Life of mortals in the land of gods

When I first learnt that I was supposed to stay alone in a remote village on a secluded mountain with no road connectivity for a few weeks, I was bursting with excitement but later it dawned on me how lonely I would be up there. However, it turned out to be the experience of a lifetime for me.
Agoda is a small mountain village en route to the famous trekking destination Dodital Lake in Uttarakhand in the lap of the Himalayas. The region boasts of a beautiful landscape with a panoramic view of snow capped peaks, a path laden with different species of rhododendrons and thriving biodiversity deeming it to be a paradise for bird watchers and nature enthusiasts. When I first trekked to the village, I was greeted with odd stares from some millet sifting women as well as smiles and ‘namaste’ from people leisurely spending time on the porch of their intelligently designed beautiful wooden homes. It didn’t take long to get acquainted with each and every household in the tiny village and get random invitations for tea. I had become a regular guest at weddings not only in Agoda but in nearby villages as well. The best part of these weddings were the local songs and men and women dancing in circles together and I amused them in return by trying in vain to learn the highly synchronized dance steps. My new found friends intrigued me with their indigenous knowledge of nature and their surroundings, considering that most of them never had the opportunity to receive proper formal education. Within weeks I had become one of them. Most of the village people worked as tour and nature guides and would take me along with their clients for nature trails towards Dodital lake and fill me in with spellbinding local folklore. However, the most enriching experience was when I got invited to the annual ‘yatra’ (religious journey) to the holy temple situated beside the Dodital lake. Witnessing the holy rituals, people falling into spiritual trance and simply enjoying the serenity of the lake left an everlasting image in my mind. The natural awe and culturally enriching experience made the trip worthwhile and I would recommend trekkers going to Dodital to spend at least one day in Agoda and be a part of these warm and hospitable folks’ lives. The best time to visit the place would be April and May, the onset of spring season when the path would be laden with various colors of rhododendrons and birds and that’s when one might get a chance to be a part of the local festivities as well.