Chhitkul is a village in

Kinnaur district Kinnaur is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The district is divided into three administrative areas ( Kalpa, Nichar (Bhabanagar), and Pooh) and has six tehsils. The administrative ...

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peak ...

. During winters, the place mostly remains covered with the snow and the inhabitants move to lower regions of

Himachal Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peak ...

. According to a recent study by Centre of Atmospheric Sciences at IIT Delhi, Chitkul has the cleanest air in India.

Geography

Chitkul, a village located on right bank of Baspa River, is the last village of the Baspa Valley and the last village on the old Hindustan-Tibet trade route. It is also the last point in India one can travel to without a permit.

Visitor's attractions

Of particular interest at Chitkul are its houses with either slate or wooden plank roofs, a Buddhist temple and a small tower. However, there has been an increased use of tin-roofs, especially the high school and the army/ITBP barracks. The

Kagyupa The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. The Kagyu lineag ...

temple has a highly valued old image of the Shakyamuni

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in ...

, a Wheel of Life

mandala A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for e ...

and four Directional Kings on either side of the door. Chitkul is practically the last point of the famous

Kinner Kailash The Kinnaur Kailasha (locally known as ''Kinner Kailash'') is a mountain in the Kinnaur district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Kinnaur Kailash peak has a height of 6050 meters and is considered sacred by both Hindu and Buddhist ...

Parikrama Parikrama or Pradakshina is clockwise circumambulation of sacred entities, and the path along which this is performed, as practiced in the Indic religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, it refers only to the path along ...

as one can hitch a hike from here onwards. After one crosses over the 5,242 m high Charang Pass., it is a long and steep run down through slithery scree slopes to Chitkul(3,450m). The powerful goddess of Chitkul is the only non-Buddhist deity to which respect must be paid by the

pilgrims. It is believed that the local Deity is related to the Deity of Gangotri and till recently the locals would carry the Deity to Gangotri on foot over high mountain passes. Chitkul is situated around 40 km from Karcham, the place where road bifurcates from Hindustan-Tibet Road (NH 22). The Sangla Valley is a delight for nature lovers; especially the stretch after Raksham and right up to Chitkul. The valley is extremely beautiful, on the left bank of the Baspa River are snow-clad mountains and on the right bank the whole terrain is full of apple orchards and wooden houses. Chitkul is start point for Lamkhaga pass trek and Borasu pass trek. Nagasthi ITBP post is 4 km and Ranikanda meadows is 10 km trek from Chitkul.

Transport

Chitkul is around 569 km from the National capital Delhi and 28 km from Sangla.

Gallery

File:Baspa_River_flowing_next_to_Chitkul.jpg, Baspa River flowing next to Chitkul File:Wooden_hut_in_Chitkul.jpg, Wooden hut in Chitkul File:Chitkul Spitivalley.jpg, Chitkul during Dusk File:Chitkul.JPG, Chitkul File:Inhabitant of Chitkul.JPG, Inhabitant of Chitkul in traditional clothes of the region File:Kinnaur 219.jpg, Domesticated goat File:Chitkul Village.JPG, Snowing in Chitkul File:Baspa at chitkul.JPG, River Baspa at Chitkul File:Chitkul border of India.jpg, Chitkul border of India. File:Hindustan ka Aakhri Dhaba-Chitkul, Sangla Valley, Kinnaur District, Himachal Pradesh.JPG, The last

Dhaba A dhaba is a roadside restaurant in the Indian subcontinent, primarily across Pakistan and India. They are on highways, generally serve local cuisine, and also serve as truck stops. They are most commonly found next to petrol stations, and mo ...

References

External links