FOREST OF THE GODS

The ethereal deodar forest of Devalsari

Tall trees of deodar extend their boughs high up towards the blue sky in devotion. The forest is so dense that it gives an ethereal feeling to the lesser mortals like me. As we drove beyond Thatyur – a small sleepy Himalayan town – the narrow and endlessly winding mountain road along the Paaligaad stream took us to the northern aspect of the mountain beyond Bhangseel village carpeted by thick and green forest dominated by deodar trees. Botanically known as Cedrus deodara, the word deodar means ‘tree of the gods.’ Rightly, the very imposing architecture of the tree implies a sense of heavenly descendance. Leaving our car behind near Pujalda village, we take a short walk of about half-a-kilometer to the Forest Rest House that could be as old as 95 years! Excited as we were, the sight of a yellow throated marten ambling through the scrubs and bushes was a surprise welcome gift for us. The trail through bushes of Prinsepia utilis, Berberis chitria and Zanthoxylum armatum, crossing over a small foot-bridge, lead us into the magnificent deodar forest. We are at Devalsari!

The path to tranquility

Devalsari -nestled in the Himalayas - is situated near Thatyur in Jaunpur Block of Uttarakhand in India. An altitude of 1700 metres and above means pleasant weather in summer and chilling cold in winter. The forests of Devalsari are more than a thousand hectares in area, predominated by large tracts of forests dominated by the deodar trees. The elegantly tall deodar trees stretch upwards to the sky in a very dense formation that restricts the sun to lit up the forest with just a few of its rays touching the litter laden forest floor. Several trees are massive in size having very broad trunks while some have thinner. A small natural spring originating in the forest yields cool, sweet and crystal clear water that no packaged water can match! The temple of Lord Shiva having a typical architecture not only reflects the cultural beauty of Devalsari but also adds divinity to thick forests here. Awed by the mystic forest, I was keen to know its management history. “Are these forests of plantation origin? How did it grow here? When were the last silvicultural felling done in these forests?” I asked the chowkidar and a couple of other villagers present there. They replied “it is a natural forest and we are not aware of any kind of felling in it.” Further discussions lead to interesting story behind the origin of this magnificent forest. Legend has it that the area was once upon a time a very productive paddy field. The villagers grew the traditional red variety of paddy locally known as ‘chowari’ in the area. The harvest was rich bestowing prosperity upon the farmers. Once a saint like man arrived at the village and requested for a piece of land where he could stay and settle down. However, the villagers weren’t much happy about the request and turned it down. Agitated, the mysterious saint then cursed the villagers – “today there is chowari on the field, tomorrow there will be devari here!” Next day, when the farmers reached their agricultural land, they were surprised to see their fields converted into forests of deodar – locally known as devari. And thus evolved the name Devalsari. Even today the villagers revere the Devalsari forest as being sacred. Conservation of forests and wildlife has been a traditional and cultural practice throughout India since times immemorial in the form of sacred groves and larger sacred landscapes. These sacred groves have stood the test of time and withstood the ever spreading tentacles of development and subsequent destruction. 

Magnificent deodar trees

“If the forest has a legend, the temple might also have one?” I queried further. “Yes! There were plants of bhekal on the site where temple is situated now” said the chowkidar as he narrated story behind the more-than-two hundred-years old temple. Bhekal is a shrub botanically christened as Prinsepia utilis seen abundantly in and around deodar forests in the Himalayas. Long time ago, a farmer of nearby Kinsu village noticed that one of his cows disappeared for some time during the day while other cows grazed and returned to the home by evening. This cow, also gave lesser milk upon return in the evening. Curiosity made him follow the cow secretly. As he pursued the cow hiding himself out of its sight, the strange sight of his cow took him by surprise and anger as well. As he watched from behind the bushes, the cow stood gently over stone and milk streamed out of its udder falling on the stone. He murmured to himself “now I know why this cow gives less milk in the evening! She is wasting her milk on a stone!” Furious, he rushed to the cow and struck the stone with the blunt side of his axe as hard as he could in desperation. Though a corner of the stone chipped off, the axe bounced back and struck his forehead. He couldn’t remove the axe that had thrust into his forehead. With a bleeding forehead, the axe blade still thrust into it, he reached the village and narrated the entire incidence. The villagers assumed that the stone had some divine powers associated with Lord Shiva. The stone was then shifted from there and placed inside the deodar forest by constructing a temple. Since, corner of the stone was chipped off by the axe, the deity is also known as koneshwar maharaj – Kona being the word for corner in local language. The deity was revered previously by five villages that it guarded – Theva, Bhangseel, Theek, Pujaldi and Bhainsyari. When the deity was taken to these villages in palki (palanquin), it is said that while passing through Kinsu, the palki was covered by a blanket as the deity did not want to see the people of Kinsu village. However, due to some disputes, the villagers of Bhainsyari constructed their own temple in their village and the palki is no more taken to Bhainsyari through Kinsu these days.

Temple of Lord Shiva at Devalsari

The tales associated with Devalsari are as interesting and as beautiful as the deodar forests. Devalsari is an integration of culture, tradition and ecology. As beliefs associated with the mythical forest keeps the villagers grounded to their rich culture and traditions, the forest also ensures ecological stability in the region. The enigmatic forest of Devalsari is also an abode of rich biodiversity including medicinal plants, butterflies and a plethora of birds. Tucked far away from the maddening chaos of urbanization, bestowed with divine beauty, Devalsari truly, is Forest of the Gods!