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For the past 13 years, a 55-year-old teacher has been walking to the Zilla Parishad school at Kawaltek Dhangarwada, a remote hamlet in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district.
The forest route is frequented by gaurs, leopards and other wildlife. (AI Image)
Every morning, while most teachers travel to school by vehicle or public transport, Jivan Mithari begins his day with a 5-kilometre walk through dense forest. The journey takes him through rain, wildlife and a lack of motorable roads — all to teach a single student.
For the past 13 years, the 55-year-old teacher has been walking to the Zilla Parishad school at Kawaltek Dhangarwada, a remote hamlet in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district, near the Sindhudurg border.
The hamlet has no electricity, and vehicles cannot reach the school. Located about 2.5 km from the nearest motorable road, the school requires Mithari to walk roughly 5 km every day to reach the institution and return home.
“I went there on July 26, 2013. Since then, I have continued to work there,” Mithari told PTI.
His decision to seek a posting at the remote school came after what he described as a challenge from fellow teachers.
Before moving there, Mithari had served as chairman of the Kolhapur District Primary Teachers’ Cooperative Bank. He recalled that some colleagues had remarked that influential teachers like him generally managed to secure postings at well-connected schools, while others were left to serve in difficult and remote locations.
“I said I will go,” Mithari recalled. He subsequently sought a transfer and chose the remote school.
The school once had considerably more students. The hamlet, comprising Kawaltek Dhangarwada and Anandur Dhangarwada, was once home to around 70 to 100 families. But after 2000, residents increasingly migrated to Kolhapur city in search of livelihoods, gradually reducing the number of children living in the area.
This year, Mithari has just one officially enrolled student — Swara Bodake, a Class 3 student. Her younger sister, who is not yet old enough for formal schooling, also attends classes because the hamlet has no anganwadi, the government-run childcare centre. She is expected to enter Class 1 next year.
The small number of students, however, has not affected Mithari’s commitment to teaching. “Even if I have fewer children, I have to keep doing my work,” he said.
His daily journey comes with its own risks. The forest route is frequented by gaurs, leopards and other wildlife. Mithari recalled encountering gaurs along the way and said villagers had taught him how to respond depending on whether the animal was alone or moving in a herd.
“Ultimately, we are entering their territory,” he said.
On another occasion, a leopard killed a young bullock near the settlement. Forest officials later installed a trap camera and captured hundreds of images of the animal. Mithari was advised not to sit or stop along the route while travelling to and from school.
“I am also a human being. I do feel scared. But over time, it has become a habit,” the teacher said.
For the children in the hamlet, the nearest alternative school is hardly an easy option. According to Mithari, the school at Dhundawade is nearly 5.5 km away, meaning young children would have to travel around 11 km every day. For children between six and nine years old, such a journey can become particularly difficult during the monsoon.
The local community largely depends on small-scale farming, firewood collection and forest produce, including jamun, karvand and other wild fruits. Farmers use double fencing to protect their crops from frequent visits by gaurs.
Mithari, who is due to retire in May 2029, says the long walk has also become a form of daily exercise.
Despite the school’s low enrolment, he continues to stress the need for basic infrastructure. For him, a compound wall around the school is essential to ensure the safety and security of the children.
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Ask News18Jivan Mithari chose the posting after fellow teachers challenged him, remarking that influential teachers like him usually secured postings at well-connected schools while others were left to serve in difficult, remote locations. To prove them wrong, he sought a transfer to the remote school in July 2013.
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September 14, 2026, 10:03 IST
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