Chitkul, this place is popular as this is said to be the last village of India. However, the fact is alongside the long stretch of Indian borders between China, Pakistan and Bangladesh lies several villages, which is righteously India’s last villages. However, Chitkul is the last point of the Kinner Kailash Parikrama. I strongly feel if this place is popular, it must be for its beauty. Chitkul is purely magical. And as stated in philosophy, “If the journey is tough the result will be worth it.” Bullseye!

The Road

The road to Chitkul is deadly and not for the faint hearted, unless you are ready to face it. Yes, these roads built on the mountain are scary and especially this stretch is known to be one of India’s deadliest. Being closer to the border, Indian army plays a vital role here. Their presence can be sensed. Before reaching Chitkul, there lies another small faintly village, Raksham (Rakchham). After crossing Raksham, starts the deadly journey. With every turn of our vehicle, our heart was in our mouth and eyes wanting to shut down for a quick pray.

But no! when BRO (Border Roads Organisation) is there, there is nothing to fear. Some parts are muddy, rocky roads and on curve, the sound of falling rocks from above gave us an idea of the height we were driving at. The gushing sound of Baspa river crossing us could be heard along with chirps of birds. The sound was music to our ears. These are some sounds which we might not be paying attention to, but in this environment, we realize what we miss under our big city lights.

Finally, in front of us standing tall is the vast range of snow capped mountains, probably acting as a wall between two neighboring countries. But the view was mesmerizing and heavenly. Facing the mountains is the village, simply divine. The village is surrounded by mountains on all three sides. This village is home to several homestays and guesthouses, which gives an idea on the number of travelers it attracts. Beside the village there are vast open fields which are used by the villagers for farming.

Walking along the fields

We decided to take a walk along the river and the fields before we visit the village. The locals over here mainly grow potatoes and peas, which they export to other parts of the country and that is their mode of earning.

We saw a couple of ladies working in the field and waving at us, they invited us to their field. Wow, they are so down to earth even after being so rich with nature. This is generally not the scene in other parts of the country and if by mistake we enter others field… Well that’s a different story, may be some other time. We had a quick chit chat with the ladies and we started towards the river bed.

The river is furious, and some campsites were established by the riverside. As we walked down, we saw an army camp at a distance. And that is when we realized how important these mountains could be. This reminds me of a story when Alexander tried to conquer the world and when facing the Himalayan range, he wondered if that is the edge of the world. Which indeed saved many of the Indian Sub-Continent from his invasion. 😉 We walked back to the village.

Kagyupa Temple

The village has an old Kagyupa temple with a Shakyamuni Buddha photo inside and two huge wooden carved doors on two sides. The temples in Himachal are almost of similar style, which is the fact is other parts of India as well. The temple is calm and serene. It has a big courtyard where locals celebrate their festivals. I sat on the stairs of the temple, while my partner was busy capturing this temple with his lens. The zero presence of noise, was a bliss. I could hear my own heartbeat as a clock in a lonely room in the wee hours of night.

Done with temple photography we walked out of the premises, and there was a lovely lady who was curious looking at us. She asked, “Why people from big cities visit small villages like this?” that moment I wished, if we could just swap our lives, like we see in the movies. I had no words to tell her how blessed they are. Walking with us, she showed us her house, the place where ladies gather for morning and evening hangout and the only school in this village.

Wooden houses

Chitkul has only wooden houses and these houses looked super cute. I could recall the images from Harry Potter running in my mind, and I smiled to myself. Most of the houses were at a height and the lower part of the house are used to store wood and yearly harvests, like a makeshift barn. We peeped into the school over the boundary wall, the 5-6 year-old kids screamed their heart out repeating after the teacher. Glad to see people considering education to be an important part of their life even in the remote areas like these.

Two things which caught my attention and I don’t want to miss mentioning, there is a small place just outside the Chitkul village where people collect their harmless and biodegradable waste materials from their houses and burn them, instead of dumping them on an open area in the village. This small step, with time has become a ritual to keep their homeland clean. And second, the humble nature of the locals.  

Down to earth culture

We went into a small shop to buy some eatables, and when the lady did not have loose change, she offered me to pick up anything of any value from her shop, and she would give it for free due to the inconvenience (in her imagination). I jokingly picked up a full jar of chocolates and she nodded her head with a smile. That is modesty. I then picked up a toffee and set out saying goodbye with a smile. It is said when people have little they are more generous, true. These people have no facilities like us, but that is what makes them so generous.

Before we started our onward journey, we walked down to Thakur café located at the entrance of the village. The café has a rooftop seating and the view was unquestionable. Following mountain rituals, we ordered Maggi and tea. And while hogging, we talked about life being so different and how we humans understand so little of our life and the nature. Giving a pause to the discussion we promised to return to this place, which has emerged straight out of fairy tale, and stay at least a day here.

How to reach Chitkul?

• Chitkul is easily accessible by road. Shimla, Chandigarh, and Delhi all have private and public transportation options.
• By Air: Bhuntar Airport (Kullu) is the nearest domestic airport to Chitkul, located 224 kilometres away.
• Shimla, 110 kilometres away, is the nearest train station to Chitkul.