Slow Food: the traditional Oriya way

Long before labels were conceived to communicate a movement, food in Orissa was slow. When livelihoods depend on agriculture its only natural that people are tuned in to the cycle of nature. The consumption of food is directly linked to seasonal crops and the cycle of harvest.

Furthermore the preparation of foods from the staple crop is slow. The lack of automated mechanisms means production is in the hands of the community. What has evolved is something of a small-scale cottage industry.

Let’s take rice as an example. In Orissa there are over 100 varieties of rice grain. From this we see multiple forms of rice preparation; boiled, puffed, pressed, ground, roasted and fermented, all done at a village level under the organization of local cooperatives.

This short film demonstartes how one such preparation sustains an entire village. Grass Routes has always advocated locally produced food. All our camping trips and many of our village visits support village-led cottage industries. Not only does it sustain local communities but it keeps tradition alive and tastes good too!

‘Ukhuda’ a delicious rice and jaggary preparation akin to Rice Bubbles made in Orissa.

Puri's Vanishing Beach

Soil erosion at Puri beach has been a concern of Grass Routes since its conception and we adamantly oppose the rampant construction along Puri’s shoreline in direct contravention if Coastal Zone regulations.

Puri can boast the highest number of hotel rooms for any single destination in India. Most of the time the rooms are vacant, reaching their capacity only on specific festival occasions. The most successful area for hoteliers is on the beachfront close to the Lord Jagannath temple (don’t forget it’s a pilgrimage afterall).

Thousands of hotels have reclaimed sand dunes in recent years. Huge multi stored towers built to within an inch of the allotted property lot are stacked up along the shoreline. Waves come within 300 metres from the hotel reception desk bisected only by a newly constructed road.

All this is completely illegal. The Coastal Zone regulations of India's Central Government clearly state no construction is allowed within 500 metres of the shore. The road providing access to more hotels should never have been built and is already crumbling; the fragile sand barrier unable to hold all the tar and metal.

Construction materials for these hotels inevitably require sand to mix with concrete (construction material of choice). The sand is illegally dredged from the town’s sweet water zone; an area where no construction is permitted (deconstruction reigns supreme). The town’s water supply depends entirely on this water, which for the first time is showing acute signs of running out. Boaring further into the earth is not a viable option as below this level the water is saline.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what is undeniably an environmental disaster. India is slowly waking up and this program recently screened on NDTV indicates greater concern and awareness. I just hope its not too late. If the state Government do not step in to enforce regulations soon, there may be nothing left to save.

Indigenous communities struggle against mining magnate

Another poignant portrayal of the Dongria Kondh's struggle against mining of their sacred homeland.

A dynamic indigneous community nestled in the south western hills of Orissa continue to protest against corporate interests in the mountain they revere as God and have called home for centuries.

Machines have moved in and time is running out.

You can help save a precious mountain rich in biodiversity. Add your voice to this dynamic indigenous community. Send a letter here.

Find out more about Survival International's campaign here.

Travels in Troubled Nations

I’ve just returned from a journey that extended overland from Delhi to Lahore and up the Karakoram Highway to the ancient Silk Route outpost of Kashgar in China. We proceeded by train to Lhasa and worked our way south via Mt Everest to Kathmandu. I don’t wish to analyse or over simplify the social & political situation of either country here, rather put forward my own humble impressions.

Crossing the Wagah border into Pakistan the warmth and genuine hospitality is immediately palpable. It is easy to be lulled into a sense of security, nonetheless we decide to forego Swat in favour of more time in the Hunza Valley. On our way up from Lahore we bump into a television crew filming a travel segment and a newly outfitted army convey stoically making their way to the battlefield.

Braving the 45 degree steep hairpins & pencil thin roads of the Karakoram, we inch past landslides & vicarious road construction into China. The day we reach Kashgar we hear of heavy altercations in the Swat Valley resulting in thousands of refugees. Our journey in Pakistan abounds in fond personal memories, but persistent headlines remind us of the increasingly fragile security situation in the face of the Taliban.

