The Goat Village

The 180 degree view of the ‘Bandarpoonch Range’

Imagine a panoramic shot in an ace travel magazine and then picture yourself in that setting, that is the sentiment ‘the goat village’ experience stirs up! Sitting in our humble abode in Delhi, two white collared workers wanted nothing more than solitude and fresh air in their city lungs. The Goat Village fit our bill and we decided to explore it. The Goat Village has been set up at an elevation of approximately 2000 meters. The nearest motorable road ceases to exist at a popular village known as ‘Pantwari’ (popular as the base camp for the NagTibba trek). This is where the most gorgeous part of the journey began. The city bred lungs worked hard and screamed for relief that the trek put us through. An hour long trek and a million beautiful vistas later our eyes saw a trail of goats descending from a seemingly flat land. We heard the Goat Village guide tell us that’s where we would belong for the next two days. We exchanged glances and secretly applauded each other for making it to the top. Yes, that’s what we thought it was until we reached and saw the towering ‘Bandarpoonch range’ right across where we stood. The view seemed unreal and the sky couldn’t have been bluer. We stationed ourselves on the wooden stools made out of tree stumps and gaped endlessly. Our trance was only broken by our host greeting us and handing over gorgeous buransh (rhododendron) bouquets. That’s when we realized that we had our own heaven. Warm tea washed away the fatigue and chatter ensued. The chatter was that of the elements of nature at their very best. The wind, the birds, the sky and its blue were all in sync and it was literally lyrical!

New abode for the resident goats

We were treated to the world’s best meal throughout the duration of our stay. The display of Garhwali culinary skills was impeccable. The anecdotes and trivia revolving around food were a major inclusion of our food chronicles at the Goat village. We didn’t feel a pound heavier even after the ghee and love we were served with. That’s all we needed to brace ourselves for more of what Goat Village had to offer.

Corn on the cob

The Goat Village also organized our trek to Nag Tibba. The trek from the Goat Village is approximately 5 kilometers and one gains elevation of approximately 1000 meters. Our guide was a trained and certified instructor from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. We were in the best possible hands and successfully completed our first snow trek. The Goat Village is a one of a kind initiative by GreenPeople. The initiative intends to revive the local economy by way of utilizing local resources and produce. The Goat Village by definition is an initiative to bring back the goat herding culture, using by-products of goat rearing such as milk and goat’s cheese. With the increase in migration, many rural economic activities such as farming, animal husbandry and traditional craftsmanship is dying down. The GreenPeople intends to bridge this gap by bringing employment opportunities to the doorstep of the rural youth. Upon discussions with the locals who visit the site for work, one could sense the enthusiasm the GreenPeople has brought to the habitants of Pantwari village. The step farms around the Goat Village site that lay abandoned for years have suddenly seen the first harvest of spinach and tomatoes. The local artisans and masons are upbeat that their skill set is still in demand and their children would no longer be ashamed of taking up the family profession. The GreenPeople and its maiden site are not a mere business idea. It is a movement of self-sustenance and a step towards controlling the exodus of migrant population. A pious thought has been implemented wonderfully. Facebook page-  Green People Website-green_people.info Email- rupeshkrai123@gmail.com Contact-9818889005