Exploring Ancient Village Of Parvati Valley
A trip to the ancient village of Parvati Valley: Malana
The entire Kullu Valley is full of natural beauty and rich culture, but if you are in district Kullu, it is a great plan to make a visit to the ancient village of Parvati Valley, Malana. To reach Malana, you can take a bus to Jari from either Kullu or Bunter. From Jari there are shared cabs or private cabs till Malana Bridge.
From the bridge there is a small trek till the beautiful village Malana. The picture perfect village stands gracefully, surrounded by the mighty mountains with snow covered peaks. Apart from the beautiful natural splendour, the village offers a lot. The culture of Malana is something which makes it an amazing place to spend a relaxed holiday.
It is believed that the residents of Malana have the oldest Democracy in the entire world. The residents are the followers of Jamlu Devta and have Greek ancestry. According to the legends, the ancient people of Malana were the members of Alexander’s army who were settled in India during 56 BC. They still have a closed culture where they get married only to the people of their own community. It is a tribal village where there is a school till class tenth, but the residents do not believe in education, so there are only a handful of students and just five teachers. The oldest democracy of the world also has some taboos and one of the most important things to keep in mind is not to touch the sacred area or the locals of the village.
The locals speak an ancient language Raksh, which is quite different from the language of Kullu district. The clothes they wear is also little different.
Women wear a knee length pattu unlike the full length pattu of Kullu women and men wear a white woollen cap which is quite different then the colourful kullu cap. The people are highly religious and they have unshaken belief in Jamlu Devta. The revenue of the village is mostly dependent on weed farming and they have world’s best hashis.
A trip to Malana village of Parvati Valley gives an insight to the ancient civilization which is intriguing and so different from the modern world where we live. There are few guest houses in the village and staying in Malana is not at all expensive. Most of the guest houses will provide you food, clean rooms, sharing bathrooms and a lovely view. So, if you are planning a holiday in Malana, just make sure to follow the norms of the village, like not touching the temples or the restricted areas and the locals. The walk from the bridge is not more than one hour uphill trek and there is no water source before the village. So, keep ample water with you. Also, there is a lot of litter done by tourists. Please don’t be a part of that. Keep your garbage with you and do not litter it on the ground. Enjoy your Malana holiday and experience a stay among the ancient people.
Photo Credit: Gypsiewanderer
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