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A forgotten village - an unexplored treasure | Gorchha | Uttrakhand | India


Gorchha

Did you know, about 70% of the working class population in major metro cities in India have their roots from a village?

Most of the parents send their kids to nearby towns for higher education, and the handful left, leave their village in search of better jobs and opportunities. What left behind is culture, left to decay. And, if the village is not nature's paradise or doesn't have any architectural history, it is bound to lose its identity in the next decade or so.

Migration has increased drastically since the formation of Uttarakhand in 2000. Lack of employment opportunities, unavailability of quality education and below standard health services, force a majority of the population, especially in the villages situated in the hills, to migrate to plains or to a new city/ town.

Gorchha

Recently, I got informed about such lost village situated in the Dehradun district of Uttrakhand, India. This village which is at the brink of losing its cultural identity is called "Gorchha".

Surrounded by the Himalayas, Gorchha lies in the Shivalik range of Outer Himalayas, blessed with the wonders of beauty with it's wide-spread Apple orchards, lush green organic farming range.

About 400 km from Delhi and approximately 70 km from Dehradun, Gorchha is a village which is losing its identity due to major migration. Before it becomes one of the other "lost villages", we need to go and explore further.

Now if you are looking for a 5-star accommodation, then you are up for disappointment. It is an ideal place for travellers who want to spend time in seclusion amidst the beauty of nature and the great Himalayas and stay with the villagers in their homes and spend time knowing about their culture and their way of living. What better way to know a place than to couch-surf with the locals. Eat their local food, interact with the local people and explore this lesser known destination.

Typical house in Gorchha village

P.s. if a village has travellers, like Tosh and malana, chances of it being lost are drastically reduced. As tourists and travellers bring business for the locals. With the need of cafes, restaurants, hotels, tour guides and other basic businesses.

Exploring such places are no less than a social cause. It's a win-win for all of us. We get to explore something new, fresh and raw and the locals get to keep running their lives with basic earnings.

Check the link below for information regarding routes, stays, etc...

Things to do :

-- Stay with the locals.

-- Eat their local food.

-- Trek to "MOYALA TOP" via beautiful valleys and "Byar Cave" on the way. If you are up for a great night under the skies, take your sleeping bag and tent along.

Trek to Moyala Top

-- Drive to spell bounding "Tiger waterfall", en route to Vikasnagar from Gorchha.

-- Admire the beauty of the Outer range of the Himalayas.

-- Do spread the word with your friends to help this beautiful village retain its charm and its existence.

For pro-travellers - It is a perfect place to visit now before it get's infected by the tourist worm ! If you notice, there is hardly any information even on the internet about this so far. So let's pack our bags and ride !!!

The ladies of Gorchha

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