Jadung – Tales From A Bygone Era

Perched away from the hustle of the city life, Jadung a tiny hamlet on the Sino-Indo Border in the Uttarakashi District of Uttarakhand is a village where time seems to have stopped. Inhabited originally by the Jadh Bhotiyas, a semi-nomadic tribe, the village was evacuated in 1962 during the India - China War and since then, the inhabitants have migrated to nearby villages such as Dunda, Bagori and Harsil and even to farther cities like Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh in search of work. 

The odd dilapidated houses in the village tell stories of a vibrant past, when the villagers had trading ties with neighboring regions of Tibet. They would trade in sugar, grains, spices and wool and in return bring back salt and ornaments. The communities in Jadung and Tibet even had family ties and marriages would take place across the border regions. 

All that ended with the 1962 war, after which what remains is an isolated village with abandoned houses, as if waiting to narrate stories of their hallowed past. Come 2023, and Sachin Kurve, the dynamic Tourism Secretary of Uttarakhand, avowed to restore the lost glory of Jadung by developing it as a Tourism Village, thus fulfilling Hon’ble PM’s vision of achieving the three objectives – overall development of the country’s villages in a phased manner, stopping migration from border villages and preserving local culture by improving all kinds of connectivity, basic facilities and development of infrastructure in the villages. 

In a landmark decision, Uttarakhand Tourism promulgated the Jadung Policy in January 2024 with the aim of developing ecologically sustainable infrastructure in the region and provide opportunities for self employment to the original inhabitants of the village. 

Under the policy, the Tourism Department is undertaking renovation of 06 old houses initially, using vernacular architecture and locally sourced raw material. These renovated houses will be handed over to the families of the original inhabitants by a committee set up at the District Level to operate these houses as Homestays. The Tourism Department shall also provide training/skill development support and marketing support to the homestay owners. 

In order to develop other tourism related activities in the region, the Tourism Department is developing viewpoints at Hawabend near Gartang Gali, an Entry Gate and a Check Post at a cost of Rs. 141.81 lakhs. Another viewpoint is being developed at Sri Kantha at a total cost of 159.93 lakhs. Overall, Rs. 365.33 lakh have been earmarked under the Jadung Policy for various development, skilling and marketing related works. With its clear skies, the village shall become a hub for Astro Tourism in the future. Trekking, Hiking and Leisure activities shall be added for the benefit of tourists visiting the village. 

Ghuman Singh and Bishan Rana, whose houses have been taken up for redevelopment are ecstatic at the development taking place in the region and are thankful to the Government for thinking about their welfare. Ghuman Singh, sitting in front of his ancestral house under redevelopment is reminiscent of his childhood years, when he would often trek to Jadung with his friends to connect with his roots. His unadulterated smile tells a lot about the simplicity of life in the region, which seems to have gone missing in most parts of the so called developed world. 

Sh. Sachin Kurve, the man behind this ambitious project states, “The Jadung Policy is an extension of the Hon’ble PM’s vision of Vibrant Village Programme. It is important for the Govt. to generate opportunities for local employment to prevent migration from our state. Tourism has immense potential in the far flung areas of Uttarakhand. We are all seeing the impact of Mass Tourism at various locations in the world, due to which it is important for us to develop sustainable tourism, with minimal impact on the local environment – natural, social and cultural. Hence, Jadung is being developed as a Low Volume, High Value Tourist Village.”

In August 2024, Uttarakhand Tourism launched a dedicated homestay booking portal – www.uttarastays.com to provide a platform to all homestays in the state to connect with their potential customers through the internet. Nestled in small villages and not being much tech savvy, it is difficult for the homestays of the state to showcase themselves through the virtual medium. The portal, also a brainchild of Sh. Sachin Kurve, aims to connect all homestays of the state with the rest of the world. 

With so much happening around, the day is not far, when Jadung would become truly a Vibrant Village, perhaps the first of kind in the country.