Sangla Valley, Kinnaur

Kinnaur, in the lower Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh, is home to the stunning Sangla Valley, along which gushes the mighty Baspa River. Rakcham and Chitkul, the last villages of India before Tibet, make Sangla one of the most beautiful valleys in the Himalayas – sparsely populated with graphic landscapes and a verdant countryside. I’ll let these photos, taken during my trip to Kinnaur last year, speak their thousand words.

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1. THE DRAMATIC LANDSCAPE OF RAKCHAM VILLAGE

through which gushes the Baspa River. On the left lies the Sangla Valley, and on the right, the Baspa Valley. A rickety river bridge connects the two.

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2. LIFE IN THE HIMALAYAN VILLAGE

of Rakcham is slow and beautiful. The village mostly consists of mountain shepherds and farmers, and Rakcham is known for the highest quality potatoes and vegetables in India.

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3. THE WOODEN HUTS OF RAKCHAM

complement the village’s idyllic landscape, surrounded by potato fields, pine forests and the dramatic rise and fall of the peaks of the Himalayas.

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4. ON THE HIKE FROM RAKCHAM TO BATSERI

rolling meadows with colorful wild flowers, small streams and pine forests lie against the imposing backdrop of the mighty Himalayas, making it one of the most picturesque hikes in Himachal Pradesh.

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5. THE SURREAL LANDSCAPES OF SANGLA VALLEY

keep you company through the villages of Rakcham, Batseri and Chitkul – convincing you that Himachal Pradesh is home to the country’s most gorgeous countryside.

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6. THE BASPA RIVER, A TRIBUTARY OF THE SUTLEJ

gushes through the Sangla Valley, with such force as you might never have seen a river before, as though protecting with all its might, the most precious secrets of the Himalayas.

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7. CHITKUL, THE LAST VILLAGE OF INDIA BEFORE TIBET

is surrounded by almost bare mountain slopes in stark contrast to the lush vegetation within the village, including fields of wild yellow plants.

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8. SHEPHERDS TAKE THEIR CATTLE

deep into the mountain to graze, whose one face lies in India and the other in Tibet. They also carry produce and other necessities for the army settlements close to the border, which was peaceful (and open) before China’s atrocities on Tibet began.

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9. LIFE IN CHITKUL VILLAGE

is slow and scenic, the locals herd their cattle and tend to their farms all day, and there is a sense of acceptance that their daily life could be  disrupted at any point, given Chitkul’s proximity to the border.

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10. THE ROAD TO TIBET

unfortunately ends at the army checkpost of Chitkul, which is how far civilians are allowed to go. Imagine if we could still trek all the way into the forbidden land from this border!

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