Quick facts:
Location : Himachal Pradesh (North India)
Population : 1722
Area : 179 Hectares
Nearest Town : Manali [Source: https://villageinfo.in]
Amidst the lap of nature, sits this beautiful and mesmerizing , sparsely populated village.
Most popularly known for its high grade local product , 'The Malana Cream' (Cannabis) , one of the most seeked grade virtue of its high oil content and intense aroma.
To me, this place was much more than that, to be honest. Being brought up in hills myself, I was almost instantly fascinated by this nature's home.
Malana is an unmotorable destination. The motorable road ends at the entrance gate of the village (First Picture), from where this breathtaking trek commences. The trek takes 2.5-3.5 hours approximately depending upon your fitness level (Difficulty level : Medium). Carrying your own provisions/special dietary requirements is a good idea, Incase you're planning to crash for a couple nights ! (Which you would want to, Trust me! )
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That's the view outside my window!
Although Malana being famous across the globe for its special 'cream' , I found it to be an extremely offbeat destination and not very touristy! (Which I felt was the good part)
The visitors were limited and most of them retreated back by the end of the day.
However , I felt intensely peaceful and meditative here. My mind was perfectly lonely. I decided to stay for a few days and spend some quality time here.
There are no official homestays here, However you can arrange to stay at one of the villagers place if you get along with them. The local villagers are shy at first, but quite friendly too! Apart from that, there are only a few guest houses here, where you can spend the night. I stayed at one of the guest houses. The owner/host was extremely hospitable and told us about the local tales , Interesting rituals and customs prevalent.
(Note: One cannot touch the villagers or their belongings without their permission. Outsiders are told to keep distance and not touch anything in the village due to traditional beliefs. The shopkeepers will ask you to keep the money on the counter and place the goods on the counter, without any physical contact.)
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This beautiful temple in the heart of the village. (Note: Touching the walls of the temple may result in fine being imposed by the local village authorities)
Food variety is extremely limited and pretty expensive due to the difficulties of supplies reaching this destination, almost cut out from the main cities.
Nevertheless, You're in Nature's beautiful lap and you can spend some extremely productive time here!!
My cozy home! :)
Picture source : Lonely Planet