Mungaad is a village frozen in time. Located in the Chakrata cantonment area of Dehradun, in Uttarakhand, the hamlet is made up of a cluster of houses that were built 200 years ago. Much like the houses, the lifestyle of the villagers has remain unchanged over time. At over 7,000 ft above sea level, it is a simple life — the primary sources of livelihood include cultivating rajma and rearing sheep.

An engineering marvel, all the three-storey wooden houses here were built without using any nails. The roofs are made of slate. The ground floor mainly houses livestock such as sheep and goat.

The close relationship of the inhabitants with nature is visible in the way they take care of their cattle. Each morning they set out with their animals to graze them in the jungle. There is plenty of greenery all around, and herders can always move higher up the mountains to avoid over-grazing. The sheep are sheared thrice a year for yarn, which the villagers use to make clothes for themselves or for sale in the markets nearby. While some of the prosperous families shifted to nearby towns, the remaining four-five households continue to live in simpler times.

Prashansa Gurung is a Delhi-based photographer