Maharashtra Rural Village Tour Itinerary –
Day 01: Delhi – Fly from Delhi to Mumbai on a 2 hour 15 min flight across 1163 km. Our representatives will receive you at the airport and transfer you to Walvanda by travelling across 125 km within 3 hours. Meet and greet your host family in the village. Unpack and make yourself at home. Interact with the family which is hosting you; go for a walk in the village and interact with the villagers. Try cooking while your dinner is being cooked so that you get lessons in preparing a typical Maharashtrian cuisine. Maybe, you can learn to make a nice round bhakri (flat bread). Sleep for the night.
Day 02: Exploring the Walvanda VillageWake up early morning and have a sumptuous breakfast. Situated in the Warli district in Thane, the natives of Walwanda are the Warli tribes. Today you’ll be interacting with the Warli people. These people make art work by minimalistic use of geometric forms to showcase scenes from daily life of the villages. The homes of the Warli tribes are decorated with this artwork. We’ll be visiting a Warli home to appreciate this indigenous artwork of the Warli tribe which is well known as ‘Warli art’. We have organized for you to get a few warli art lessons from an artisan, so that you get the knack of the art. The Warli art can be used to decorate walls, fabrics, pottery, and many other surfaces, and is much in demand. Have lunch and tour the fields in the village. Later in the evening enjoy the Warli people’s folk dance done on a tarpa instrument with a bonfire. Have a traditional dinner in Warli house, and return to your host house for sleep.
Day 03: Exploring the Dehna VillageEarly morning after breakfast, we leave for our next destination which is Dehna by travelling 106 km within 3 hours. Dehna has a rustic charm to it and is a village situated much in the interior. This village is blessed with emerald green forests and fields, the gushing and frothing river Sai, and warm inhabitants which make for a great stay here. Upon arrival, meet the family with whom you will be staying. The simplicity and affection of the people here is sure to get your heart. After lunch, go around the village talking with villagers, ask the people of their daily lives and experiences, find children to play some fun games, may be learn one or two folk songs from them, find the old people to know about the history of the village, The Western ghats surrounding the village are covered in forests make for a great hike. You can also go for swimming in the Sai River and/or compete in tree climbing with the locals. Or simply walk along the natural trail in the forest. There is Samadhi of Saint Valmiki situated here which can be visited. And do try to learn to dress up in traditional attire. At the end of the day enjoy bonfire and traditionally cooked food, and have a sound sleep.
Day 04: Dehna – PurushwadiWake up in the fresh air of Dehna to Travel for about 4 hours, crossing 132 km to reach Purushwadi. Purushwadi literally means a place of ‘purush’ i.e. ‘men’ is a matriarchal village and is ruled by Goddess Zakobai. This village is adopted by an NGO called Grassroutes, which promotes eco-tourism here, thereby providing the rural folks of this village a source of income. Thus, in Purushwadi, undoubtedly you’ll be welcomed with warmth and smiles from the Mahadeo Koli tribe which is the occupant of this village. After lunch, you can meet with the person who has knowledge of the local flora and fauna, so that he’ll tell you information about the varieties of endemic trees and plants in the village. If you are visiting Purushwadi, during the end of May or first two weeks of June, this is the time for fireflies’ festival and you can spot a number of fireflies while touring the village late in evening and at night. Have dinner and rest for the night.
Day 05: Exploring the Purushwadi VillageWake up early morning and visit Zakobai temple. Getting the early morning ‘aarti’ is a must. You can go trekking along the mountain near the Kurkundi river, the mountain slopes are lined with mango trees and one can indulge in mango plucking if you are visiting during summer in May. On the way back, go for a swim in Kurkundi. One can also indulge in crab catching. After lunch, pack your bags and leave for travelling 232km within 6 hour 45 minutes to reach the Bajarwadi village in Pune, Maharashtra. Meet your hosts in the village, have a refreshing traditional dinner, and rest for the night.
Day 06: Exploring the Bajarwadi VillageAfter breakfast in the morning, you’ll be exploring this beautiful village of Bajarwadi. Far away from the hustle of the city, you can take your time, breathing in lungfuls of fresh air and interacting with locals. Go for a bullock cart ride to tour the agricultural fields and get involved in the agricultural activities that are being carried out. Rice is the main staple food here, so that a visit to the paddy fields is not to be missed. Visit a poultry farm, and also visit ‘Akhada’ and witness ‘Kusti’. Visit Mr. Shankar Shinde who has invented various indigenous tools which can be helpful for the villagers in farming. You can visit his place and learn about his inventions. Whole day long you can just soak in the beauty and simplicity of this village.
Day 07: Bajarwadi – DelhiIn the morning wake up, have a fulfilling breakfast, thank your hosts and leave to reach Pune airport by crossing 71 km within 2 hours 10 minutes. Our representatives will drop you at Pune Airport, from where you’ll catch a 2 hours 10 minutes flight back to Delhi crossing approximately 1160 km