Unearthing Kinnaur’s Secrets in Rakcham Village and Chitkul.

Travelling to Kinnaur? A glimpse of my adventure in Rakcham village and Chitkul – the last village of India before Tibet.

For centuries, the valley remained cut off from the rest of India. Legend has it that when a road was finally built and the first car drove up, the locals weren’t sure what to feed it. The driver playfully declared that the car likes chicken and whisky. The locals innocently obliged, and the driver had a feast.

They also say that when an elderly woman boarded a bus for the first time, she left her shoes on the road as a sign of respect to the bus. Getting off at her destination, she was shocked that her shoes were gone, no longer outside the bus where she had taken them off.

Such are the legends of Kinnaur, whose wild beauty I was lucky enough to witness in monsoon.

Also read: A Visual Journey Through Sangla Valley

Rakcham, India Himalayas, Kinnaur
Life in Rakcham village.

The Happy Baba of Kinnaur

Winding along the Himalayas several hours from Shimla, our car screeches to a halt beside the jagged mountain rocks. The steep bend ahead is one of the most dangerous, cursed even, on these mountain roads.

Hidden away in this mountain is the cave of a saint, without whose blessing no buses dare to continue the journey. But that’s not why we stop there.

On that cool monsoon morning, warm sunlight pours through the dark grey sky. On one side, the lush Himalayas stand tall, their peaks kissed by ominous low-lying clouds. Far below on the other, a dramatic valley with clusters of villages sits untouched.

The saint is busy preparing his chillum (pipe) when a bus halts across the road. He instantly drops it, picks up a steel thali with a white tikka, and runs across barefoot, chanting, nodding, blessing every passenger, collecting money, his long white hair and beard flying in the wind. For decades, this saint has led a solitary life in the mountains, and his blessings and chillum have earned him the nickname of Happy Baba!

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Kinnaur, Sangla valley, Rakcham
Lost in the mountains of Kinnaur.

Sarahan

Back in our trusty jeep, our driver races up the slope, turning into a road winding along ancient forests of pine and oak.

We reach our first stop Sarahan, late at night, and walk into what was once a temple of human sacrifices. The feeling of being surrounded by aged stonewalls that witnessed gruesome sacrifices in the name of religion, might haunt me forever.

Also read: An Incredible Journey from Shimla to Reckong Peo via Kalpa

Rakcham Village

We continue our trail into the valley of the Sutlej River, through breathtaking Himalayan scenery, to the charming village of Rakcham.

The rocky mountain slopes are home to traditional wooden stilt homes, surrounded by white fields of potato. The Sutlej flows along ferociously. Above it, on a rickety steel bridge, we walk across to the Baspa Valley, covered with fields of wild pink flowers.

We follow arrows marked on rocks, past dense forests, rolling green meadows and waterfalls. Tip-toe on wooden planks to cross gushing streams. Follow shepherds herding their goats. Witness the Baspa river flowing down the mountain with such intensity as I’ve never seen before.

Also read: 10 Offbeat Things to do in Spiti Valley

Sangla Valley, Rakcham
The Sutlej River splitting the Sangla and Baspa valleys, as seen from Rakcham village.

Our driver relates tales of his first time in the valley.

Rumor had it that the region’s most beautiful young girl lived in the far-flung village of Chitkul. So our man and his friend hiked for hours, through the forest and mountains for there was no road then, to see her.

They insisted on having a meal in her father’s house, in the hope of catching a glimpse of her. A glimpse they did catch, but with their shaking hands and ancient camera, they could only get a picture of her feet! Only in retrospect did they realize that the village itself was strikingly beautiful too.

Also read: What the Kumaoni People of Uttarakhand Taught Me About Life

Chitkul

And so we had to visit Chitkul ourselves.

We hop into our car and drive through rough, broken strips to Chitkul, the last village of India before Tibet. Stark brown mountains await us here, making me nostalgic of my trip to the cold mountain desert of Spiti.

But unlike Spiti, in the midst of these barren mountains lie blooming fields of wild yellow plants and some of the world’s finest vegetables. These mountains are the closest we can get to Tibet from India, a thought that leaves me craving to witness what’s beyond. Hopefully, I’ll find out one day.

Also read: Inspiring Women I Met in Bhutan and What Happiness Means to Them

Chitkul, Sangla Valley, Kinnaur
The wild beauty of Chitkul!

Have you travelled to Kinnaur? What were your impressions of Rakcham Village and Chitkul?

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22 Comments

  1. Reminds me a bit of the Saastal in Switzerland… you get to some pretty awesome places Shivya!

    1. The Himalayas are just so full of surprises like these! Meanwhile, I’m going to add Saastal on my list 🙂

    1. And I have to say it hardly does justice to the place. Go soon!

  2. What a beautiful place. My grandma came from Nanital. Would love to go there one day…

    1. Wow, where do you live now? I’m sure Nainital has changed so much since she grew up there, but worth a visit to discover it still.

      1. Originally from Karachi, now living in Canada. My mom longs to visit Nainital, hopefully one day…

        1. My grandma was also from Nainital, and it has really changed a lot…from what was once a quiet, secluded hill statio- now it has become a place with maddening tourist crowd! Yet it still holds some charm! I live nearby Nainital city and visit often. Do come with your grandmother…If not the city itself, a lot of places nearby will appeal to her and remind her of her old days 🙂

  3. A beautifully worded post, and some gorgeous pictures to go with it. Your posts really succeed in making me travel along with you!

    1. I’m so glad to hear that Amiya! Thanks for your virtual company 😉

  4. thetraveloholic says:

    the story about that old woman was funny… and breadthtaking pictures. definitely want to visit one day.

    1. I hope you get to soon. And I remember bursting into laughter when I heard that story too!

  5. very nice although i belong to himachal but never visited this place…from do u get motivation for travelling

  6. Pingback: Kinnaur: Of Mountain Legends, Unknown Trails and Wild Beauty. | The Talking Sloth - Asia
  7. Jatin Doshi says:

    Where is the second pic taken?!! I have to know! Going to Kinnaur next month!

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