The rural villages are a naturally enchanting paradise. They teach us to calibrate our lifestyle, if we choose to. Whether it is the farmers in the lush paddy fields ploughing with their robust buffaloes, or a solitary monk meditating amidst a thicket of trees, the magic of the village is absolutely alluring. The sight of devotee burning incense at a small shrine or the smiling face of a child picking flowers has a way of making an impression. This is the blissful charm of rural living.
The prudent Mahathma Gandhi once declared, “The soul of India lives in its villages.” We can agree that the soul of any country lives breathes and is reborn in its lush green villages. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, we see that humans need food. It is our beautiful villages that sustained us with food, for centuries. During the time of our ancient kings Sri Lanka was proudly deemed the ‘rice bowl’ of Asia, with so much interest in agriculture. Where have we come since then? Sri Lankan cuisine infused with our stellar spices has a special appeal in the global culinary arena.
For centuries our fruits, vegetables, pulses, grains and paddy (rice) were supplied from the village. It still happens that way, perhaps with a certain decline. Every rural farmer does an important job, this is why US President George Washington once stated, “Agriculture is the most healthful, useful and noble employment of mankind.”
Regional lungs
The villages not only provide us food. They are the pillars of our bio-diversity systems. They are the regional lungs of oxygen that balance, restore and renew the ozone layer above Sri Lanka. Villages that border forests have an important role in co-existence and the protection of wildlife, including our magnificent elephants and leopards. How many can say they are a nemophilist (a person who loves the forest, its beauty and solitude)? Our forest cover must be increased which in turn augments some villages. The Japanese have appreciated sunlight so much that they coined a word komorebi – the beauty of sunlight filtering through trees.
Villages are deeply connected to tourism in Sri Lanka. Where do tourists spend majority of a holiday? Except for the first and last day (to the Airport) of their visit the entire stay is spent touring our villages. So over the decades our villages laden with culture, history, religious tradition, ayurveda, ancient handicrafts, dance forms and multi-ethnic cuisine are the primary showcase of Sri Lankan tourism. Be it the Kandyan hills, the rice fields of Polonnaruwa, the citadels of Anuradhapura, the magnificent kovils of Jaffna, the blissful beaches of Matara or the salubrious tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya – all of these are village landscapes. There was a surge in eco-tourism a decade ago.
On a long train journey to any part of the island, we enjoy the natural undisturbed landscapes. The present global trend is agro-tourism, where families (mainly domestic tourists) visit large farms and cultivations and stay on site, learning about all the activities. The menu is made mainly from all the harvested products on site. Does this not accentuate the importance of sustainability and protecting the village network?
Most villagers buy their groceries in cloth bags or paper bags – no dramatic recycling. People cycle and pound their curry powder – they don’t rely on aerobics. The village lifestyle firmly incorporates the teaching of religious doctrines moderately, in a more pragmatic manner and neighbours truly know each other by name. A stronger sense of community is important as it enhances mental well-being. Ethnic unity is a vital part of national security. Incidentally villages have a lesser crime rate with most crimes amounting to petty theft or a land dispute. Children must have the chance to rear a pet and know the value of a life, like it happens in the villages. It is an envied fact that rural people live healthier and longer than city people. The village diet is full of natural ingredients and devoid of artificial additions.
Global climate change
The existence of village forests in the region directly or indirectly contributes to efforts to mitigate global climate change. The diversity of organisms found in forest areas become a determining factor for the intensity and income of the community. In general, forest ecosystems provide ecological, economic, hydrological and area protection.The community in everyday life is closely related to forests and forest ecosystems. Intensive interaction between the community and forest areas has been going on for several centuries and provides mutually beneficial relationships.
Tourism development and the arrival of tourists have created new social and economic functions and opportunities for the residents of the villages. There are various types of tourism, one of the most popular of which is rural tourism. The importance and popularity of this type of tourism is such that experts in the field of tourism believe that villages will become one of the most important destinations for tourists in the future. This type of tourism shows the life, culture, art, and heritage of rural areas and benefits the local community socially and economically. It also provides connections between tourists and local communities to enrich the tourist experience.
Rural tourism refers to a structured form of tourism in which tourists stay for some time in villages and surrounding areas (often traditional villages in remote areas) and get information about villages, local culture, ways of life, and customs of the people. These tourists often participate in some rural activities as well. In this type of tourism, the villagers themselves are the owners and managers of the tourism facilities and in this way directly benefit from the benefits of tourism.
Globally in the past two years more people are choosing to spend their retirement in their ancestral villages, especially those who still own a house. It is our duty not to pollute the village lifestyle, especially in a social and moral sense. Strategic development in any sphere must preserve the rural beauty and hold the community together. Our villages are the very foundation of Sri Lanka. These elements of village life must be kept alive for future generations.
Dishan Joseph