Anegundi Village - Karnataka
Anegundi is a small, traditional village across the Tungabhadra river set in the background of the famous World Heritage Site of Hampi. It was linked with the first administrative centres of Vijaynagara which was an empire of the golden age of India, reaching its zenith during 1510-1542 AD. The village has a population of 3018, most of whom live in small whitewashed houses with wooden pillars lining the street. The small cosmos like valleys created by boulder hills are full of paddy and banana fields which are fed by the canals constructed during the Vijaynagara period that still function.
Free of the rampant commercialisation that blights Hampi Bazaar, this is a wonderful place to stay. Much of the old defensive wall is intact and there are numerous small temples worth a visit. Realising that to appreciate and be involved in conserving ancient lineage and historic surroundings, the villagers of Anegundi must be self-sufficient with sustainable economic support, the Union government under its rural tourism scheme, formed a trust named Kishkindha to build capacity in the villagers to maintain business incubators.
The main activities taken up engaging the localites, were improving the village surroundings through landscaping, developing parks and gardens, putting up fences and constructing compound walls, laying roads within the panchayat limits, fixing street lights, managing solid waste and sewerage, procuring equipment required for water sports and adventure sports, introducing eco-friendly modes of transport for moving within the tourism zone and setting up reception centres.
They have also set up a craft shop offering a range of items made locally using banana fibre, an Internet cafe to help visitors keep in touch with the outer world and a restaurant to treat their taste buds. Local artforms have also been revived to entertain the visitors.
To meet contemporary needs of tourists, traditional houses in the village were converted into guest houses without disturbing their ancient looks. The villagers are earning a handsome amount by renting out these houses to the tourists. |
