Located 15 km from
Mussoorie, Jaunsar-Bawar is a village near
Chakrata in
Dehradun District. Jaunsar is the area comprising the lower half of the region, and the snow-clad upper region is called Bawar.
The inhabitants of this village are a tribe known as
Jaunsaris who trace their origins to the
Pandavas, the central characters of the
Mahabharata. Their language is called Jaunsari, which is different from other languages spoken in
Uttaranchal. Agriculture and animal husbandry are the main occupation of the Jaunsaris. The society here is very liberal and both polygamy and polyandry are practiced here. An important aspect of their culture is the performance of a folk dance named
Barada Nati during all festive occasions. The dancers - both boys and girls - wear colorful traditional costumes.
A temple built in the Huna architectural style - at an altitude of 1,700 m - is one of the principal attractions of Jaunsar-Bawar. The village is endowed with natural beauty and here one can see the sprawling
Doon Valley and the magnificent Garhwal
Himalayas flanked by rivers
Yamuna and
Tons. The ideal time to visit this village is between May and June. The closest airport is
Jolly Grant and the nearest
railway station is at
Dehradun.
