Khari: A Village Near Bhopal Where Rural Tourism Has Skilled Women

By Dr. Vanita Srivastava
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Nitesh Sukhwani and his family members - a group of 26 people decided to celebrate Holi this year not in the precincts of their house but an adjoining village - with freshly 'brewed' colours made from Palash tree.

The village Khari, in Sehore district, around 32 kms from Bhopal wore a colourful look.  Besides splashing colours they made clay potteries, went bird watching and even took a bullock cart ride.

"This has invariably been one of my best Holi.  The natural ambience coupled with the calmness in the air was rejuvenating," Nitesh says.

The village with a population of around 2500 including around 1000 women has witnessed a metamorphosis with the development of home stays. There has been a surge in tourists including from abroad to this hamlet- thanks to the MP Tourism Board's initiatives to cut a slice of rural life for the visitors.  There are currently 10 home stays and two are under construction. The occupancy rate is nearly 70 percent.   

Arjun Singh Gaur, 34, a farmer by profession learnt the vocabulary of architecture when he was asked to build a home stay for the tourists. The Twin Villa View - named aptly after his twin daughters - wears a   resplendent look with black stones embedded in limestone. 

"I googled, did a lot of research and learnt that a combo of limestone and  black stones could withstand all kind of weather vagaries besides having an endurance of around 500 years," says Arjun.

The two rooms, equipped with all basic facilities including an air cooler started running commercially for tourists from November last year. Since then the occupancy graph has spiraled.

Day tourism has become more popular than night stays. The village's proximity to the state capital has an advantage.  Activities like bird watching, pottery making, trekking, and bullock cart ride have added a multi-hued flavor for the visitors. This is topped  up by a sumptuous meal made on 'chullah' with freshly plucked products from the farm.

"I go there just to soak myself in nature," says Keerti  Munshi who has been to the village twice. 

Beyond Tourism

Just behind the twin home stays, Arjun's residence bustles with activities. A small  group of around 10-15 women, all clad in sarees with head covered are giving a finishing touch to delicately designed lampshades and candle stands - with artistic cravings. The women, trained by skilled craftsmen from Firozabad are now foraying into marketing. More than 50 women have been already learnt the art.

"There has already been an earning of around Rs 30,000 since they started making them a month back," says Arjun.

His wife Babli Gaur feels that the new skill has helped her boost confidence.

"Besides the income, it has given me a confidence to talk to the tourists, something I was never good at," she says.

Prathana Gaur completes her housework by 8 pm. From 9 pm onwards for almost four hours, she works on making the lampshades. "I am really excited on my new acquired talent.  It actually rejuvenates me after toiling in the field and home." 

Selling honey is another commercial activity that the villagers have knitted with tourism.

"Our honey is fresh, juiced out from bee hives on a hill top. They are bottled and sold to the  tourists. In the last two years, this has picked up business," says Kamlesh Gaur who runs a stay home in the village.

And the business acumen of the villagers does not pause here.

"Plans are afoot to package our products from the farm mostly spices and open a shop for the tourists to buy from," says Arjun.