What we explored while wandering through the mighty forests of Deeba range (Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand, a state in northern India) were a number of caves and tunnels known to be in existence from centuries. Our local contact Raghuveer gave us all the insight and helped us explore this amalgamated side of nature and history.
Deeba Danda is in the middle of Deeba mountain range. It is a flattened mountain-top (2520 metres) with panoramic views of surrounding hills, valleys and the Himalayas.
Deeba Danda is named after Deeba, a major goddess of the region (Malla Salan pargana of Pauri Garhwal) whereas “Danda” in the Salani dialect of the Garhwali language means “a high hill”.
According to local beliefs, Deeba was a woman living at the hilltop centuries ago. She would warn the surrounding villagers by giving a loud shout (“Dhavadi”) whenever Gorkha or Katyuri raiders were approaching. The hilltop has a shrine dedicated to the Deeba.
The Himalayas, or Himalaya, is a mountain range in Asia separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau.
Video Source: Caves of The Himalayas || Hidden treasures of Uttarakhand from How I Wander on Youtube ⁄ CC BY
