Uttarakhand: Matholi village of Uttarkashi is becoming famous as ‘Bwari village’, women run homestays and provide village tours to tourists, Dhami said other villages should also take inspiration

In Uttarkashi district, tourists usually turn towards Harshil Valley or Mori-Sankari. In such a situation, the women of Matholi village of Chinyalisaur block have made the village a new destination for tourists with their hospitality and skills. Here, women are running everything from home stay to village tour.

The credit for transforming Matholi from a common mountain village into a tourist village goes to the youth of the village, Pradeep Panwar. Pradeep Panwar had to return to his village during the Covid 19 lockdown, fortunately he had experience working in the tourism sector. Therefore, he converted his Chhani (cowshed) located near the village into a home stay and opened it for tourists. Along with this, Pradeep Panwar gave training to the women of the village in running a home stay (hospitality, cooking, trekking, village tour). Along with this, the village was branded as ‘Bwari Village’, so that the message of women empowerment reaches far and wide. Meanwhile, he also presented a new glimpse of village life to the tourists through Ghasyari competition in the village. Which is very much liked by the tourists. Local woman Anita Panwar tells that now other women in the village have also come forward to convert their huts into home stays. Pradeep Panwar tells that now he has registered his home stay with the tourism department, so that he can also take online booking. Pradeep tells that he started his home stay from March 8, 2022, after which about one thousand tourists have come here, due to which about 20 women get work from time to time.

5331 home stays are registered

There are 5331 home stays registered with the tourism department at present. Which are mostly being run by women in rural areas. Under the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Home Stay Scheme, the government provides subsidy of up to 25 percent in the plain area and 33 percent in the hilly area on the cost of home stay.

Matholi village is an example of rural tourism as well as women empowerment. If any family of the village comes forward to run a home stay, they will be given the benefit of all the schemes of the Tourism Department. Also, assistance will be provided in the registration process. Other people should also take inspiration from Matholi village.

Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister