Life in the Hills: Perfect blend of ancient values & modernity

A thinly veiled mist covered the mountain’s face, A cool feeling of stillness came too, And found a peaceful, resting place, Among God’s most glorious pew. It waited there, a blissful view, For God to speak its name, It lingered in the mountain’s blue, And God could find no blame. (Ruskin Bond)

Rapid urbanization hasaffected our lifestyledrastically everywhereand cities in hills are no exception. Lately, healthy air, placid and lush green environment and clear blue sky have merely become dictionary words and their presence has disappeared from metro cities. Still, one can get glimpses of natural serenity in the cities situated on the hills of Northern and North-Eastern states of India. India’s Northern and North-eastern mountainous belt extends from Jammu and Kashmir (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) to a curve that ends at Mizoram. This belt is a mountainous terrain of India with many beautiful cities known for their serene environment and unique lifestyle. As topography of these statesis mountainous, their economy is highly dependent upon farming. Due to the scarcity of industrial employment, tourism acts as a major asset for these states. Towns or cities like Dharamshala, Shimla, Manali, Kaza (Himachal Pradesh); Darjeeling (West Bengal);Leh (Jammu and Kashmir); Shillong and Cherrapunji (Meghalaya); Gangtok (Sikkim), Guwahati (Assam), Kohima (Nagaland), and Haridwar, Mussori, Joshi Math (Uttarakhand) are a few examples where people enjoy fresh breath of air; eat natural organic diet and enjoy longer lifespan as compared to people living in polluted environment of metro cities. The race of urbanization has started affecting these cities and life of the people living there. Yet, life here in the hills is way better than in cities in plains. There is no considerable difference between the topography of cities and villages in hills except their population and available facilities. A majority of urban dwellers grow their own food. A day in hills starts with a pure pleasant morning with mesmerizing view of the sunrise and ends with a decent view of the sunset leading to blue starry sky. People in the hills usually wake up early and we can say that by 6:30 am almost 90 percent of population is awake.

Tourism: Major source of revenue

Tourism is another major source of revenue for people living in hills. The local population of hills is making best possible efforts to attract tourists from India as well as abroad. Paragliding in Billing (Himachal Pradesh), various trekking and camping services at Kheer Ganga (Kullu), Triund (Dharamshala) etc. and river rafting at Manali, Rishikesh etc. are some of the tourist attractions. Rise in tourism is gradually affecting local culture in hills. For instance, the local population of hills is constantly trying to inculcate English language in its communication so as to communicate with foreign tourists. Many restaurants are being set up that offer various cuisines which is a further boost to revenue generation. Also, the growth of tourism is tending to make the local hill population more westernized. If we specifically talk about Himachal Pradesh, according to the statistics of tourism ministry of India, Himachal Pradesh’s Tourism department has been the most successful tourism department of the country in 2010. The state was visited by approximately 1.32 crores tourists in 2010 as against 1.14 crores in 2009, which is an increase of 16 per cent, as per the state’s tourism department analysis. This sector is estimated to contribute more than Rs 1,250 crores to the GDP of Himachal Pradesh. The ‘Queen of hills’ Shimla is the most preferred destination among British tourists. Kullu shawls, Kangra paintings, Chambarumal and Himachali wool products are always in demand. This has encouraged artisans and small enterprises to promote the state’s rich culture and heritage. Mountain biking, vintage car rally, paragliding, river-rafting and skiing organized seasonally, are some of the most awaited events of this place.

Religious Dominance

Religion has always been a dominant factor which significantly influences life of people in the hills. The people of hills are strict followers of religion and have deep rooted religious beliefs. They don’t compromise on following their rituals which preserves their ancient culture. Various religious places in hills attract devotees from all over the world. The entire ambience of the hills is so serene and tranquil that many yogis, meditators, mystics, sadhus, etc. visit the Himalayas which is considered to be abode of Lord Shiva and presence of these people is deeply influencing the culture and lifestyle of the population bin the hills.

Socio-cultural diversity in the North-east

North-eastern part of India is one of the richest floras in India, where people depend on shifting cultivation systems and forest based food products for their sustainable survival. This region is not only rich in plants diversity but also has a great treasure of cultural, social and linguistic variability, conserved by tribal people. The traditional foods processed and prepared by women of North-eastern region are intimately connected to their socio-cultural, ecological, spiritual life and health. The processing and preparation of ethnic foods not only demonstrate the creativity and treasure of food heritage of tribal women but also their incremental learning to sustain the life and ecosystem as a whole. Looking at the diversity in ethnic foods, an attempt has been made to explore the ethnic foods made of local soybean, bamboo shoot, tree bean, laipatta (leafy mustard) and rai (Brassica juncea (Linn.) Czern. & Coss.) from different selected tribes of Northeast India. The region is a treasure of indigenous knowledge systems pertaining to agriculture, food, medicine, and natural resources management. Since time immemorial, rural women of this region have selected many wild plants and non-vegetarian foods through trial and have conserved many local crops, ethnic vegetables and indigenous fruits used in local diet for food and nutritional security. The traditional food consumed by tribes of Northeastern region are intimately connected to virtually all aspects of their sociocultural, spiritual life and health.