Through the thin white barks of Eucalyptus trees, the first rays of sunrise promise to brighten a chilly morning. I walk through a small clearing in the field, amid dark green shrubs dotted with white, and extend my hand towards what look like snow-flakes, only they don’t melt at my touch. If you haven’t yet guessed, I’m strolling amid cotton fields. The seeds have burst, and the cotton is blooming.
The smell of fresh earth, mixed with oxygen-laden air makes me feel a little high. This must be the aroma of our soil that A.R.Rehman refers to in his music. It’s hard to imagine that just 8 hours ago, I was soiling my lungs with city air. Closer to the farmhouse I’m staying at, the whiff of freshly cooked aloo parathas and homemade butter floats in the air. Everyone who’s ever lived in India has heard of Punjabi hospitality, but to experience it in a pind is not something you can anticipate.
Cotton shrubs, Eucalyptus trees, and a beautiful sunrise.
A hearty meal later, our friend and host at the farmhouse, invites us to walk with him through the fruit farms surrounding the area. These farms date back to the 50s, and land possession has been handed down to each generation since then. The income disparity between farm owners and the women that work in the farms is obvious, but unlike many parts of India, there is a sense of fairness, ownership and loyalty among both. I watch the women from the pind in fascination, as they expertly pluck the cotton from the shrubs and deposit it on a large cloth. This part of Ferozepur is one of the most fertile cotton belts in the country, and thanks to Google, I’m right in the middle of it.
We walk along the path between tall Eucalyptus trees on either side. Keenus are ripening from green to orange. A man is plucking ripe Guavas and collecting them on the ground. The Brown stems of Basmati Rice are ready to be cut from the fields. Men are sorting small and big Brinjals in baskets. Bitter Gourds are hiding away in their roped enclosures. Singhadas are growing out of mucky green water.
Keenu trees. Keenus belong to the orange family, and though some of these look bright orange, they haven't yet ripened. They tasted tangy!
Guava collector. He offered us some, and we gladly tried them. Easily the tastiest, softest & juiciest guavas I've ever had.
Basmati Rice fields.
The closest I’ve been to a fruit farm before this are the mango & leechee trees in the backyard of my house. I wonder if this is the India my grandparents once lived in, and immediately, I long for their slow and rich lives.
Welcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.
What a beautiful post! I want to be there too.
Thanks Debra, time to start planning a trip to India then 😉
Thanks for letting me share this great experience.
Anytime, Patti 🙂 Thanks for being a virtual part of it.
Really nice… Truly “India Untravelled”. Might I suggest informing us a little about where you stayed or how to get there? Thanks.
A little patience, Raghav 🙂 That’s exactly what https://www.facebook.com/pages/India-Untravelled-Offbeat-travel-experiences-in-rural-India/308386632506018 is going to be about!
Your post makes me want to visit Punjab!
🙂 Hope you get to visit it soon!
Aalo ke parnthe and Lassi!! Every Indian has a little bit of Punjabi in them 😉
True that. But discovering that bit in a Pind is something else!
Lucky you….for many things but for the Guava in particular! 🙂
Haha, considering myself lucky too!
🙂 ! That was the most inexpensive fruit we got in Hyd/India and it is the most expensive one in the Indian groceries here!
Agree with Debra above….I want to be right there experiencing all of that too! Insert “love/hate relationship with your travel blog” mode. 🙂
Aww, I’m sure you’re hatching a trip somewhere awesome in your head 🙂 I’m going to be swapping modes with you soon!
That story needs an ending – where is it? how do I get there?
That “ending” will come soon 🙂
awesome pics 🙂
Thanks 🙂
i am reminded of my childhood and that one day which i spent in a pind near amritsar i wish time moves backwards,pind is an awsome place to visitnat
🙂 I can imagine. Hope you get to visit it soon!
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Hi..could you tell me the name of the farm? I checked and rechecked you blog for it but couldn’t find it..:(
Your article is good,it is really useful for travellers,each and every pic so beautiful,your very good photographer,thanks for sharing the valuable information.
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