Dehradun, 20 kms from the state capital of Dehradun, tucked away on the Dehradun-Thano road in village Siriyon is a unique home-stay called, Dindyaali.
Recently renovated and fixed with modern amenities, this is a traditional Garhwali two-storied homestay. Complete with a meditation hall on top and three rooms on the ground floor, Dindyaali is an ideal get-away from the city madness to enjoy the serene, calm surroundings of Siriyon and treat your taste buds on some traditional flavours of our hills.
A joint venture of Raturi and Naithani family turned their ancestral house into a pahadi homestay. The idea was to give those who walked through its doors, a true flavor of Uttarakhand on the lines of its motto, ‘atithi devo bhawa.’
The highlight of the visit is the traditional welcome, the traditional attire and jewellery worn by passionate host and hostess, and of course, nothing beats the lip-smacking, authentic Pahadi food like freshly grounded chutney, kaafli, chaisu, phaada, jhangura ki kheer, koday ki roti served on bio-degradable cutlery, to guests comfortably sitting on the ground, pahadi style.
Badrish Chhabra from Dehradun visited Dindyaali a few days back and is full of praise for the place, “it feels as if I am sitting somewhere in the hills, far away from the city. The flavours and ambience of Dindyaali brought back memories of childhood spent in the the interiors of Uttarakhand. Simply amazing,” is what this Pahadi sardar had to say. And others who have been through its doors, promise to return soon.
Giving us more insight, Navendu Raturi tells us, “We will be organising a, ‘pahadi theme party on the 31st of January for 50 guests. Complete with pahadi food, culture and traditional games, the guests can re-learn dancing steps of thadiya and chouffla, our traditional dances.”
For now, Dindyaali easily homes ten people, but the family is working on increasing their space in tune with their surrounding. They can want to open their doors and hearth to guests who come looking for more than just your run of the mill, regular, home-stay close to Dehradun.
