The whole village is buzzing, wherever you look, you can't see any people. In the lap of the rugged hills, across the vast wilderness stands a row of empty houses, lanes. Uttarakhand (Uttarakhand) is trying to make this so-called 'ghost' village a new tourist center in the latest initiative!
Jadung and Nelang, located near the India-China border in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, were once the settlements of the Jadh-Bhotia community. Agriculture, animal husbandry and cross-border trade with Tibet were important parts of their livelihood. But after the Sino-Indian war of 1962, the residents of the two villages were evacuated due to security reasons. Many families later settled in other areas including Bagori, Dunda. As a result, not only their homes, but also their long-standing way of life, land and trade were severed.
For decades these displaced families have been demanding to return to their ancestral villages. In 2020, the central government directed the Uttarakhand government to look into their resettlement claims. Then in 2022, representatives of various government agencies conducted surveys in Jadung area. Plans are underway to gradually make the two villages habitable again.
In this case, the government has chosen tourism as one of the tools. In January 2024, the Uttarakhand Cabinet approved a plan to renovate six dilapidated houses in Jadung and turn them into homestays. Traditional architecture of the village and local materials will be used in the renovation of the houses. The first phase of the project in 2024 is estimated to cost Rs 3.65 crore. Subsequently, work on the second phase of eight more homestays has begun, with an estimated cost of around Tk 4.9 crore.
The purpose of this project is not only to create accommodation for tourists. One of its aims is to create local income opportunities for those whose families were forced to leave the village after 1962. The Department of Tourism also plans to provide training in hospitality management and marketing.
But an abandoned village does not come back to life just because of tourists. Without year-round income, health care, education, communication and necessary facilities, the big question is whether the younger generation will want to return there permanently. If you are planning a trip to Uttarakhand in the coming days, you can put Jadung and Nelang on your bucket list right now. Because there is no doubt that the natural beauty here is outstanding.