If you’ve ever visited the villages of Himachal Pradesh,
you’ll know how different life here is compared to towns or cities. I was
fortunate enough to be born in one such village — Banon, located in Tehsil
Joginder Nagar of Mandi District.
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| A view of Banon in monsoon season from Machwan, Joginder Nagar, H.P. |
Banon only got connected to the main road network and the HRTC
bus service in 2010. By then, I was already 22 years old. Having grown up
here, I’ve seen first-hand how the village has transformed over the last two to
three decades.
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| A view of sunrise in the monsoon days at Banon, Drubbal, Joginder Nagar |
The Road That Changed Everything
Before the road and bus connectivity arrived, reaching Banon
was no easy task. Villagers had to trek nearly 2 km through a steep jungle
path, followed by another 2 km of rugged terrain passing through Hiyun
village, which finally connected to the Drubbal-Charonjh road.
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| A satellite view of the village and the surroundings |
Even school-going children had to follow this challenging
path every day, as Drubbal was the nearest place with a high school.
Thanks to the sincere efforts of our former MLA and HPPWD Minister, Thakur Gulab Singh, many remote villages like Banon got proper road access in the first decade of the 21st century.
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| View of the Kunkar, koon- Manh, Mandi from a bird's eye view from Banon, Joginder Nagar, H.P. |
Military Pride Runs Deep in Banon
The tough lifestyle and hilly terrain have produced many
brave hearts in this region. Out of nearly 30 families in the village,
about 10 families have at least one member serving or retired from the Indian
military or paramilitary forces.
To name a few:
- Mr.
Bhuri Singh, Mr. Beni Madhav, and Mr. Tej Ram Sharma have
retired from the ITBP.
- Mr.
Puran Chand, a retired Army soldier, has passed the legacy on to his
two sons, fondly known as Lucky and Mintu, both serving in
the military.
- Mr. Suresh Sharma currently serves in the Indian Army, making him the second from their family after his uncle, and my father, Mr. Bhuri Singh.
- Mr.
Manoj Kumar, son of Mr. Tej Ram, continues the tradition in the
ITBP.
- Mr.
Jagat Ram, Mr. Surender Singh, and Mr. Roop Lal Sharma
are all proud retired military men from the village.
In the nearby village of Machwan, just half a
kilometer away, three more families share a similar military tradition.
Others have found work in private jobs nearby.
Agriculture and Traditional Livelihoods
Agriculture here is practiced on a small scale. Only about 6
families rely solely on farming, cattle, buffalo, goats, and sheep for
their livelihood. These families largely belong to the Brahmin community,
deeply rooted in the cultural and spiritual traditions of the region.
Here's a short video capturing the villagers’ love for their
cattle and buffaloes:
(Video placeholder)
Apart from farming, many villagers take up traditional
occupations like cooking and serving meals at cultural events such as weddings,
locally known as ‘bot-chara’. Some also serve as pundits (priests),
a respected role limited to Brahmins. Notably, Mr. Gauri and Mr. Jiva
Nand from Banon are well-known pundits in the region.
Farming here is not easy. Ploughing is still done using
bulls, as the steep, terraced fields don’t allow for modern machinery.
Protecting crops like rice and maize from rabbits, monkeys, bears, and
other wildlife is a constant struggle. Monkeys, in particular, have
become a huge menace, with many farmers abandoning their lands altogether.
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| Hanging the grass bundles on trees, Banon, Joginder Nagar, H.P. |
Grass-cutting is another tough task as the grasslands are
tilted at nearly 80 degrees. Despite the availability of LPG and
electricity, many still rely on firewood from the forests — the only fuel
known to them just two decades ago.
Daily Life and Challenges
Children here grow up helping their parents with household
chores after school. There’s no medical dispensary in the village, but perhaps
they rarely need one — thanks to their pure diet, hard physical work, and clean
mountain air, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone overweight here.
Women play a major role, working in the fields year-round,
often managing everything on their own while their husbands are away earning.
While nearly every home has a television, people here rarely have time to sit
idle.
The village has a reliable water supply system, sourcing water from a nearby stream, which is pumped to a storage tank and distributed across four villages. Clean air, abundant water, and peaceful surroundings — it’s no wonder that people from cities come to such places in search of peace and meditation.
Culture and Traditions
A short 2 km walk (or 8 km by road) takes you
to the holy temple of Goddess Chaturbhuja, a spiritual center for the
locals. Festivals and rituals are celebrated with great devotion, using
whatever resources people have at their disposal.
What’s Missing?
Despite the natural beauty and tight-knit community, there
are still some gaps:
- Children
lack proper playgrounds.
- Elders
miss having a good marketplace — the nearest options, Joginder
Nagar (30 km) and Dharampur (16 km), still fall short.
- Agricultural
knowledge and wildlife management, especially to tackle the monkey
menace, are much needed.
- The road
to Banon, though a lifeline, still needs improvement. Its steep
gradients — in some places exceeding 1 in 16, beyond recommended
limits for village roads — make driving risky. The road often remains
blocked during monsoons, isolating the village for nearly two months.
Location Details
Village: Banon
Tehsil: Joginder Nagar
District: Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
PIN: 176123
Final Thoughts
Banon, like many villages in Himachal Pradesh, beautifully
blends tradition, hard work, and simplicity. But it also faces modern
challenges that need attention. If you ever get a chance to visit, you’ll not
only witness breathtaking views but also meet some of the most resilient people
you’ll ever know.
Thank you for reading! If this glimpse into mountain life
touched your heart, do share this post and leave a comment below.
Good One,
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