Chaugan Village Tourism

Rural Tourism India

Located in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, Chaugan Village is home to indigenous tribes like the– Gonds and Baigas. It is a dream destination and a major tourist attraction for all those who ever dreamt of visiting the village and jungle that was depicted in the Jungle Book written by Rudyard Kipling who was the first admirer of the charm of this village and got inspired to write a book on it.

Tourism growth potential can be harnessed as a strategy for Rural Development. The development of a strong platform around the concept of Rural Tourism is definitely useful for a country like India, where almost 74% of the population resides in its 7 million villages. Across the world the trends of industrialization and development have had an urban centric approach. Alongside, the stresses of Urban lifestyles have led to a “counterurbanization” syndrome. This has led to growing interest in the rural areas. At the same time this trend of urbanization has led to falling income levels, lesser job opportunities in the total areas leading to an urbanization syndrome in the rural areas. Rural Tourism is one of the few activities which can provide a solution to these problems. Besides, there are other factors which are shifting the trend towards rural tourism like increasing levels of awareness, growing interest in heritage and culture and improved accessibility, and environmental consciousness. In the developed countries, this has resulted in a new style of tourism of visiting village settings to experience and live a relaxed and healthy lifestyle. This concept has taken the shape of a formal kind of Rural Tourism.

"Any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience can be termed as rural tourism. Rural tourism is essentially an activity which takes place in the countryside. It is multi-faceted and may entail farm/agricultural tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, and eco-tourism. As against conventional tourism, rural tourism has certain typical characteristics like; it is experience oriented, the locations are sparsely populated, it is predominantly in natural environment, it meshes with seasonality and local events and is based on preservation of culture, heritage and traditions. "

Important Facts :

• Chaugan Village is the home to the world famous tribals - Gonds.
• The village is also popular for the Mandla Fort, situated in a loop of the NarmadaRiver.
• Tour to the Chaugan Village can be quite educative with the deep knowledge about the magical herbs and flora and fauna.

Occupation of Chaugan Villagers : 

Chaugan Village is mainly inhabited by the by the Baigas and Gonds, who comes under the indigenous section of Madhya Pradesh. There are also some Yadav families in the villages. People of the Chaugan village are mainly dependent on the agriculture and forest produce for their livelihood. Gonds practice cultivation of crops and raise cereals in their fields. Baigas posses good information about herbal plants in the forests. While the Yadav families mainly herd cattle's in the village.

Lantana Craft

Handicraft work :

Chaugan Villagers are expert in making handicrafts items out of the fiber and bamboo. A famous plant species known as Ram Phul is used to make beautiful wood items. If you are interested in learning the art and crafts work from the villagers you can stay at their houses and learn this unique art. Wood carvings are the another major attractions of Chaugan village which can be collected as souvenir. You can also witness the process of harvesting honey in the dense forests, which can never fail to impress you. 

Rural Dance of the Chaugan Village : 

On the tour to the Chaugan Village you can be a part of the indigenous dances performed by the local tribal villagers. Karma, Shaila and Dadariya are the main form of dances performed in the village. You can simply enjoy the dance and music or you may also wear the traditional costumes and participate in the dance. 

7 Benefits of Rural Tourism:

1. Generates employment and income for the residents of remote villages. This is most especially beneficial to women who often have no new opportunities to earn income away from home.
2. Creates a market and appreciation for local products and services..and keeps them alive
3. Encourages conservation and care of natural resources such as the rivers, forests, mountains as well as local fauna and flora, birds, fish and almost extinct animals. When these are valued as living assets to attract income, they are usually cared for.
4. Provides incentives to preserve some of the old customs and traditions, crafts, traditional festivals, architecture, food and other practices unique to certain cultures.
5. Given that services are often provided by residents of the village, rural tourism benefits the village in that there is greater cooperation among villagers as they operate the local enterprise of providing for the tourists.
6. Provides opportunities for mutual sharing of cultures. Hopefully, these encounters will result in greater understanding among peoples and closer ties to the global family.
7. Helps slow urban drift as it gives a better economic future for families in rural areas.

Activities for Tourist:

Village Exploration 

Tourists who are interested in experiencing the tribal life, Chaugan village is a absolutely right place for them. You can converse with the indigenous people in the village and know about their lifestyle. You can also take a walk around the village enjoying its beauty. Explore the forts, palaces and tribal dynasties of the village.

Village stay 

If you are planning to stay here for the longer time to can also hire the cottages in the village. During the day time you can venture in the fields. You may glimpse the villagers working hard in the fields. If you want you can also work with with the tribals in the farms.

Forest Safari

Tourists can also take the forest safari along with the forest officials. Notice the various herbal plants in the jungle, pluck the Mahua and Tendu leaves as well as collect fresh honey from the forest. The taste of pure jungle honey is really yummy.

Learn Handicraft and Wood Art

Chaugan Villagers are expert in making handicrafts items out of the fiber and bamboo. A famous plant species known as Ram Phul is used to make beautiful wood items. If you are interested in learning the art and crafts work from the villagers you can stay at their houses and learn this unique art. Wood carvings are the another major attractions of Chaugan village which can be collected as souvenir. You can also witness the process of harvesting honey in the dense forests, which can never fail to impress you.

Rural Dance of the Chaugan Village

On the tour to the Chaugan Village you can be a part of the indigenous dances performed by the local tribal villagers. Karma, Shaila and Dadariya are the main form of dances performed in the village. You can simply enjoy the dance and music or you may also wear the traditional costumes and participate in the dance.

Visit places nearby

How to Reach:

By Air:Jabalpur is the nearest airport, 97 Km away from Mandla district, while Nagpur, 250 Km away from Mandla is the nearest most convenient airport.

By Rail: Jabalpur is the nearest railhead. Daily trains between Delhi and Jabalpur are Mahakoshal Exp. (16:25) and Gondwana Express (14:30), while Mumbai is connected through the Mahanagari Exp. (00:10), Rajendra Ngr Exp. (23:40), Kolkata Mail (21:25), LTT RJPB Exp. (22:10) and Gorakhpur Express (6:35). Other major trains plying to Jabalpur include Sanghamitra Exp. (Bangalore-Jabalpur, 6:57, Tue & Fri) and Varanasi Exp. (Chennai-Jabalpur, 17:30, Mon & Sat).

By Road: There are regular to and fro bus services available from Jabalpur to Mandla. Cars can be hired from all the nearby towns to reach Mandla. The drive from Nagpur to Mandla  takes around 6 hours by car. The travel up to Seoni (130 km) on the Jabalpur National Highway is a smooth drive. From Seoni, take a right turn to Keolari, Nainpur and Chiraidongri to finally reach the Mandla. Another option is the drive from Jabalpur (well connected by train to major Indian cities) via Tikaria and Mandla.

Source of Information is Internet, Might vary, Kindly crosscheck/reconfirm before finalizing the Tour Plan.