Jim Corbett - Chhoti Haldwani trail, Uttarakhand

Away from hustle and bustle of hectic daily lives of city dwellers, away form the polluted streets and crowded corners of plains, in the lap of foothills of Kumaon lies the serene beautiful village of Jim Corbett-Chhoti Haldwani. The village lies just outside the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand where the Corbett Heritage Trail, a path leading through the village and up to the Corbett Museum at Kaladhungi, where the legendary Jim Corbett had once stayed. Corbett Museum at Choti Haldwani is a heritage bungalow of Jim Corbett - the renowned environmentalist, hunter as well as a front runner in the tiger conservation. Here one can see the belongings and life history of Mr. Jim Corbett. Managed by villagers, the village include provides a unique experience. Major attractions are Moti House, Chaupal, Muzzle Loading Gun, Corbett Wall, Jim Corbett Museum, Interaction with Villagers of Corbett's Village.

This part of his story is well known. Not so well known, however, are his deeds for the welfare of the people of the area. Chhoti Haldwani itself was a settlement he helped establish, starting with 10-12 families. In 1915, he bought 221 acres for the princely sum of Rs. 1500. From this he rented out plots to these villagers. He assisted in clearing their land for agriculture, providing irrigation (incredibly, the mud and stone-lined canals are still carrying water), helping build a wall to keep animals out of the fields and, in many other ways, helping secure their livelihoods. When he left for Kenya in 1947, Corbett handed over ownership of the plots to the tenant-families.

Corbett's motivations for establishing this settlement may have been manifold: carrying on his name (he did not have a son), establishing a model Kumaoni village, and establishing a clear status and identity as a landowner. Such snippets of his life, which introduce us to Corbett the person, are a key element of the Trail.

Today the village has over 150 families — about 750 people. But Chhoti Haldwani itself was till recently forgotten and neglected. In 2001, the Centre for Ecotourism (set up by the Uttaranchal Forest Department) began experimenting with three kinds of community-based ecotourism products: trails, camps, and home stays. Chhoti Haldwani was identified for the first. A researcher, Anjali Bhartari, helped provide information and plan interpretative facilities. The Centre organised discussions with the villagers, seeking their opinion on tourism ventures linked to Corbett's memory. Training sessions were organised, in which village youth were taught the basics of visitor management and given insights into Corbett's life. Six of those who took part went on to become tourist guides. In 2003, a proper path was laid out through the village, providing snippets of Corbett's story on signboards in English and Hindi. In 2006, United Kingdom's Minister of Environment and Climate Change inaugurated a renewed trail.

Source: http://www.cottagenirvana.com

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