But China doesn’t have any security issues. That it wants to talk about.

Swept along by Tibetan pilgrims we circumambulate the Jorkhang Temple located at the core of Lhasa and at the very heart of Tibetan culture. The security personal appointed by the government to protect the temple march in groups of six in the opposite direction, counter to local customs. Security cameras bare down on the public square and rooftops are dotted with armed guards. Monestary complexes echo ghost towns as monks sit in jail awaiting liberation.

My heart swells to think of the open friendliness of the common men and women in Pakistan, despite terrorism being a very real part of the everyday. In start contrast I was affronted by communism and capitalism in China. We met friendly people but never came close to the heart of matters in China. The landscape in Tibet is simply stunning and like nothing else on this earth, however the dullness in the eyes of its people will overshadow and haunt me.

In the end its clear what matter most to me when I travel; the people make the place. I’ll hold onto moments of spontaneous happiness shared with strangers along the road and cherish open approaches to difference. Travelling is afterall a privileged opportunity to draw strength from our incredible diversity.

GREEN Circuit 'LIVE" Launch

24th April – The Green Circuit was launched ‘LIVE’ amidst the Responsible Travel Network Meeting at SATTE, New Delhi. This is a collaborative initiative started by socialtours.com in February, which was pitched at ITB Berlin at the last network meeting.

This new product offers clients an excellent opportunity to experience a selection of the best ‘responsible’ products in the Indian sub-continent. One can land at any of the many international airports, or arrive at a train station to start the journey, all of it is done overland within the sub-continent, so as to reduce carbon emissions. One can then finish off at an international airport or a train station, choose to continue the trip in one continuous circuit, or come back another time to continue on with the next journey.

The circuit is being jointly marketed, meaning it can be booked individually, or together with any of the partner operators. It is also being offered in international retail travel portals. Again, working on responsibility ethos, it is customizable, so can be broken up into smaller trips to fit traveler requirements.

We believe the scalability of the product, and it is meant to be inclusive, not exclusive, working on the ethos of responsibility, but at this stage, we are offering select products from these four operators, to smoothen out logistic challenges with zero compromise on visitor experience. Once this phase is over, we will open it to other products and operators, who are no doubt, also responsible.

The GREEN Circuit can currently be viewed at:
www.socialtours.com
www.helptourism.com/blog
www.tourdust.com

And coming soon on
www.theblueyonder.com
www.grassroutesjourneys.com
www.traveltocare.com

We invite international operators to talk to us to determine ways to market it. And also travelers to come to these websites, make enquires and/or book directly with us.

GREEN Circuit LAUNCH

The GREEN circuit is a special initiative uniting the best eco-trips in the indian sub-continent. Joined together by ground travel (preferred to air) to reduce carbon emissions, travellers can access magnificent overland eco-adventures.

Currently serviced by four pioneering operators in their respective regions, travellers can take in one trip at a time, or link them together for the ultimate India experience.

share our passion
We are deeply passionate about people and nature! Therefore, we make serious efforts during our trips at creating an enabling environment where this interaction can happen. Combine this with well designed trips, responsible travel practices and negation of carbon footprint, and you have with us an irresistable holiday offer, aimed to exceed your holiday expectations, with utmost regard to your safety, gentle on our environment and at the same time maximizing contribution to the local economy.


View Green Circuit, Indian Subcontinent in a larger map

Responsible Tourism Networking Event at SATTE

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on April 24th, 2009

Following the success of Responsible Tourism networking events held at WTM in November 2007 & 2008 and at ITB in March 2009, the event at SATTE is an exciting opportunity to meet passionate responsible tourism players from across the world. The open format provides businesses opportunities to share their initiatives and broadcast how you help conserve the natural environment and support local communities and economies.

The event will be broadcast live across thanks to Travelmole's VISION on Sustainable Tourism. A truly global event and a more cost-effective and sustainable way of networking!