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| Tribal-Land-Jharkhand |
A rocky landscape of Ghatshila is quite an abandoned place at the bank of river Subarnekha flowing endlessly
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| Sunrise-at-Dharagiri |
“The beauty of a landscape resides in its melancholy.”–Ahmet Rasim
I started my short weekend trip from Kolkata(268 Km far) to refresh the childhood memory of the tribal land, its people and culture depicted in the book “Aranyak” written by famous Bengali novelist Bibhuti Bhushan Bandhopadhaya. The more I was crossing the road on the moving train, one by one, small and the big city was fading away into the memories I drew in my head of a lonely land, landlocked between two mountains. During winter, Ghatshila is cold and dry. The local human habitats are simple living people with a handsome number of tribal villagers like- Birhor, Mahali, Oraon, Santhal, etc.
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| Dharagiri-Spring |
If you are looking for a personal connection with the diverse cultural heritage and local indigenous people, this is a kind of place for a special moment of a shared experience with the local community. On the way to Dharagiri falls which is about 9km North from the Ghatshila & almost 21 ft. down from the Dharagiri hills, you will encounter with local villagers who are still living upon hunting and farming. It is hard to imagine, besides this calm and quiet village life, there is an ongoing Maoist turmoil present around the corner. The moment I arrive at the jungle near to Dharagiri, the driver suggested a local guide who was a poverty-stricken tribal woman staying there only. She acknowledged the proposal with her big, innocent smile. They are still finding their living spirits among the forest and trees that humans have built-in many years. The freedom and attachment between tribals and forest have been restricted in consecutive years has significantly affected the lives of those marginal people and failed to safeguard the rights and cultural believes they practice.
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| Tribal-Forest |
A few mins of walking & talking made us two closely connected individuals of a globalized community without any modern technology or social sites. It’s a great way to be part of the sustainable tourism that travelers are seeking nowadays with making local connections they made on their entire journey. Local people are more likely to share their own world and that is an essential emotional part of traveling in remote places, experience unique culture and local customs. At the advent of ‘world cultural tourism’, to immerse in the local traditions has opened up a new window to modern, responsible and ethical tourism worldwide.
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| Village-Temple |
Most of the tribal village houses are neat and clean. The doors of the houses are painted with folk and tribal paintings with an exceptional color palette filled with bold and unbridled colors. All these ethnic tribal groups have their own form of art, representations of emotions and mythological stories in a distinctive and unique way. The ‘Warli’ paintings are made by natural vegetative colors on plainclothes or paper that carrying the living tradition of art and the history of indigenous people over the thousands of years. It’s deeply rooted in their blood and culture that demands captivating and admirable visual spectators.
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| Scroll-Painting |
Every tribal village is the home of local Chitrakars (painters) which are beautifully painted with the artistic borders and wall paintings. Famously Known as “scroll paintings” which are made from eco-friendly colors and leaves. Their enchantment with culture and tradition reflects on their hospitality. The agricultural occasion is celebrated with the rhythm of Manders with mellifluous countryside music and tribal folklore. Festivals like Gona or Tusu are a time for celebration, local food like Zil, or Gud (Pitha) and spectacular dresses made from colorful bird feathers and seasonal flowers.
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| Vegetative-Color-Painting |
While returning from the Ghatshila, mind was occupied with all the faces harboring happiness, curiosity & alertness during the entire journey. I was worried about the survival and alienation of those ethnicities by constant environmental sabotage and devastating mining project in that area. As a traveler, the travel experience can only be transformed by the cultural exchange & local participation. Making a connection, understanding the social & cultural behavior always has a reciprocal effect on the lives of the people around the world, we can perish or protect.
“In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other.
That time is now.”
Wangari Maathai
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