This Quaint Village In Parvati Valley Is A Hidden Gem That You Should Explore!

This village, with its sweet aroma of chai and hash, gorgeous landscapes with ice-capped mountains in the backdrop, and the melodious sound of birds and children playing, depicts an escape to simpler times. Parvati valley is a paradise, and this hidden gem will surely leave you enchanted. People co-exist, dance, sing and live merrily. In the midst of the forest, the pahadi share a hard life, but a life that gives them enough happiness and peace.

As the trek began from Kasol, none of us ever imagined that the end point of the steep, roughly trodden 9 kms is a picturesque version of a life from the days gone by. With scarcely any electricity, zero network connection or well maintained roads, Grahan is a piece of Heaven left back on Earth by the Gods above.

The trek will take you along thick pine forests. The roads are marked here and there and chiseled steps are made to make climbing easier. Butterflies dance around small meadows and you will witness tiny waterfalls as you pass by. None of this however will prepare you for the utter peace of being in the wilderness. With just you and the silence for company.

Every villager you meet on the way will greet you with a smile and "Namaste". The happiness and simplicity of the pahadi starts here, I think. In their acceptance, in their deterministic spirits that created a paradise out of the jungles.

To imagine those early people crossing the highly turbulent Parvati and finding their way through the jungle for hours on end, to restart their life here in the bone chilling cold - gives shivers. But it must have happened.

Lands around Grahan were dense forests. The first settlers cut the trees and broke the tones. to build their humble houses. They cultivated on the lands close to home, just enough for food. Just enough to survive.

The cold may have been unbearable. The jungle might also have had lurking beasts. There are bears and leopards. So they must have lit a fire and made sure that it never went out. The villagers still keep a fire burning in their temple. They take turns to watch it night and day.

Their life may not have been that peaceful. But they made it work and today, we have Grahan. A peaceful and heavenly place, as yet untouched by the city and its noise.

The villagers built the 50 or so houses and 2 temples at Grahan, following the traditional Kath Khuni architecture. Stones, slate and wood is sourced from nearby and are stacked up and interlocked to provide protection from heavy snow, hail, wind, rain and landslides. Our own homestay, you'll see, is built this way allowing you to be warm even in the coldest winter months.

The school, with its glorious view will make you ache with nostalgia. 8 grades, 3 teachers and around 40 children make up the noisy world within which battles are fought and truce made, every second of everyday. When there is no school, kids will be running around the slopes, playing games and generally making a mess of everything.

Next on the line is Raju Bhai's grocery shop. We like to believe that the shop is a tiny wall mart in disguise and Raju Bhai, a magician. The shop seems to have almost every essential thing tucked away in some invisible corner. Children crowd around the place throughout the evening, eating chocolates either bought with money or gifted by some traveller.

The village, first reminded us of RK Narayan's Malgudi. But with each day that you spend here, you'll realise there is something about Grahan that is irreplaceable. The warmth, the life, the people, the view. Time is ageless when you live here. Maybe with the forest just half an hour away, its the village awakening the child in us that wishes wistfully of landing in an enchanted valley full of mystery and adventures.

A traveller who is on a mission to explore and celebrate every part of the world can connect with a farmer who is on a journey to explore every inch of his one acre plot and convert it to a beautiful farm. This is because passion communicates in a way, we have otherwise forgotten to.

The passion the villagers pour into leading a simple, well organised life is beyond anything. Their steadfastness towards their culture, their traditions and beliefs are partly what makes life at Grahan a mystical experience.

For them, communication with the outside world is rare. They learn about the workings of the world through the travellers who pass by or from the relatives who come to visit and take part in their festivities, once or twice a year.

Although this is true for the villagers at least, communication with their surroundings, with the very Earth, people, animals, bees and birds around them, is as strong as ever.

It makes me realise that the most important form of communication, the one with who we are and where we come from, seems to be sorely missing in the cities. Our passion is often derived from what we experience or who we communicate with.

