Welcome to Nolunna in the beautiful Garhwal Himalayas

Himalaya Hindi House, Nolunna is located on the right bank of the sacred river Ganga in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas.

It is situated on the Uttarkashi-Gangotri-Gomukh route at Nolunna, 21 km north of Uttarkashi. Nolunna has a mild and pleasant climate during April-October. Nolunna is an ideal place for those who love wilderness and simple living.

A view of the Nolunna home		Ganga River

Feedback from some of the students who are now part of the Nolunna-Family -

Margaret and Greg
"At Nolunna we relax in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. We sense the strength of the mountains and the purity of the Ganges.

There are treks into the mountains to see village life. There is time to walk, see pilgrims and visit ashrams. We learnt Hindi and touched the culture and history of the area. Our learning was practical as everyone in the Nolunna family is so friendly and helpful.

Thus surrounded by the ancient spirituality of this land our meditation and yoga experiences were enhanced.”

Haridwar - Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas

Kedar Vishvanathan
"Whether it's the hot steamy months of summer or the cooler temperate climate of winter, Nolunna is indeed an extremely special place. I have been visiting Nolunna every year since the beginning of 2003. Having first arrived to Nolunna from Rishikesh, up a windy road where your eyes can marvel at pleasurable views, rivers, Shiva shrines, Sadhus, ascetics, and the more mountainous agricultural way of life, I set about studying Hindi enduring the extensive 6 week course and providing me with excellent writing, reading, and most importantly conversational skills to implement almost anywhere in India. These skills I have continued to use for the past few years. Nolunna is located on the bank of the River Bhagirathi whose ceaseless flow provides a contemplative and meditative mood for studying, reading, writing or for reflection. I regard Nolunna as a place of peaceful beauty which possesses a certain spiritual power that you cannot find elsewhere in India. If you are interested in Hindu mythology and the creation of many of the living components of Hinduism Nolunna provides a base to go and explore certain facets of Hinduism, especially Shiva worship.

During winter when you awake, to a warm breakfast and a communal outdoor fire, which seems to never stop burning, you can see snow capped peaks, where the snow gently rests on the conifers jutting out the side of the mountains vertically toward the sky. I remember it snowing overnight and awakening to a visual feast - a white wall of mountains intimidating me to take a quick trip to Ganganani, a twenty five to thirty minute drive further upstream from Nolunna, where there are natural sulphuric hot springs. There is nothing quite like being in a hot spring at the same time as it is snowing upon you, whilst you leisurely bathe and become witness to the mountains being diligently pampered with soft powder. Nolunna is also a central route for the Hindu pilgrimage places of Gangotri, Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Yamunotri. You can pilgrimage to these places and see the sources of the many rivers - for instance the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river. Moreover, you are able to see the very beginnings of the Ganges River - the Gaumukh Glacier. The facilities are fine at Nolunna it caters to young and old.

Women dancing at a festival in Senj village

The people who help with Nolunna make it quite memorable.
They are generally from surrounding villages located vertically above Nolunna - nestled upon the steep hills. They will treat you like their own family, invite you into their village, if you want to trek the unexplored mountains of the region they will organize a local to accompany you, they will invite you into their homes, enjoy the local festivities with them and enjoy their culinary delights. After your visit has ended in Nolunna you can be guaranteed that each and every time you return the same people will remember you and greet you with such sincerity that you will wonder why you left in the first place.

To surmise a very special place is difficult, however, I do feel that Nolunna is the most special place I have visited in India and find myself continuously yearning to be there. I advise all my friends, whether they are first time travelers in India, Indians, Indologists, Indophiles, people wanting to learn Hindi and….., to take a trip to Nolunna. I have never been unhappy or had a bad experience there. It is a breath of fresh air that is quite hard to find in Indian crowds and the tourist beat !"

Gram Devata - Village Deity of Senj

Barbara Spode
Early on a February morning:
snow drifting down on the garden, the branches of the fruit trees shining black, the smell of wood smoke from the blazing hearth in the jhompri. Milky sweet tea and cracked-wheat porridge. Through the garden gate to the bank of the Ganga, the boulders frosted with soft flakes and the water clear and green. The sound of bells on goats and sheep being driven along the path on the other bank, and the forest dark against the snow above them. Villagers from high above drifting in to talk to Yogendra-ji and drink tea with us - and little Hansmukh watching, gesturing, summing us up though he can hear nothing at all.

