Time

Arrows of time

Malana is a small village in Himachal Pradesh which is considered to be the hidden place of India.

The reason I called it hidden is that most of the people of India don't know about this beautiful village.

First things first:

Ok, so let's start with the packing things. Let me tell you all, only carry a single bag (a rucksack would be best) which you can easily carry at your back. Don't make a mistake of taking a trolley bag or any extra luggage with you otherwise you are gonna curse yourself because it will make your trekking part a whole more complicated and might even change your mind of trekking. 

How to reach: 

To go to Malana, there are no direct means of transport. I'm gonna tell you the simplest way to reach Malana. Book a Volvo till Bhuntar(Himachal Pradesh) and from there you can book a cab till Nirang or you can hire a bike for the same. The cab will charge you around 1200-1800 depending on the type of car. You can also share a cab with other people to split the bill. It will take around 1-1:30 hrs to reach Nirang.This was how to reach Nirang and not Malana. 

As you'll reach Nirang you'll get to see the beautiful view of Malana Village and also the entry gate to Malana.

If you ask me, I'll advise you to stay in Nirang on that day and continue your trek to Malana the very next day. The reason for staying in Nirang is its utmost beauty. 

Stay in Nirang:

You'll find various local people asking you to stay at their guest house but don't listen to them because they'll ask for a higher price. Instead, go to the place yourself and then you can bargain there for the price. I'll advise you to go to Himalayan Heritage guest house because it is nearest and I also liked the service there. You'll have to ask for the way because it's too complicated to reach there.

Also, keep in mind to use Bhai Ji while having the conversation with the local people. It will make a good impact on them and you might get a discount on your bill. 

From there you can enjoy your evening with probably a drink and mesmerizing scenes of nature.

Also, remember to carry your drinks with you because it's too costly there.

Malana Cream:

To those who don't know what is Malana Cream, it is hash which is made by rubbing Marijuana. Malana Cream is considered the world's best cream. You'll find many people asking you to buy cream from them but I'll advise you to score only from the Malana village and not from anywhere else. However, you can ask the peddler to let you taste the cream. Then you can roll a joint and its free of cost.

You can find various types of cream like red ice, super cream, super ice, etc.

You can also ask for hash brownies if you wish to. They are so delicious, trust me and you'll get high for sure.

You can enjoy the night with some melancholy music and bonfire.

The food you'll get here would be so simple like rice and dal and probably chicken if your day is good enough.

Trek to Malana Village:

The trek to Malana village may seem harder by looks but it's not that hard. You may find some difficulty going up as the amount of oxygen is less at greater heights. You'll find great scenes of nature while trekking. Keep a stick with you while trekking as it'll help you on your way from falling.

In the middle of the trek, there is a river where you can sit and relax. Various cafes are also there to feed the tourists.

The trek gets harder as it passes. So keep taking short rest to bounce back.
You'll also see some local people amidst the way carrying woods and other kinds of stuff to the village.

Malana Village:

As you enter the village you'll find various people asking you to purchase hash from them. My advice is to first check and then score. And don't score the whole stuff from a single peddler. 

The people of Malana speak Kanashi (a mixture of Sanskrit and several Tibetan dialects) which doesn't resemble with any of its neighbourhood dialects. This shows that they have their own beliefs and customs.

As you move further into the village, you'll find Rishi Jamlu Devta's Temple. Any outsider is not allowed to touch it

Make sure to read all the warning boards before touching anything otherwise you may have to pay fine.
Malanese think that the outsiders are impure and they'll spread the impurity by touching. So, if anybody touches any property of them, they charge a fine of a specific amount and with that amount they buy a goat and sacrifice it to Rishi Jamlu.

Some Facts About Malana:

People of Malana are said to be the early descendants of the people of Alexander's army.

It is also believed that Malana achieved democracy much earlier than any other country in the world.

Malana has its own rules and customs and even the government of Indian can't change them.

At last, I would suggest you visit this magic village at least once. 

                 

                                                    #exploretheunexplored