Nautan Dube

Day Trips

Arrive at your guesthouse in Nautan Dube, greeted by the rustic charm of rural Bihar. Freshly prepared tea and poha await you as you settle into your accommodation. Take a short stroll around the courtyard to breathe in the peaceful countryside air.

Enjoy a traditional Bihari lunch of sattu paratha and aloo chokha at a local homestay. Meet your host family and learn about the village’s history and daily life. Explore the compound and observe the livestock and vegetable garden in full swing.

Watch the sunset over golden paddy fields as villagers prepare for evening prayers. Share stories around a crackling hearth while sampling local sweets like laddu and thekua. End your night under a starlit sky, lulled by the distant calls of nocturnal birds.

After waking to the crowing of roosters, enjoy a hearty breakfast of either litti chokha or chilka roti. Receive sturdy bicycles and undertake a guided ride through dusty lanes and verdant fields. Stop by a local school to meet children eager to practice English.

Cycle to the banks of the local river for a picnic lunch of tamarind rice and seasonal fruits. Learn fishing techniques from local fishermen casting nets at the water’s edge. Later, help dry freshly caught fish on bamboo racks in the sun.

Return to the village as school bells ring, and join evening prayers at the neighborhood mandir. Savour a simple dinner of dal and rice with a side of crunchy papad. Enjoy a folk music session with villagers playing dhol and manjira around a bonfire.

Head out before dawn to explore the sprawling rice paddies with farmers transplanting saplings. Feel the cool mud beneath your feet and learn the traditional planting technique. Sip sweet tea by the field boundary as the sun rises.

Visit a community fish pond where locals cultivate carp and catfish in interconnected tanks. Roll up your sleeves for a demonstration of pond maintenance and netting. Enjoy a lakeside lunch of fresh fish curry prepared on a portable hearth.

Return to the homestay for a refreshing siesta before dusk. Attend an informal Q&A with an elderly villager recounting oral histories passed down through generations. Share laughter and local snacks while watching fireflies awaken in the fields.

Begin with a light breakfast of poori and potato bhaji before heading to a village courtyard. Meet skilled weavers and potters who showcase centuries-old techniques. Try your hand at spinning the charkha to create your own thread.

Participate in a midday workshop crafting terracotta pots and miniature clay sculptures. Learn about the symbolism behind common motifs like lotus and peacocks. Relish a vegetarian thali served on banana leaves by the artisan family.

Return to accommodations to freshen up and practice weaving skills. Gather around a communal table for a demonstration of Madhubani painting. End the day strolling through a moonlit hamlet, illuminated by flickering lanterns.

After breakfast, depart on foot for a neighboring village known for its weekly market. Marvel at stalls brimming with colorful saris, brass utensils, spices, and fresh produce. Purchase regional mangoes and chilies for your evening meal.

Relish street food specialties like samosa and jalebi as you meander through the bustling bazaar. Observe a small temple fair featuring puppet shows and folk dancers. Share lunch of kachori ghugni beside a serene water tank.

Return home via a scenic path lined with mustard blooms. Join villagers for an evening of bhajan singing near the temple steps. End with a cup of masala chai and reflections on the vibrant market day.

Set off early in a shared jeep to Muzaffarpur, known for its luscious litchi orchards. Stop roadside to sample freshly plucked fruits dripping with juice. Arrive at the city’s famous bamboo market for a quick browse.

Enjoy lunch at a renowned local restaurant serving chicken curry and rice. Visit the historical Vishnupad Temple with its ancient ruins and riverbank setting. Stroll through a botanical garden housing medicinal plants and shady avenues.

Head back to Nautan Dube as dusk settles over the plains. Break the journey with roadside tea and fresh paan. Greet your host family with stories of the city before dinner of vegetable pulao and raita.

Depart before sunrise for the archaeological site of Vaishali, believed to be one of the world’s oldest republics. Marvel at the carved Ashokan pillar and ancient stupas. Enjoy a simple packed breakfast of thekua and bananas.

After a guided tour, savor a picnic lunch under a sprawling banyan tree. Learn about the life of Buddha and King Ajatashatru at the ruins. Visit the museum housing relics excavated from the site.

Return as the sky turns shades of pink and orange. Pause at a roadside temple for evening Aarti, joining in the chants. Indulge in a multi-course dinner back in your village homestay.

Visit the nearby Hanuman Mandir at first light to witness the morning puja. Offer flowers and prasad alongside devoted villagers. Sip hot chai while listening to Vedic verses recited at the altar.

Continue to a hidden Shiva shrine nestled by a mango grove. Walk barefoot along a pebbled path and ring the bell at the sanctum entrance. Share prasadam of kheer with fellow pilgrims.

Collect souvenirs from a roadside deity shop, choosing miniature idols carved from neem wood. Return to the homestay for a quiet dinner of seasonal vegetable curry and chapati. Conclude with meditation under a neem tree.

Join the host mother in preparing morning snacks like sattu litti and chutney. Learn how to dough, shape, and roast them over a charcoal grill. Enjoy your handiwork with a side of tangy aloo besan sabzi.

Under a shaded pavilion, practice rolling rotis and preparing dal tadka with the family chefs. Participate in a spice-roasting session learning the art of home-ground masalas. Feast on your creations served on banana leaves.

Dress in traditional attire for a cultural program featuring folk dances and drumming. Join in for a round of jhumar dance as lanterns sway overhead. Wrap up with a communal dinner of puris, sabzi, and jalebi.

Share a final breakfast of vermicelli kheer as you pack your belongings. Present handwritten thank-you notes and small gifts to your host family. Stroll once more through the fields to capture the morning light.

After lunch of leftover thali favorites, bid adieu to new friends over soothing masala chai. Load your luggage into a waiting vehicle bound for Muzaffarpur or Patna station. Reflect on the week’s discoveries during the drive.

Arrive at your departure point just as the sun dips below the horizon. Make one last stop for paan and samosa at a roadside stall. Board your train or flight home, carrying the memories of rural Bihar with you.