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Dhanachuli Village, Uttarakhand, India

The Walk to the Old Dhanachuli Village, Uttarakhand

Posted on July 4, 2013May 13, 2021

On my first day at Te Aroha, Sumant asked me if I would like to go for a walk to the old Dhanachuli Village the next morning. I was game for it, after all I had just come back after trekking in Nepal. We were also starting leisurely after the breakfast. For breakfast I had puri bhaji without any guilt because I knew I was going to walk. We took the car for a short distance and from the road head we started to walk towards the old Dhanachuli village.

The way goes downhill to the village. It is a decent path as far as kaccha routes go. I mean there were not too many loose stones that would start rolling as soon as you try to step on it. Anyway I find it difficult to go down as my knees hurt but this was half an hour walk (for me) and soon we were at the village temple. On the way we crossed this old house which the owners use as a godown and they were storing apples there. Sumant mentioned that the house is about 100 year old.

The Old Dhanachuli Village, Uttarakhand

The Old Dhanachuli Village, Uttarakhand

Sumant mentioned that the old village was abandoned when the road came up at Dhanachuli. There are two families who still maintain their residence at old Dhanachuli as that might be close to their fields. While getting down I did say to Sumant that some of his guests would find it difficult to climb up all the way back and he agreed. He said some take about two hours to climb back.

A Derlict House at Old Dhanachuli Village, Uttarakhand

A Derlict House at Old Dhanachuli Village, Uttarakhand

The houses have been vacant for such a long time that nature is trying to claim it back. A lot of them still have beautiful woodwork in various stages of decay. It was fascinating to talk about it to Sumant who knew a lot about the area.

Decoration on the Village Temple, Old Dhanachuli, Uttarakhand

Decoration on the Village Temple, Old Dhanachuli, Uttarakhand

There is a well maintained temple in the middle of what is left of the old village. Sumant mentioned that it is still functional and used for large prayer gatherings. We had a cup of tea there (carried from the hotel, there are no tea shops otherwise in the area, other than on the road head) and then we started climbing back which was uphill. While we were sipping tea Sumant remarked, “It took us just 30 minutes, maybe even less to reach here.” I was not paying much attention, my knees were still a bit sore from my Annapurna Circuit Trek.

Small Things

Small Things

We took a gentler path to walk up and this one was also good, not too many rolling stones trying to trick you. Anyway I am marginally better while going up, I only get tired. Whereas while coming down, I am usually in pain. So we walked back, I clicked this beautiful moth/butterfly and soon we were back to where the car was. The car was there but the driver was not. Sumant remarked that we just took 1.45 hours and the driver was not expecting us as it usually takes an hour more.  I was so happy to hear this. I am a slow trekker in reality. On this recent trek to Nepal there were fit young men who would reach usually 2 hours before me to any place. At least at some place I was faster than the average!

Soon the driver was located and we headed back to Te Aroha. If you get a chance, do go for this walk. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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7 thoughts on “The Walk to the Old Dhanachuli Village, Uttarakhand”

  1. Lady Fi says:
    July 4, 2013 at 7:40 pm

    How very picturesque and lovely!

    Reply
  2. Anuradha Shankar says:
    July 4, 2013 at 7:41 pm

    Sounds like you had a good, peaceful walk after the Nepal one! considering how much you love walking, i guess you jumped at the chance!

    Reply
  3. rupam { xhobdo } says:
    July 4, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    Beautiful photos and nice post 🙂

    Reply
  4. Easwar Arumugam says:
    July 4, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    Nice old village surrounded by beautiful mountains. Lovely pictures.

    Reply
  5. Tushar says:
    July 4, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    I guess more a person go for trek frequently more faster S/He will be.
    The day I started trekking I personally realized it is a little better than yoga.

    Reply
  6. Debopam Banerjee says:
    July 5, 2013 at 9:19 pm

    Such a nice and serene location….. Nice post with beautiful pictures…….

    Reply
  7. Niranjan says:
    July 6, 2013 at 4:22 pm

    It is always pleasing to explore all these little villages. They definitely surprise you. Nice article.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.com/2013/07/responsible-tourism-and-mature-actions.html

    Reply

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About Me

I am Mridula Dwivedi and I started this blog in 2005. It has been an amazing ride. I have visited 33 countries till date! I have worked with many tourism boards and prominent travel companies. My blog was featured on the BBC and the Guardian.

I did my Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur. I worked full time in academics till 2015! I quit my job as a professor, thinking I will take a break for one year, which turned into five.

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