Purushwadi Village - A photo journey
The village of Purushwadi in the Maharashtra state of India is small and rustic. The main occupation of the villagers is farming. Recently, some of the villagers have also started earning some money with a boom in eco-tourism and rural tourism. Though primarily known for fireflies festival, we loved the entire experience of staying in a village where everyone welcomes you as a guest. Seeing their lives and knowing their thoughts first hand was enlightening. You can know more about fireflies festival, how to plan a trip to Purushwadi and what to expect in our previous article. In this article, we take you on a photo journey of this little village and its ever smiling people.
Read our other articles on Purushwadi village & the Fireflies Festival, Things to do in and around Purushwadi and Harishchandragad fort trek by clicking on the images below
Before we reached the village, it is the journey to Purushwadi which enthralled us. The road to Purushwadi from Mumbai is full of small villages with lots of greenery. The landscape is incredibly scenic and we stopped to click photographs more often than we thought we would.
As we reached Purushwadi village, we were welcomed by sign 'Fireflies' painted on the road announcing that we have reached the village.
The village home that we stayed at was rustic but charming. The house had 3 rooms, a cowshed and was partly made of mud and partly out of brick and concrete.
A few years ago, open defecation was practised in the village. With the advent of the Swachh Bharat campaign, toilets were constructed for each family by the government. The toilets were in fact outside the houses near the farms.
The villagers receive government supply of water only twice a day - once in the morning and in the evening. There is a long line near the tap during these times to fetch water. Purushwadi is supplied with electricity but there are frequent cut-offs. There is no market or ATM or bank in the village. Newspaper and milk are not delivered to Purushwadi village; hence they rely on radio for news updates and drink black tea.
The village has a temple and a school that teaches up to 5th class. Post that the students have to travel to Rajur or Nashik for further education. The school also provides nutritious meals to the children. We were amazed to see the digital classroom in the school where the students are taught computers.
Though the amenities in the village is less, the villagers live in peace and harmony. Their houses are small but their hearts are big. Most of the women are involved in housework while the men work in the fields. They work really hard to bring food to their family's dinner table.
It's good to see children playing in the open spaces instead of lying in front of the TV. The villagers are very kind. They sleep on the bare floor but provide mattresses to their guests. The villagers are kind to street animals and feed them occasionally. They grow trees and flowering plants in front of their houses.
The villagers also offer their field produce to their guests - like during our stay we had an unlimited supply of mangoes and roasted groundnuts. The meals that they cook for themselves are offered to guests as well. Though gas bottles are available, they mainly cook on chulha (fireplace). The refilling of gas bottles is expensive they say. Even the installation of taps in the houses is expensive, hence they only have water bucket, pots and mugs.
Everyone we passed by in Purushwadi village welcomed us with a smile. They invited us to their houses and offered us tea. Most villagers understand Hindi and are easy to converse with. At all times during our stay, we never felt like guests - they treated us like their family.
All in all, it was refreshing to see the villagers being so content and happy with whatever they have. Most important of all, they have fewer expectations and things to worry about which keeps them relatively happy. We hope that someday we are able to spend a carefree and productive life as they do.
Checkout the other articles - Purushwadi Fireflies Festival, Things to do in and around Purushwadi and Harishchandragad fort trek.
Did you like our photoblog on Purushwadi village and the ordinary life of the villagers? Do let us know in the comment section below. Feel free to share this photoblog on your social media handles.
PIN THESE IMAGES
Suggested reads -
