lN THE GUARDED REALMS OF NANDA- THE HILL GODDESS
Rajshekhar Pant
"I stand upon a wind swept ridge at night with the stars bright above and I am no longer alone but I waver and merge with all the shadows that surround me. I am part of the whole and am content."
So wrote in her diary Nandadevi Unsoeld. She was a young blond and beautiful girl from America, who lost her life while attempting to summit the Nandadevi Peak. The year was 1976. Her father Willi Unsoeld, himself a mountaineer had named her after this imposing peak. It is revered throughout the central Himalayan region in the state of Uttaranchal as the most prominent physical manifestation of the hill Goddess 'the Nandadevi She is the Goddess of bliss, who instils among the mountain-folk the conviction that despite all difficulties and limitations, life in these rugged terrains in to be lived with all possible enthusiasm., .
Throughout the central Himalayan region the cult of Nandadevi has been the most vibrant supernatural and spiritual strain conditioning the lives of mountain-folk since the time immemorial. Nanda is not the sanitized version of primitive mother goddess in these hills. She is the loving daughter of the neighbouring villages and is married to Shiva, the hermit king of Kailash 'a far off snowy kingdom in Himalayas. No elaborate ritual is required to please her. She doesn't even need imposing and ornate structures as her shrine. A co-sharer of the simple human emotions she is pleased when the 'bazi' or the hereditary drummer of the village betas the drum to mark an auspicious occasion; when the villagers dance to the songs sung in her honour or speak out their day-today problems before her or come to her shrine to seek her blessings. She even communicates with her devotees through chosen oracles.
Whenever in the vicinity of the unsurpassable grandeur of the mountains, one is bound to feel an essential oneness with nature- from where originates the life and are conserved its various forms and their continuity. The difference between life and death melts away in these heights, where every end is but a fresh beginning with new promises and ever-new hopes. Whether Nandadevi Unsoeld was also feeling something like that when she wrote these lines in her diary, a few days before becoming a part of the mountains with which she shared her name. Who knows?
Of late I had been wandering in the villages of Tolma, Reni and Lata. These villages are at an average distance of three to four km above the Joshimath-Malari road in Chamoli district of Garhwal Himalayas. This region constitutes the immediate habitable vicinity of Nanda Devi range. The wide range of bio-diversity and eco-systems these hilly terrains have, besides a society -known for its rich culture and an ancient ethnic identity -make this entire expanse a natural choice for a new conservation theme i.e. -The Biosphere Reserve. Serving the purpose of a natural museum and a living laboratory these Biospheres have been formed all over the world under the Man and Biosphere Programme of the UNSECO. Such Reserves are identified by the government of the countries they fall in and are maintained by the state. There are 13 Such Reserves in India. The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve enjoys the distinction of being the first Biosphere Reserve of the Himalayas. It is the second oldest Biosphere Reserve of the Country.
These villages are inhabited by the Tolcha community of the Bhotiya origin. These sons of the soil happened to be a trading community basically. Both Trans-Himalayan and inland trading in wool, wild edibles, herbs, minerals etc was their main preoccupation. Migrating seasonally with their livestock right up to the foothills of Kumaon Himalayas, (or practising transhumant culture) they once were seen as the Himalayan counterparts of western Romanies. Their culture and ways of life have undergone much of transition due to rapid socio-political changes in the border region in the early sixties of the previous century.
Except for the senior citizens and their grandchildren these villages become vacant with the melting of the snows. A sizable majority of young ones, both men and women leave for alpine heights for sheep grazing. It is also the time to collect, hand roll and dry the wild Allium which grows naturally in alpines. Known locally as 'Jambu' or 'Faran' Allium is used in regional cuisine for aroma. It is an indispensable item indeed, with every hill kitchen.
The apparent madness in the exuberance of nature here definitely has a method, a plan, to make the life that teems this wilderness, more comfortable. In perfect unison with surroundings men here have chosen to stand as sentinels to whatever dots this landscape. It is from this region that the call of conservation came in the early seventies of the previous century in the form of the famous Chipko -the movement in which under the dynamic leadership of Gaura Devi of the village Reni the local populace volunteered to save the environment by embracing the trees to be felled then, by the forest-contractors.
The topography of Nandadevi region had kept it almost inviolate by men for centuries. The Nandadevi peak itself remained quite inaccessible for quite sometime and is still considered to be one of the toughest peaks in the world to climb.
By early eighties the core zone of the Nandadevi region was conferred upon the status of national park. On 18 January 1988, taking a cue from the UNESCO's Man & Biosphere programme, Nandadevi National Park was given the status of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve also called NDBR. Recognised as a world heritage site in 1992 the reserve area of NDBR earlier covered an area of 2236.74 sqkm with a buffer, consisting mainly of habitation zone, of 1612.12 sqkm and an uninhabited core zone of 624.62 sqkm. In Feb 2000 the total area of NDBR has been extended to 5860sqkm by including into it the Valley of flower National Park as second core zone and adjoining habitation zones as buffer area.
Hundreds of species of trees, wild edibles, lifesaving herbs, and also deadly plants are found all over here. The shy musk deer, bharals and the Himalayan black beer may be seen if one has enough of time and patience. Watching the colourful Monal from close quarters here is again a treat to the eyes. Even the rare snow leopard may be sighted by those having an extra bit of luck.
