7 Offbeat Villages in India To Visit in 2024

Offbeat Villages in India

Do you know that Mawlynnong, a village in Meghalaya, is recognized as the CLEANEST village in ASIA?

Tourists often visit Mawlynnong to experience its clean and serene environment.

India is full of extraordinary tourist destinations unparalleled anywhere in the world.

We… pic.twitter.com/jKQWuzz7t5

— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) January 9, 2024

Mawlynnong, Meghalaya: Asia's Cleanest Village

Nestled in the East Khasi Hills, Mawlynnong has earned international recognition as Asia's cleanest village. This pristine hamlet showcases the Khasi community's commitment to environmental sustainability, with living root bridges and treehouse viewpoints offering spectacular vistas of the Bangladesh plains. The village's waste management system and community-driven cleanliness initiatives serve as a model for sustainable tourism.

Malana, Himachal Pradesh

Known as the "Village of Taboos," Malana is one of India's oldest democracies, with a unique parliamentary system dating back centuries. Perched at 9,938 feet in the Parvati Valley, this isolated village maintains its ancient customs and believes its residents are descendants of Alexander the Great's soldiers. The village's distinct architecture and strict social code make it a fascinating cultural study.

Longwa, Nagaland

Straddling the India-Myanmar border, Longwa offers a unique experience where visitors can literally keep one foot in India and another in Myanmar. Home to the Konyak tribe, once famous headhunters, the village showcases traditional Naga architecture, including the Angh's (chief's) house, which lies exactly on the international border. The village's location and rich tribal heritage make it an anthropologist's paradise.

Kutch's Hodka, Gujarat

This vibrant village in the Great Rann of Kutch is renowned for its traditional handicrafts and distinctive bhungas (circular mud houses with intricate mirror work). Hodka's artisans create spectacular embroidery, leatherwork, and pottery, while the surrounding white desert provides a stunning backdrop during the winter months. The village's homestay programme offers authentic cultural immersion.

Don't Miss:5 Offbeat Destinations In North Bengal You Must Visit

Ziro Valley's Hong Village, Arunachal Pradesh

Home to the Apatani tribe, Hong Village in the Ziro Valley presents a remarkable example of sustainable agriculture and resource management. The village is known for its unique face tattoo traditions among elderly women and its sustainable fish-paddy cultivation method. The annual Ziro Music Festival has put this remote village on the global cultural map.

Nako, Himachal Pradesh

At 12,014 feet in the Kinnaur district, Nako appears frozen in time. This high-altitude village features ancient Buddhist monasteries, a sacred lake, and traditional Kinnauri architecture. The surrounding apple orchards and snow-capped peaks create a mesmerising landscape that changes dramatically with seasons.

Kumbalangi, Kerala

India's first model tourist village, Kumbalangi showcases Kerala's backwater life at its authentic best. The village has transformed itself into an eco-tourism destination while preserving its traditional fishing culture. Visitors can experience Chinese fishing nets, mangrove forests, and local crab farming, all while staying in traditional Kerala houses.

These offbeat villages offer more than just scenic beauty; they provide windows into India's diverse cultural heritage and traditional ways of life that have remained largely unchanged by modernisation.

Don't Miss:Top 5 Best Places To Visit In Azerbaijan

Keep reading Herzindagi for more such stories.

Herzindagi.com is Jagran New Media's gender and lifestyle vertical, catering to women of all age groups, helping them remain updated, on-trend and aware. To improve our performance and understand our readers' interests better, we have created this poll. This will take 2 minutes of your time, do help us out with this link.

Image Courtesy: Freepik