HYDERABAD: Bhoodan Pochampally, about 45 km from Hyderabad, is among only three villages in the country to be nominated in the ‘Best Tourism Village’ category for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Awards 2021 (UNWTO).
The other two Indian villages nominated for the award are Ladhpura Khas from Madhya Pradesh and Kongthong in Meghalaya. Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) managing director B Manohar, reacting to the nomination, said: “It is a proud moment for us. The village has historic significance and vast cultural history that should be explored by more and more people.”
Located in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, Bhoodan Pochampally, termed the silk city of India, is also famous for its woven products, especially hand-woven ikkat sarees. There are thousands of looms in the village that produce the sarees in bulk. Pochampally sari also received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2005.
“To give tourists a glimpse of a weaver’s life, the department has put up a few weaving machines for them as well, where they can try their hands at the art of weaving sarees,” said Manohar. The village gets its name from a historic movement that took place in 1951. The Bhoodan (gifting land) movement, also known as the bloodless revolution, started here at the time, wherein several wealthy landowners voluntarily started giving up parts of their lands to landless labourers.
The land reform movement that was initiated by well-known Gandhian — Acharya Vinoba Bhave — soon became popular in the entire country and also gave the village its name. The village, which has a tropical climate, is surrounded by palm trees. It also boasts of a unique mix of heritage, history, modernity and scenic beauty. To get there from Hyderabad, one can either drive down to the village or take the Tourism Department’s TSRTC buses and explore its beautiful lakes and temples, with a Haritha hotel providing an option for accommodation.