Days after Rishabh Pant’s mother visited and stayed at their ancestral village in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, a wave of happiness has swept among locals as the reconstruction of the cricketer’s
family house gets underway.
The residents of Pali-Amdali hope that once the house is ready, Rishabh will make regular visits to the village where he spent a part of his childhood.
Locals said the cricketer’s mother, Saroj Pant, visited the village on August 4 after nearly two decades, stayed for five days and sought out a contractor to rebuild the old, dilapidated ancestral home.
“Rishabh’s mother has initiated the reconstruction of the old house. We hope that once the house is ready, Rishabh will be able to spend more time in the village,” said Madan Mohan Pant, Rishabh’s uncle and a resident of Pali village.
Villagers recall that Rishabh’s grandfather left the village about 60 years ago in search of employment and settled in Roorkee. He had brought Rishabh to the village about 20 years ago; Rishabh was around seven years old at the time and spent some of his childhood there.
News of the reconstruction of Rishabh’s ancestral home comes at a time when he has publicly expressed a desire to strengthen his roots in Uttarakhand.
Last week, he appealed to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami via X for assistance in purchasing land in the state, stating that he wished to return and shift his ‘base’ from Delhi to Uttarakhand.
Describing Rishabh as the “pride of Uttarakhand,” the chief minister had assured that the government would provide support in accordance with the rules and that concerned officials would contact him soon regarding the matter.
Villagers have also expressed concern regarding the village road. According to them, the approximately 11-kilometre-long road leading to Pali-Amdali needs to be converted into a paved road.
Further, Rishabh’s ancestral house, located about 1.5 kilometres away from the existing road, also needs to be connected to the road network.
Village head Vinod Kumar said, “If Rishabh visits the village after the house is built, it will inspire local youth and instill a sense of pride across the entire region.”
Lalit Pant, another of Rishabh’s uncles, stated that the reconstruction of the ancestral house reflects his connection to his roots and the hill region. He added that Rishabh’s bond with his ancestral village sends a positive message to Pithoragarh and the entire hill region.
