News & Updates
Nanda Devi Recognized by Conde Nast as a Remarkable Ecotourism Destination: A Major Boost for Local Community Efforts
The mountain paradise of Nanda Devi has been named runner-up in the destination category for the prestigious 2004 Condé Nast Traveler’s Ecotourism Awards. In the tenth anniversary of the competition, 91 candidates vied for awards in three categories including destination, tour operator, and lodge/resort. A panel of judges representing ecotourism and general tourism markets evaluated […]
Natural Dyes Workshop
June 24-27, 2004 Conducted in Lata by Arpana of Dastkar, an organization dedicated to improving the economic status of craftspeople and promoting the survival of traditional crafts, the workshop aimed to revive Bhotiya dyeing traditions and share methods from various other parts of India where Dastkar operates. The crux of its programme is to help […]
Painting Hopes: Nanda Devi Artists’ Workshop 2004
Over twenty artists from the Uttarakhand Kalakar Samiti made their way to Lata over the summer of 2004 to attend a week-long retreat, drawing inspiration from the scenic beauty of Nanda Devi to paint their aspirations and dreams. Modeled on the tradition of artists’ camps that has brought sculptors and painters together in remote locales […]
Chipko Remembered amidst Nostalgia and Conflict
Jagigyan hum, beejigyan hum; Ab ni chalali choron ki Ghor apuna, baun apuna; Ab ni chalali auron ki (We have risen, we are awake; No longer will thiefs rule our destiny It is our home, our forests; No longer will the others decide for us) Maatu hamru, paani hamru, hamra hi chhan yi baun bhi […]
Chipko Anniversary
Villages of the Niti Valley commemorate the direct action that saved their community forests and inspired a generation of women to struggle for forest rights in the Indian Himalayas. On 26 March, 2004, the villages of the Niti Valley celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the Chipko Movement. Villagers and guests held a mass meeting in […]
Protests Over Governmental Cooptation of Chipko Celebration
The thirtieth Anniversary of Chipko Andolan in Reni, the village of late Gaura Devi, the inspiration of this Andolan, was celebrated with great pomp and show. However the villagers of Lata protested the fact that it was made into a governmental celebration that had kept people out. They showed their anger by shouting slogans against […]
Chipko Anniversary Greetings
The following messages were translated and posted in the Lata village square as part of the Chipko anniversary celebrations: From: irene.dankelman@hetnet.nl Date: 2004/03/25 Thu 05:45:49 EST Irene Dankelman in the Netherlands writes: Dear women of the Chipko movement and men supporters, Your work and struggles have inspired so many of us, for years and years! […]
The Story of Nanda Devi is on the Internet
Dainik Jagran 15 February, 2004 (Special Sunday Edition) In the old days people listened to stories from their elders sitting around the fire. Nowadays with information technologies these stories are told through the internet and social workers and students take the place of elders. Away from the chatting culture of cybercafes in the capital Dehra […]
Unsung heroes honoured at First Nanda Devi Women’s Festival
On the eve of the Republic Day, Gram Sabha Lata in Chamoli District hosted the first Nanda Devi Women’s Festival. The striking feature of the festival was the recognition granted to achievements of the region’s women. It was a memorable sight to watch Bhotia women in their traditional dress attending the fair with unprecedented enthusiasm. […]
Chipko commemorates Gaura Devi incident
(Dehra Dun, January 31) On 26 March 1974 Gaura Devi with other women at Reni village in Chamoli Garhwal drew worldwide attention by adopting a noble non-violence method of saving trees by hugging with trees and saying, “First cut us, before cutting our trees.” The women forced the contractors to abandon the forest without cutting […]
