MALANA
-A Lost Utopia In The Himalayas
By DR. VIRENDRA BANGROO
Below
the Chanderkhani pass of the Kulu Valley
lies a small cluster of around two hundred stone roof houses constituting a village called Malana. Its inimitable culture
and the temple of Jamlu
distinguish the village. The village consists of around 1500 inhabitants and has an impeccable system of administration
with a higher and lower court guided by the spirit of village God Jamlu. Malana stands out as an autonomous self-sufficient
unit whose inhabitants claim Greek ancestry
Some stories about the village called "a little greece,"
This village in the interior of the Himalayas is its architecture, language, worship
rituals and autonomous administrative system. The unique geographical location of Malana has enabled it to preserve
its biodiversity and it is an ecological haven.
Malana
is connected to Kulu by three mountain passes - it can be reached from Parbati valley crossing over the 3180 metres Rashol Pass and via
Nagar over the 3600 metres beautiful Chanderkhani pass. The easiest way to reach Malana is from Jari, which is a 23
km picturesque trek to Malana. Jari is two hours drive from Kulu and is situated at the confluence of the Malana and
Manikaran nallah, which join to form the Parbati River.
Jari
is an entry point to Malana. About 1.5 km from Jari is the Malana powerhouse and visitors have to register their names
before entering the valley From the powerhouse to the dam is a 10 km trek and thereafter it is an uneven trek of 7 km to Malana.
The last 4 km stretch to Malana is treacherously uphill. But the greenery all around with interceptions of waterfalls
and streams make the climb bearable. About 2 km from Malana powerhouse is Chowki, a small hamlet, and the only towering
structure in the village is the Shiva temple. This is the nearest village to Malana. However, the people of Chowki
have nothing in common with the Malanese.
For
the outsiders, there is a long list of do's and don'ts to be followed in the village. The people are friendly but outsiders
are told to keep distance and not to touch anything in the village.
Malana
is divided into two - upper Malana (Dhara Beda) and lower Malana (Sor Beda).
Kanashi,
the language of Malana, does not resemble any of the dialects spoken in its neighbourhood but seems to be a mixture of Sanskrit
and several Tibetan dialects.
Two
important festivals are celebrated in Malana. One called Badoh mela is celebrated in August and the other called Fagdi
mela in February.
