Rajasthan’s Devmali is India’s Best Tourist Village

Devmali village in Beawar district of Rajasthan was recently declared as the best tourist village in India. If reports are to be believed, the central government will confer this award on the village on November 27 at a ceremony to be held in Delhi.

Here is one unique thing about Devmali village that you might not know. It is reported that around 3000 bighas of village land are dedicated to Lord Devanarayan. But here's another story. The villagers, although they have been living in the village for many years, do not have any documents related to land ownership. For the villagers, the land of the village belongs to Lord Devanarayan.

According to reports, entries for the best tourist village were judged on the basis of popularity as a tourist destination and their significant role in preserving local culture. Here the Devmali village shone brightest.

The people of Devmali are the true believers of Lord Devanarayan and their promise to their deity is that there are no permanent houses in the village. This means that there are no pucca houses in the village. Each Devmali house is a mud house with a thatched roof. No one in the village eats non-vegetarian food or drinks alcohol. In addition, there is a complete ban on burning kerosene and neem wood.

It is also reported that none of the houses in the village have locks. For several decades, not a single case of theft or robbery has been reported.

The hilltop temple dedicated to Lord Devanarayan is a very popular place. According to reports, the temple is visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. According to local legends, many years ago, when Lord Devanarayan arrived in the village, he asked the local community to provide him with a place to stay. The community built him a local home, but at the same time decided never to build permanent homes for themselves. That is why neither concrete nor metal rods are used in the construction of houses. The only permanent structures in the village are government buildings and a temple.

Source: timesofindia