March and April are the months when many high-altitude areas of Uttarakhand are coloured an exquisite pink-red with the blooming Rhododendron (Buransh) flowers. Due to climate change, this year the flowering of the Buransh trees took place early-in February itself. Abundant snowfall ensured that many of these areas turned red and white this winter.
White apple blossoms and pink –red Rhododendrons create a magical look during springtime in Dhanaulti which is just 30 kilometres ahead of Mussoorie. Just a two and a half hour drive from the Doon valley, Dhanaulti is known for its beautiful Bugyals- the high altitude meadows. Dhanaulti has Buransh in abundance. The Buransh trees in bloom lend a lot of colour to the landscape of Uttarakhand. It is not the fierce, flaming touch of the Gulmohar but a warmer,welcoming hue .
The people in these regions gather the flowers of Buransh from the forest and make juice from them, either individually or in self-help groups. Making of Buransh juice is a popular cottage industry in the Uttarakhand hills. The lockdown made it impossible for people to gather the flowers from these trees and a lot of flowers fell off the trees in the rain and some storms that occurred in these last two months.
This gave macaques and langurs a great opportunity to feast themselves on these flowers which are as sweet as honey in the beginning of the flowering season. “They were the only ones who could enjoy and nourish themselves with the Buransh and its juice this year,” says Birendra Singh Negi, president of the Mussoorie fruit belt development cultivators committee and a fruit grower of Kanatal.
He said that people who made juice of Buransh in the region could not do so and the entire season of flowering overlapped with the long lockdown. “The flowers are all gone now,” he said. This caused a great setback to the hill economy.
Buransh juice is believed to cure stomach ailments, heart disorders and liver problems. Dhanaulti is often called the “Land of Rhododendron and Oak”. Dhanaulti is all about Deodars, Rhododendrons and green emerald grassy meadows which soothe not just the eyes but the spirit too.
This beautiful mountain hamlet in the Tehri district has been a popular getaway for people from Delhi and Dehradun for the past two decades now. However, this year it lies deserted just like all other tourist destinations of Uttarakhand.
Buransh is, in fact, symbolic of Uttarakhand’s rich biodiversity and forest wealth. However, this year has been a great disappointment as far as the collection of flowers for juice production is concerned. Meanwhile, as nature heals, the macaques and langurs are having a field day in the hills. “The Buransh has nourished these animals this year,” says Negi.
