Chitkul is a tiny village located on the banks of the Baspa river in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is also the last village in Sangla on the ancient Hindustan-Tibet trade route. It is located at an altitude of 3,450 metres and the only way to reach this place is by private vehicles or on public transport.
The village has a small population, boasts of a primary school and a higher secondary school, a primary health care clinic and a veterinary clinic. A recent study conducted at IIT Delhi declared that Chitkul has the cleanest air in the country. For the longest time, the locals depended on farming, government jobs and local trade. Of course, all of that changed with the influx of tourists in the last few years.
Till a few years ago Chitkul had hardly any hotels out there or buildings that were under construction. It was mesmerising to see the local architecture of people’s homes, which had slate or wooden plank roofs. Most houses had two floors. The ground floor was mostly for storage and cattle. Over time, things have changed and today you’ll see a lot of buildings, specifically hotels, that have come up in Chitkul.
Towards the northern end of the village, you can find the Buddhist Kagyupa temple and a temple dedicated to Mata Devi, their local deity, almost adjacent to each other. One can also take a stroll and hike further north. There are a few manmade waterfalls that were made in order to enable the villagers to use the water that is coming down the mountains.
You can also walk down to the banks of the Baspa river and enjoy a picnic or some quiet time for yourself. The ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police) camps are about 3 kilometres further from the village. Tourists are allowed to walk up to the camp. Keep in mind that photography is prohibited once you reach the camp.
Chitkul is about two hours from Reckong Peo (Kinnaur’s headquarters) and about 8 hours by road from Shimla. You can also see the mighty Kinner Kailash peak from Chitkul. It is also the point where trekkers leave for Lamkhaga pass trek and Borasu pass trek. The best time to visit the place is right after the monsoons between mid-August and mid-September. This is when one can see Rakchham (the village before Chitkul) turn completely pink because of the blooming Ogla flowers.
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Atiqur Rahman is a Delhi-based photographer who hails from Nagaland, and is passionate about bringing stories from the Himalayan region.