A sunny February afternoon:
snow gone, tiny bright buds on the peach. Across the footbridge - Ganga-ji ki Jai! - and upstream, above terraced fields yellow with early sarson and a small house of stone and wood and slate, a rhododendron tree with crimson flowers. Myna climbs up and tosses blossoms to Binita who shows us how to taste their nectar.
A place of beauty, a centre for reflection and study and company, a place
among the Garhwali people, a place of shanti.

Daniela Hepp
“I hope to express what I feel and what Nolunna makes so precious for me. I came to Nolunna to learn Hindi. What I got was a

A Hindu Shrine on the way to Gangotri

comprehensive package of language, culture and recreation. There are many great impressions and lasting memories: the garden with its fruits and vegetables; falling asleep with the sound of the rushing Ganga and waking up by the songs of the birds; Binitas delicious dishes which she prepared with fresh ingredients and lots of love; Anil's stories about people and culture; the plants and animals on the walk to Siaba and the friendliness and hospitality of people who can hardly fill their own stomach.
To those who love simple living and who are looking with respect and honest interest for a deeper insight to culture and lifestyle of the Indians/Garhwalis, Nolunna opens the door to a fascinating experience. Away from mass tourism and commercialism but in a clean and protected environment you can plunge into the Indian live.
Through his love and bond to his home country India in combination with a profound knowledge and understanding of western countries, Yogendra has created an outstanding place in the Himalaya.
Dhanyavaad, Yogendra Jii.”

Ich kam nach Nolunna um Hindi zu lernen. Was ich dort bekam war eine Komplettpackung aus Sprache, Kultur und Erholung. Geblieben sind viele grossartige Eindrücke und Erinnerungen: der Garten mit den Früchten und Gemüsen; vom Rauschen des Ganges in den Schlaf gewiegt zu warden und vom Gesang der Vögel aufzuwachen; Binnitas leckere Gerichte, welche sie aus frischen Zutaten und mit viel Liebe zubereitete; den Geschichten von Anil über das Volk und die Kultur zuzuhören; die Pflanzen und Tiere auf dem Weg nach Siaba und die Freundlichkeit und Gastfreundschaft eines Volkes, welches kaum den eigenen Magen füllen kann.
Denen, welche das einfache Leben mögen und mit Respekt und ehrlichem Interesse einen tieferen Einblick in die Kultur und das Leben der Inder suchen, öffnet Nolunna die Türen zu einem faszinierenden Erlebnis.
Weg vom Massentourismus und Kommerz, aber in einer sauberen und geschützten Umgebung, kann man ganz in das indische Leben eintauchen. Durch die Liebe und Verbundenheit zu seinem Heimatland Indien, verknüpft mit der Kenntnis und dem Verständnis westlicher Länder hat Yogendra einen einzigartigen Platz im Himalaja geschaffen.

Dhanyavaad, Yogendra Jii.

Je suis allée à Nolunna pour apprendre le Hindi. Ce que j'ai reçu c'est un paquet entier avec de la langue, de la culture et de la récréation. J'ai beaucoup des souvenirs permanents: le jardin avec les fruits et les légumes; s'endormir avec le murmurer du Gange et se réveiller du chant des oiseaux; les plats délicieux de Binnita, préparés avec des ingrédients frais et avec beaucoup d'amour; les contes d'Anil sur le peuple et sur la culture; les plantes et les animaux sur le chemin vers Siaba et l'amabilité et l'hospitalité d'un peuple qui a de la peine de remplir son propre estomac.
Pour lesquels qui aiment la vie simple et qui désirent d'avoir un coup d'œprofond à la culture et à la manière de vivre des Indes, il Nolunna ouvre les portes à une expérience fascinante. A l’écart du tourisme de masse et du commerce mais dans un environnement propre et protégé on peut plonger à la vie d'Inde.
Par son amour et le rapport pour son pays natal en combinaison avec du connaissance et compréhension des pays occidentaux, Yogendra a créé un endroit unique au Himalaya.

Dhanyavaad, Yogendra Jii.

Contacts:

Hindi
Please write to Yogendra Yadav
email: hhhnalunna@gmail.com

Address:
Mr Yashraj Yadav, Manager
Himalaya Hindi House, Nolunna
P.O. Lata-Saur
Uttarkashi, 249194
Uttarakhand, India