MeraPahad Community Of Uttarakhand Lovers

बद्रीनाथ की प्राचीन व्वस्था में राज दरबार के सामान यहाँ भी सिरकार खोला, वजीर, रिखवार, भटियाना और गंगखोला आदि निर्मित है ! बडगिंडा में तो एक प्राचीन जेल भी है  जहाँ से राजाओं द्वारा न्यालय लगाये जाते थे ! मान्यता है पंच बद्री और पंच केदारो के मध्य उर्गम के दवताओ को शिव ने दनावो से अभयदान दिया था ! यहाँ स्थिति कल्पेश्वर शिव का जटा रूप मन जाता था तथा कल्पवृक्ष के नीचे दुर्वाषा ऋषि ने तपस्या की थी ! उर्गम के समीप एक पल्ला पहाड़ी में काले पत्थर की खान है ! प्रचुर मात्रा में उपलब्ध होने के कारन यह मूर्ती निर्माण का प्रमुझ स्थान रहा !

       Urgam valley Deogram is one of the most resourceful villages within Urgam valley in Garhwal Himalays. The people are rich in hospitability also. The village has mythological reference in Puranas.

Kalpeshwar Temple

Kalpeshwar (Sanskrit: कल्पेश्वर) is also in Urgam Valley
 

 
Kalpeshwar (Sanskrit: कल्पेश्वर) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at an elevation of 2,200 m (7,217.8 ft) in the picturesque Urgam valley in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state in India. The temple’s ancient legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of epic Mahabharata eminence is the fifth temple of the Panch Kedars (five temples) of Shiva’s five anatomical divine forms; the other four temples in the order of their worship are Kedarnath, Rudranath, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar temples; all in the Kedar Khand region of the Garhwal Himalayas.[1][2][3] Kalpeshwar is the only Panch Kedar temple accessible throughout the year. At this small stone temple, approached through a cave passage, the matted tress (jata) of Lord Shiva is worshipped. Hence, Lord Shiva is also called as Jatadhar or Jateshwar. It is approachable only by 12 km (7.5 mi) trekking from the nearest road head of Helong on the Rishikesh-Badrinath road.
 
 

A model of eco tourism has been tried out in Urgam Valley, Joshimath, Uttarakhand. At
first the organisation – Jandesh carried out an awareness campaign for the community in
the villages for the community to understand the importance of eco tourism – dos and
donts, alternative livelihood. A similar such exercises are carried out for the persons who
are interested to come into the region for eco tourism. Thereafter, a cooperative society at
village level consisting of village level volunteers is formed for this purpose in Urgam
Valley, Joshimath. The role of the cooperative society is ensuring community ownership
of the eco tourism. The members of the cooperative society are the villagers who are
interested in eco tourism. The members pay a fee of Rs 100/- for one year besides a
monthly fee Rs 20/-. Within the cooperative society, there is Operational Committee
which looks after the needs of eco tourists, the trekking route, and information centre.
Uttarakhand offers diverse culture, flora and fauna, spiritual centres which can be
covered under eco tourism. Operational committee looks after the different means by
which the eco tourist can satisfy their urge to savour the beauty of the place. Other
community organisation like the SHGs in the area also become involved in this project by
various means like providing their traditional cottages for the night stay of the tourists.
Jandesh helps the village cooperative society by linking them with different institutions
like Youth Hostels Association of India which are interested in this project. Some of the
trekking route which has become quite popular is Helang-Kalpeswar-Dumak-Kalgut
Panar – Rudranath-Gopeswar. This route offers breathtaking natural beauty, ancient
temples like Rudranath, Kalpeswar and flora and fauna.
So far the eco tourism has offered a minimum of three months of support to the
communities. Jandesh has so far trained 15 youths to serve as guides. Organisation has
also trained 10 porters. 30 families are involved in this venture. Every family is earning
Rs 25000/- to 40000/- a year from this. This is a great support to the families which suffer
from lack of livelihood in this difficult geographical terrain.
But there is a great scope to increase the scope and reach of this project so that more and
more people are benefited by this.