Situated on 20 acres of land, Nimdih Gandhi Ashram is located at the foothills of Dalma in between Purulia and Jamshedpur. It offers a picturesque and enchanting view of the region and the Gandhi Ashram offers simple quality stay and food to visitors in a peaceful space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y0t_gTqvMM . One can also visit different art and craft villages of Purulia from here for immersive cultural experience. Morning walk in the Dalma foothills, nearby villages, visit local haat will be enjoyed by the guests. Around 1000 different varieties of trees are in Nimdih Gandhi Ashram which has become the home of many birds. The day spends leisurely by identifying varieties of trees and listing the chirping of birds. Nimdih also celebrates Folk Holi.
It can be a 2-4 days of trip.
Other Attractions:
Charida – Visit Charida https://youtu.be/bpvfvM6YDC8, the village of Chau mask makers along with a tour to neighbouring Ayodhya hills is recommended. The vibrant, colourful and elaborate Chau dance masks convey the vigorous intent of the art form that portrays animals or characters from the epics. About 180 families of Chau mask makers live in Charida village. This has evolved as a major destination for art lovers, both for workshop/ demonstration and also to procure souvenirs/ gifts directly from the artists.
Maldi – Maldi, a small village is the home of Chau dancers. Chau is an acrobatic martial art based dance form and inscribed in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScWzjvVv9tE. Here young Chau artists get regularly trained by the senior gurus https://youtu.be/5vCEOQD9hHI.
Bandwan Sabai Village – An indigenous community village located at 1.5 hrs driving distance from Nimdih ashram is the home of 200 artists involved with Sabai grass based craft making https://youtu.be/mOepCaSw3iI. Sabai Grass is a fine natural fibre that has the potential to be dyed. The local people are dependent on the surrounding forests for livelihood – the collection of a variety of leaves and grasses has been their main source of income over the period. Visitors can experience Sabai handicraft making here.
