Backyard Cultural Tourism

The article explores a tourist village in Bangalore where affluent Indians can experience a rural lifestyle. It is the showcasing of all things old, traditional and rural -- which are less and less a part of the lives of many Indians.

1 minute read

January 16, 2008, 6:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg

"The village, Hessargatta - just outside India's IT capital, Bangalore - is designed to encourage the preservation of some of India's rural traditions.

It offers visitors the chance to qualify in tasks like milking cows and looking after the other animals, such as turkeys, ducks, chickens and dogs."

"It's really a swap-over situation, where the people ..... are thinking 'what have we forgotten and neglected', and then they travel and do their tour of duty to show they're reconnected with their culture."

"Designed to be environmentally-friendly, the village swimming pool is in fact a pond, and kept clean by aquatic plants rather than chemicals. The plants feed on the skin tissue shed when swimming.

There is also an open area, on which residents play traditional village games and fly kites, and a temple."

Thanks to Nandita Godbole

FULL STORY: India's wealthy go back to nature

Monday, January 14, 2008 in BBC

History / Preservation India

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