A 15 km trek connects the Joshimath-Badrinath road with the second core zone of Nandadevi Biosphere Reserve. Ice rarely melts here even in the hottest month of June. The region where this is second core zone is located, is called the Bhyundar Valley. It was Frank S Smythe, an English mountaineer, who first discovered it in 1931. He spontaneously named it as 'The Valley of Flowers'. In 1939 the Botanical Garden of Edinburgh sent Miss Joan Margrett Legge here for collecting the seeds of some rare varieties. She lost her life in this valley in a fatal fall from a rock on 4 July 1939 and is buried at the spot of his fall in the valley. Well before the death of this young girl Frank S Smythe in his book had described this landscape as '"a valley of perfect beauty where the human spirit may find repose". The words engraved on the grave of Joan Margrett - I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from where cometh my help. -speak of the ultimate solace human heart has always found in such towering heights melting into the endless blue.
Situated in the upper expansions of Bhyundar Ganga, a tributary of Alaknanda, the valley of flowers has seen some important changes in the past few years. Grazing of cattle is completely banned here now. One cannot take away plants or their bulbs from here. In active liaison with the department of forest the local youth here have been a grand success in keeping the region ever so clean despite the mounting pressure of tourists and pilgrims who pass touching this valley while on way to Hemkund Sahib six km ahead.
Indeed, the strict conservation measures in the decades rolled-by on the part of the Reserve Management have paid dividends. Introduction of a wide range of modern means and facilities to improve the quality of life undoubtedly has reduced the drudgery on the part of the womenfolk in particular. They now have enough of time for their 'Mahila Mahgal Dals' and self-help groups. These organizations under the leadership of local women have been playing vital roles in supplementing the family income and making the community aware of their rights and duties. Agriculture hasn't traditionally been an important part of economy here. The fields however, are greener now with the crops of Jambu-Faran, Kala-Jeera, Kut, Hatthajari and Choru. Earlier these medicinal plants, spice and condiments were collected from alpines and wild alone.
The locals however, have their own grievances. Their traditional cyclic system of grazing and collecting the herbs within the well-defined limits- in operation till the enforcement of restriction by the reserve authorities -has become a tale of days rolled by. Wool based cottage industry was then the mainstay of economy and each household happened to have substantial number of sheep. With the restriction in grazing in the Reserve the number of sheep has dwindled quite substantially, eroding the very base of regional economy. Ironically from the land of Chipko also rose the call of 'Cheeno-Jhapto' or forcing an entry into the core zones of the reserve by the villagers with their herds of cattle.
Killing the wild animals as they feed on livestock and the farm produce, or even firing dummy shots to drive them away, is not at all allowed in these buffer zone settlements. A blanket ban is there on all mountaineering activities which really had prospered and enriched this region before 1982. Old-timers here, still have the fond memories of the days when mountaineers from the European countries happened to flock their villages for camping and hiring porters and guides.
It is heartening that of late the mangers of the reserve area have started taking a note of the problems of the local community. Their grievances are gradually being redressed. Commissioning of a carding center has been a well thought of decision of the authorities to restore the traditional wool based industry in this region. The nearest centre from here earlier happened to be over sixty km away at Chamoli. It is a pleasure to see the veteran fingers on carpet looms getting busy once again in passing to the young ones the skills and designs perfected over the generation.
Introduction of micro-plans by the reserve authorities has indeed been a laudable step to instill in the villagers the confidence that the reserve is for their development. The village community now discusses among themselves and also with the authorities problems and issues pertaining to development.
GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and development 'an autonomous body of ministry of environment and forest has for long been carrying scientific and action research in the buffer zone villages. The scientists of the institute are of the opinion that because of the vast area, dissected terrain, and the limitations of manpower and resources the existing institutional setup is not fully competent to strike a desirable balance between exploitation and regeneration. They have also been into people-policy conflict and possible options of conflict resolution. Such analysis and efforts have gone a long way in influencing the designing of strategies for sustainable development of the villages and the conservation and management of the NDBR.
This institute with its model setups in the buffer zone villages has been popularizing the cultivation of herbs and value addition in non-timber forest and farm produces of the region. It has also been an articulate votary of developing eco-tourism in the inner reaches of the sanctuary.
Nanda the goddess of bliss and contentment has been the anchor sheet of life in these hills. The beliefs of the people here, their values and ways of life have their roots in this ancient cult which has taught them to see an essential oneness between themselves and the nature that surrounds them.
The Biosphere Reserve named after the goddess cradling this treasure-trove of diversity does also speak of strengthening the structure of social, economic and cultural development with in the periphery of environment. This unanimity of purpose & approach, of the Managers of Reserve on one hand and the local inhabitants on the other indeed is the greatest strength of this Biosphere Reserve
Institutions ensuring conservation of resources and prosperity of the populace that depends on it always emerge from grassroots, . People in this land of Nanda,..of eternal hope, ..definitely know it better than others, because these mountains do not only surround them they also constitute an integral part of their entire being.
Yea, in my mind these mountain rise
Their perils dyed with evening's rose;
And still my ghost sits at my eyes
And thirsts of their untroubled snows.
(Written under the aegis of CSE Media fellowship)
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