Under the Prime Minister Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan, a cluster based homestay project has been approved for the Bagicha Mayali Jashpur belt. Thirty new homestays will come up across six tribal villages: Kinkel, Kamtara, Dangri, Mahnai, Sarudhap and Pandrapath. Each village will host five units. The project is estimated at about 1.80 crore rupees and includes basic community facilities at the village level. The goal is to move beyond hotel led tourism and connect visitors directly with local families, culture and landscapes.
This is more than a set of rooms. It is a model that turns a stay into an experience and an experience into income. Tourists will live with families, share meals, learn about folk traditions and explore nearby sites like Kailash Cave, Khudiyarani Cave, Badalkhol Sanctuary, Ranidah waterfall, Desdekha hill and Loroghat. With better stay options, visitor duration is likely to rise. That means more demand for local guides, drivers, cooks, artisans and performers. It means more sales for traditional food, crafts and farm produce. When tourism spends in villages, the multiplier effect is real. A rupee earned by a homestay host often circulates through the same community.
Why does this matter. Tribal and rural tourism can preserve culture while creating jobs. It gives young people a reason to stay and build at home. It gives women a platform to earn from skills they already have. It gives visitors an authentic view of Chhattisgarh beyond postcard spots. The state’s tourism leadership has said the priority is to link tribal culture and local livelihoods to tourism in a way that delivers direct economic benefit. A community based model does exactly that. It makes the host a partner, not a spectator.
The real test will be execution and standards. Will homestays be built with local materials and designs that reflect the region. Will hygiene, safety and basic amenities meet visitor expectations without erasing local character. Will training in hospitality, food safety and guiding be provided before the first guest arrives. Will pricing be fair and transparent so that benefits are shared and not captured by a few. Will waste, water and energy be managed so that tourism does not degrade the very environment people come to see. And will marketing connect these villages to real demand, not just launch events.
If these pieces fall into place, the cluster can become a template for other districts. Jashpur has the assets. It has caves, forests, waterfalls, hills and a living tribal culture. What it needs is a chain that links arrival to stay, stay to experience and experience to income. That is the true measure of this push: not just the number of rooms added, but the number of households lifted and the culture sustained.
Author: This news is edited by: Abhishek Verma, (Editor, CANON TIMES)
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