Here’s The Untold Story Of Malana, One Of India’s Best Kept Secrets

 India has a treasury of mesmerizing places. These places have diverse traditions, cultures and heritages. We know about a lot of such mainstream places, but some of the not-so popular places have been present silently in all their glory. One such place is Malana. 

Lurking in the North east Kullu range, Malana is completely isolated  from the monotony of India's city culture. This remote village is  mainly known for it's     charas,    and has over time drawn     hashish    lovers from all over the world. But Malana is so much more than that.

The untold story of Malana is perhaps one of the best kept secrets of the country. And that is what makes it is so attractive! 

 Even in the time of technology and globalization, the village is  untouched by the humdrum of the popular. Malana is one of the oldest  standing democracies of the world, with the small village managing it's  own affairs even today. 

 This primitive land     shadowed by the majestic peaks of       Chandrakhani      and       Deotibba      has always been kind to tourists, fiercely and silently guarding it's own culture.    When in Malana, be sure not to touch the walls or belongings of the  natives unless you want a fine imposed. Crazy as that may sound,  they don't even eat food cooked by a non-native.  

 The Malanese people believe that they are descendants of Alexander and  their rituals involving purity and pollution are as stringent as their  faith. 

 Unlike the rest of India, the village of Malana has its own religious beliefs. Apart from their undying faith in     Shiva    , they believe in their     Devta    ,     Jamlu Rishi.    It is said that the sage from the     Puranas    once inhabited the land and laid the foundation of the democracy, which still works as a fully functional parliamentary system.

 The Malanese resolve conflicts based on the death of lambs 

 The Malanese are people of faith which is clear with one look at their  judicial system. In no way practical, the judiciary of Malana contrasts  itself from the Indian Judicial system. When there is an impending  decision to solve a conflict, t     hey cut the right foreleg of each lamb one and a half inch deep, stuff  it with poison and sew it back with the help of needle and thread. The  person whose lamb dies first is implied to lose the judgement. It is  believed that the decision is taken by their       Devta      .    

 The people here believe that the mountains make their own rules. The  significance of faith is really important to these people, which  is why they still ask their     Devta    who to vote for. 

   The entire village votes for the person chosen by their deity. The deity’s spokesperson is called       “Gur”      . It is believed that       Jamblu Devta      either comes into the body of the spokesperson to make people know of his decision or the spokesperson dreams about it.

   Malana attracts people from world over because of their quality       hashish.      But not many know that it was mainly used for medical purposes back in  the day when it was first found. Eventually, people realized the art of  rubbing cannabis leaves and producing world- class       charas      . And just like that, they got us hooked!    

 Now the world knows of the sweet pleasures of the Parvati valley. Malana cream     has won the Best       Hashish      title twice, in 1994 and 1996, at High Times magazine’s Cannabis Cup.  The village is a stoners paradise branded in travel and ganja-hunting  literature as the exotic and alluring “       Malana and the Magic Valley.” 

   No matter the popularity, the village remains entrenched in faith and customs.     Since the age of the       Beatles,      Parvati has been the summer home for many hippies, and the mysteries of the hills never fail to allure us even today.      Perhaps, that's why everyone keeps coming back. Here, it's not about 5 star-meals and shopping in fancy malls, because the     Parvati    urges you to explore it's mysteries!  

If you've taken a trip, you know you're going to go back. If not, I  urge you to explore this majestic land and uncover it's secrets. Don't  just travel, explore!