As John Krakeur in his book, "Into The Wild" said, "The core of man's spirit comes from new experiences". But what if we forget to experience that which is most important?

And the more important question, what if we could return back and learn to communicate with ourself, once again? Relearn to experience life as it was meant to be experienced?

This ability to disconnect from all the noise, pace out and connect with our surroundings, with who we are and what we need is one of the greatest gift Grahan bestows upon all who visit this quaint and yet thriving village.

Up in the mountains, far away from any modern civilisation, what do people do to survive? Do they cook their own food? Weave their own clothes? Do they make their own medicines? And their homes? And their farms?

The answer with Grahan is, mostly YES.

There is no poetic way to say this. Pahadi people live a hard life. They grow almost everything thats needed for their survival. From mustards to apples to wheat to potatoes. Shepherds take care of the entire village livestock. They have both lambs and sheep though over the years, the number has been reduced. Grahan is famous for it's honey and is known as the "Magical Honey Village". Honey is collected in log hives with holes for the entry and exit of honey bees. The presence of a wide variety of fauna makes the honey especially tastier and pure. Cold winters and almost all their free time are spent stitching socks and weaving pattu and coats.

The walk to Shill Kutty Wa from Grahan is short, yet adventurous.

The village is always in a state of frenzy with people going about their daily chores. Morning or evening, you'll find children playing in the temple grounds or sitting by Raju Bhai's grocery. A small crowd can also be found near Kakki's tiny shop too, if she is open for the day.

Once you pass Sami Cafe and its Italian aroma, Grahan has come to an official end. A short walk and beautiful landscapes later, you'll be deep inside the pine forest. If you are any good at imagination, I swear you will find the beasts of Narnia playing in the shadows. Even if you arent, there will be plenty of butterflies and sweet silence to keep you company.

The path to second waterfall is hidden near the first. During spring, wild berries and mushrooms grow all over the first waterfall making it an ideal place for rest.

Have a picnic near the second waterfall as the climb to Shill Kutty is a little steep. Take a dip in the turbulent waters. On most days, you will be the only visitor and you will truly feel like the only man (or woman) on Earth.

Be careful as you climb towards Shill Kutty. Its always good to carry a raincoat with you as the weather is quite unpredictable in and around Grahan. You will hear the sound of the waterfalls even before witnessing the sight with your eyes. The haunting beauty of the combined power of the two waterfalls, of which one seemed to originate from a cave, has to be experienced from near than through mere pictures.

Talking about the village will never be complete without talking about the school. Grahan has 2 schools, adjacent to each other. Primary and secondary schools with upto 50 students, 2 teachers and classes up till 8th grade. All the students are from Grahan itself with an addition of 5 students from the nearby Tonja Village. Uniforms, sweaters, mid day meals, books and many such essentials are provided by the Government.

After 8th grade, most kids stop their schooling. The ones who seek further education has to go to Jari, the nearest town from Kasol. But most dont last. Either because of difficulties with stay (as they have to stay with relatives/in lodgings) or because they struggle with regular academics.

"All good things are wild and free", said Henry David Thoreau in his lecture, "Walking". A favourite among those who believe in living differently, Thoreau's books are often vocal about the need to balance the civilised and the wild in our lives. The quote played in my mind as we immersed ourselves fully into life at Grahan.

Having escaped the ravages of modern life even in this 21st century, Grahan has managed to be an enigma connecting the minds of all those who enter the village. Having been aptly named after eclipse, a phenomenon known for its obscure beauty and mysteriousness, Grahan makes time stand still as the lives unravel slowly.

Thanks to Chandrakala Didi, Bikram Bhayya, and rest of family and "Namastay" (https://www.instagram.com/namastayoffline/) for hosting us during our 2 month long honeymoon in 2019, which was also my second extended stay at Grahan village. Later, the family visited and stayed with us in Kerala (their first journey outside of Parvati Valley)