The Weed Village | MALANA village
Malana, Kullu Overview
Isolated from the rest of the world lies a solitary village in Malana Nala, which is a side valley of the Parvati Valley. Known as Malana or the Malana Village, it is located in the Kullu district. Widely known for its strong culture and religious beliefs, with various sentiments embedded in the past, it is a place meant for people who seek spiritual guidance. This place is also apt for all adventure lovers since the route to Malana is famous for trekking.
The temples in Malana - the Jamadagni Temple and the Shrine of Renuka Devi - serve as major attractions of the village. Built closely to each other, they are well known for the worship of various gods and goddesses which are highly respected by the locals, and a lot of care is taken with respect to its preservation. The trekking route to Malana is adorned with lush deodar vegetation along with a slight view of the Malana Dam that energises people from time to time.
The Legend Of The Mysterious Village Of Malana
Beautiful scenery while walking to 'The oldest democracy in the world' |
Bhuntar is the place where the confluence of the Beas and Parvati River is seen, just beneath the bridge from where the road to Parvati Valley bifurcates from the highway. The air is fresh and carries a distinct fresh aroma of nature. It is a narrow road, and the bus sways from side to side ensuring some scary yet unforgettable moments for the traveler. The bus first arrives in the nondescript town of Jari, and Malana is still quite a long way away.
A bird’s eye view of Malana Village
Very few vehicles ply on the recently built road to Malana. Earlier, a difficult trek meant five hours were required to reach Malana; it is only a two-hour trek now. There are basic dhabas to have food in Jari. There is a bus to Malana that leaves from Jari at 4:30 in the afternoon. After that, it is two hours of walking from the last road head to finally reach ‘The mysterious village of Malana.’
Work on a power project on the roaring Malana River has resulted in a road being built to the village famously known as the oldest democracy in the world. Lonely Planet has described vacations in Parvati Valley as deadly - lending it a notorious feel.
The bus climbs precariously on steep turns and is maneuvered with skillful deftness. The road ends abruptly, and then the two-hour trek begins. The trail first descends to a bridge for travelers to cross the roaring waters of the Malana River.
The start of the three hour trek to Malana
The climb is uphill and can become arduous for city people. According to the locals of Malana, all outsiders are untouchables in the land of the pure. Fittingly, the guest houses are all located on top of the village. They don’t want outsiders meddling in their daily affairs.
The nights are pretty cold at the altitude of 3,000 meters where Malana is located. There are basic guesthouses where rooms, with bare minimum necessities, are available for 200 Rupees. Every guesthouse also has a closed room with psychedelic paintings and neon lights, a room resembling a smoking den.
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‘Boom,’ visitors to Malana utter before lighting up and gently touching the chillum on their forehead as a mark of reverence to Lord Shiva. Enormous amounts of charas, known as Malana Ice and Malana Cream, are smoked by the many foreign visitors that come to Malana. A happy sounding genre of trance plays.
It is widely known that Malana charas is some of the best in the world and is highly prized the world over, even in the legal weed capital of the world, Amsterdam. Malana Cream’s high oil content commands a big price in the market.
Snowy mountains in the far distance overlook this ancient village. In a freak accident in 2008, a fire had broken out, with a majority of houses in Malana burnt, and the old style of architecture was destroyed.
The whole village lazes around the open courtyard in front of Temple Jamlu (the
deity of Malana). A board hangs with the words ‘Do not touch’ among the horns of wild animals. Locals do not touch outsiders and are asked to keep the money on the floor for the shopkeeper to collect upon buying anything. The Malanis consider all non-Malanis to be inferior and, therefore, untouchable.
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