OLD LADORI AND THE NEW

During 1930s and 40s, 'Hattian', in My Village Ladori was an important hub of imports & exports of various daily utility goods which were a 'must' and required for the human survival in remote hilly areas situated far and near of Ladori Village. In those days, 'Hattian' used to be a shoppers paradise and very few but select items of daily human, as well as cattle use, were sold here in abundance

       Though a tiny hilly village in isolation, which at present does not have a proper market except for very few small shop like huts, it is said that old Ladori was once a busy trading center during early pre-independence era and had a bazaar in the middle of the village as its commercial center which is now called 'Hattian' where mainly Tambaku, Raab, Gur, Rock Salt, Mustered Oil and khall-Binaula, Militia and Markeen Khaddar cloth were traded in bulk.

       Ever since District Kangra was annexed to Himachal Pradesh in mid seventies, it had always been a place of Government neglect and apathy for quite sometime. Now, a Senior Secondary School, Government Primary School, Civil Dispensary with MBBS Doctor, Fair Price Shop, Bank of Patiala Extension Counter, Gram Panchayat with village Pradhan, Sub Post Office  and Government run Sewing Centre for women are some of the public institutions in the village. Smalltime agriculture, collection of wild fodder and firewood from the nearby woods of Choti Dhar direct behind the village and rearing of milch animals had  been the main preoccupation of the old timers.

       Now things have undergone great change due to revolutionary enlightenment spread out by the television, mobile phone, internet and social media wiping out hurdles of long distances of rugged mountainous terrains between the masses and  helped  bring them  close, on the touch of fingertips.  Pucca roads connecting with the rest of Himachal Pradesh.

         Intellectual openness, enlightenment and  lightening awareness of the new generation and the generation next, resulting in taking keen interest in modernity, advancement and heading towards cities  and other countries, in search of higher education, better avenues and opportunities, despite the fact that getting admission in academic and business schools and colleges of repute, is no more an easy task any longer,  anywhere in the country and beyond, without the sharp competition and continuous self updating.

       So far as the question of country's defense is concerned, Ladori has till now produced over 30 armed forces officers who have had served and are serving the country in both peace and war and the tradition still continues. In the field of technology and know-how, the children of Ladori are not behind as the village has produced number of engineers and business administrators serving in the corporate world within the country and abroad.

        Write's daughter, son and daughter-in-law, three of them are MCA and MBAs and are presently working as senior professionals in multinationals. My Village Ladori is also proud to have Shri Rakesh Pathania S/O Col Kahan Singh Pathania, who is presently serving the State being Sports, Youth Affairs and Forest Minister in the Himachal Pradesh Government.

 
       Influence of western culture trickling down to village levels,  has further kindled the quest for better living standards with all  required amenities such as mobile phone, LCD, LED television, computers, lap tops, cooking gas, washing machines, costly and standard kitchen gadgets, uninterrupted super water and electricity connections and fixtures  in the house, hygienic and beautiful washrooms, interconnected paved pathways up to door steps, well-knit drainage  system and overhead street lights, and well built beautiful designer cozy homes,  furnished  with luxury furniture and drapes, with more than three  bed rooms or in some cases four to six rooms in a double story pucca houses!

      

 

MY VILLAGE LADORI: CAN'T LIVE IN IT, CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT.

                                           LADORI AND THE JABBAR KHAD.

         Ladori, a small Himachali Village in Tehsil Nurpur, Distt. Kangra, is situated at approximately tweleve kilometers north of historic town of Nurpur  in the foot hills of magestic dhauladhar mountain ranges, which are popularly known as Hathi Dhar and Choti Dhar. While these mountain ranges are scantly but densely covered with khair, scented pine and fragrant cedar forests in the north, a skyline of Himalayan  snow capped peaks overlooks the village from far northeastern horizon.

        The all weather sweet water Jabbar Khad flows in a zig zag manner on a rocky bed through down deep narrow gorge created by its seasonal gushing currents over the centuries gone by. This khad can be considered as the lifeline of the villages and hamlets situated on its banks.

       At Village Ladori, the Khad flows at a stone's throw distance deep downwards from the human habitat. One has to trek up and down carefully on the stony track to and from the rivulet. While passing through the village, one can see that the khad has fondly been nicknamed as Upli Jabbar and the Chikly Jabbar. Upli Jabbar is generally frequented by Pathanias (Mians) as it falls within their easy reach on their side of the village.

        During rainy season, Jabbar is swollen to its fullest capacity and bring along with it whatever came its way, be it logs, uprooted trees or for that matter hapless cattle caught unaware in the current. Even being a hilly rivulet, Jabbar Khad has not ever caused much damage to the villages and clusters falling within its reach.

      'Atte-da-Bagh',  with rare varieties  of regional desi mango trees, ponds of crystal clear and refreshing cool water, cascading waterfalls, green foliage all around, playing and chirping of various species of birds, biggest and the smallest being the Mor (Peacock) and Pidu, smallest of the birds found in Ladori, affectionally called in pahari dialect as  Piddu, Pida or Pidi, respectively, colorful smartian butterflies playing on wild flowers, a solitary peacock crying at the far end of the Khadyater Meadow, goats and sheep along with their siblings enjoying grazing on ever green thorny 'garna' and 'maliyar' bush leaves.

    'Shiv Doala' under an old huge Arjuna Tree, hanuman mandirs and number of huge and centuries old Barr, Plakh and Peepal trees grace the clean and ever fresh environment here.

      Chikly Jabbar is mainly visited by both men and women folks of brahmins and others. The eye catching scenery, water falls, springs of warm water, built up bath rooms, sprawling ancient mango groves, lush green hillocks all around, village cattle herds resting under the cool shade of mango trees while village shepherd trying to tune up his improvised flute (Gangojoo), groups of monkeys fly jumping from one tree to another, intermittent barking noise of Kakkar{wild dear}, far away, up in Charoa, a popular place where few local families live from time immemorial, amidst huge mango groves.

        In Chikly Jabbar, clean, cool and fresh breeze attract people of all ages to this panoramic spot. Women and children from the other side of Chikly Jabbar, a cluster of hamlets situated straight up on a high ground from the Jabbar Khad at Charoa stretching towards Meharka, another small hamlet of locals, also used to come down here for taking drinking water for themselves and their cattle.