept, as there is hardly any dust etc. and quickly settled in.  We had the parathas heated and served with piping hot tea and thus, had a late lunch cum tea.  It was quite cold as the evening started setting in, so as already instructed, the caretaker had arranged for some fire wood to light up a fire and accordingly, he lit up two wood stoves and after the smoke stopped emanating, the wood coal alongwith the stove was moved inside and this heated up the rooms and it became quite comfortable inside the flat.  We had an early dinner that day, as the driver also was tired, having driven more than 350 Kms., almost at a stretch and we all retired for the night.  We woke up late the next morning, all refreshed and rejuvenated, away from the hustle & bustle of city life and its pollution, but had a vacation that was coupled with chirping birds, fresh air and refreshing view of the Himalyan peaks, although this year they were not as clearly visible due to dust, since there had been no rains for past quite some times.

View of Jakholi village as seen from village Badankhet

View of Mori village as seen from village Badankhet

View of another typical Kumaoni village as seen from  village Badankhet

As we drive back towards Delhi - some view of the hills

As we drive back towards Delhi - typical Kumaoni style collection of grass for use in winters by woman folk of the villages

As we drive back towards Delhi - we are about to enter Corbett region - just ahead of Kumheria 

The famous north Indian festival celebrated by the ladies i.e. Karva Chauth was also scheduled during this break taken by us and the fiery reddish moon rise on that day was a sight to behold, I have attempted to capture the essence, but the camera does not do the justice, as against what the eyes perceive and see.  The usual birds and flora was all around including some flowers blooming in my plot and I have incorporated the photographs to introduce the readers to the vivid scenes and scenery that defines my village home in Badankhet, Gram Panchayat Timila in Tarikhet Block in Ranikhet Tehsil and I leave you with visuals of the lifeline of the village i.e. the perennial mountain spring and the flora and fauna around.  I had kept this blog pending, so that I could start with my first blog in January, 2021 and hope to continue blogging thereafter, as time & happenings around take place.  Wish you all a fruitful and refreshing year ahead. 

The moon with reddish hue over Ranikhet hills on 'Karva Chauth' day 

Here is the link to videos of the journey and my village mountain spring –

 

Video of short drive through Corbett forest

Video of mountain spring in village Badankhet

© S Roy Biswas