Kinnaur

A hidden gem in the Himalayas

Do you know where is Kinnaur?

Kinnaur district is in Himachal Pradesh state in the Indian Himalayas. It received it´s name from the Kinnauri people, who are one of the scheduled tribes of India. Their language, which has many dialects, belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family.

Kinnaur was one of the biggest surprises I’ve experienced during my travels. I literally didn’t know anything about the Kinnauri people before I arrived here and I was impressed how rich their culture is.

Kinnauri people have a characteristic traditional dress with exquisite silver and golden jewelry and fine, hand-woven woolen shawls which are mainly worn nowadays only during family events and celebrations. The green Kinnauri hat belongs also to the traditional attire, it became a very important part of the local identity and is worn by most Kinnauri people also as part of everyday clothing.

Religion in Kinnaur

Hindu and Buddhist religious elements are both present in Kinnaur and they mix up in some areas with local animist traditions. You have villages with Hindu temples, others with Buddhist monasteries, and many villages also have their own local, presiding Deities. These Gods are behaving pretty much humanely, sometimes they are in a good mood, sometimes they are angry, and they have also complex relations with the local Deities of the neighboring villages – from harmonic till being enemies.

The presiding local deity of Lippa village

I experienced a really interesting manifestation of this religious fusion in Lippa village during the inauguration of the new village gate. Buddhist monks and a higher-ranking Lama were invited to the celebration and of course the local Deity as well. So you could see the local Deity surrounded by the monks and the Lama leading a ritual with the Deity. A pretty unique experience!

A Buddhist Lama holding ceremony together with the local Deity in Lippa village.

Join local celebrations!

Kinnaur doesn´t receive tons of visitors, especially not many international ones. Perhaps as a result of this, you experience great hospitality in these smaller valleys, where hardly anyone except the locals goes. If there is any event or celebration taking place in the village, the locals are usually happy to welcome guests from afar.

Within a couple of days, we were invited three times to local celebrations. The first was from a bunch of local ladies in Kalpa village who were just gathering for a birthday. The second one was in Lippa, for the inauguration of the new village gate and the third one was in Ropa, where one of the families was celebrating the birth of a baby boy.

Best places to visit in Kinnaur

Kanam valley

One of the most authentic valleys in Kinnaur! You can visit Lippa, Labrang, and Kanam villages here. In Lippa, we were invited to the opening ceremony of the new village gate. In Labrang you can visit an ancient fort from the 14th century, and in Kanam, in the Buddhist monastery, you can visit the memorial and former living place of Csoma Sándor Kőrös, a Hungarian Tibet Researcher, who made the first Tibetan-English dictionary.

Reckong Peo and Kalpa village

Reckong Peo is the central town of Kinnaur, where you have many cultural events going on during the summer. I also recommend visiting one of the woolen shawl manufacturers in town. Kalpa is just beside Reckong Peo, up the hill. It has stunning, carved, wooden houses and temples and amazing view over Kinnaur Kailash mountain.

Chitkul

Chitkul is the last village on a mountainous road before the Indo-Chinese border at an elevation of 3450m. The scenery is breathtaking up there and the center of the village is dotted with beautifully carved Kinnauri style buildings. Chitkul is the only sort of “touristy” place in Kinnaur so accommodation is more expensive, it can be a good idea to bring your own tent.

Ropa valley

Ropa Valley is reachable through a small mountain junction on the way towards Pooh. It is completely off the beaten track and there is no famous place to visit in the valley, so literally no one goes there, but nature is stunning and traditions are very well kept. As a result, locals are really excited when they see you. We were spontaneously invited to local celebrations, and to families to stay with them.

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