Of all the side valleys of the river Satluj, the Sangla valley is perhaps the most beautiful. It is certainly the most famous. (Older books and travelogues refer to this curving valley as the ‘Baspa Valley ’ after the river; more recent ones call it the Sangla valley after the main village).
It is 98 km from Rampur . It is Kinnaur's most beautiful side-valley . The valley is about 95 km long starting from Karcham (1899 m) to Chung Sakhago pass. Chitkul (3450 m), in the middle of the valley, is the last inhabited village here. The village of Kamru is a kilometre above Sangla . It has a tower like fort and a temple housing the idol of Kamakhya Devi brought here centuries ago from Assam.
Like the rest of Kinnaur, there are no urban centers in the valley – and like most other parts of the administrative district, the people of the valley practice an unusual mix of Trans Himalayan (Vajrayana) Buddhism and Hinduism . Interestingly, for what was till very recently quite the 'back of the beyond' with limited educational and other facilities, the Sangla valley has an unusual distinction in the number of people it has sent into the Indian Civil service and police.
Kamru:
Kamru village is the first village in the valley to be inhabited. Located on the mountain top it has a magnificient view of Sangla valley. It has a 15th century shrine of Lord Badrinarayan and a Gautam Buddha temple in the same compound. The village also has a fort which has an idol of Goddess Kamukumakhya which has been brought from Assam.
Chhitkul:
It is the last Indian village bordering Tibet. This village is situated on the right of the river Baspa. The temple of Goddess Mathi, which is often visited by locals for wish fulfilment is a must see. A short 1.5km walk from Chitkul is Nagasti which is the last civilian point on the Tibet borber.
Chitkul village is the last inhabited village before the Indo-Tibetian border gives way to China. Located at a distance of 26 KMs north of Sangla and situated at height of 3450 feet, this place is like a pre-Raphaelite painting. The frosty Himalayan River Baspa flows through it having meandered through mysterious pine forests. It overlooks the snow-capped Nee-La range. It’s the Nee-la wherefrom Baspa originates. The village abounds in typical Himachali architectural cottages of slate or wooden roofs. The Kagyupa temple has special significance because it houses a rare image of Shakyamuni Buddha with four directional kinds placed on every side. They say that the presiding deity of the village, Mathi is very alive and must be paid homage to. It falls directly on the Kinner Kailash parikrama route.
It’s one of those places that somehow remain in your mind forever. Children, they say, forget places, when they visit too many as a child but this little village is so picturesque that it remains intact in the memory album. Never ever judge Chitkul by the pictures you see (which, by the way, are nothing short of outstanding mostly) because photographs, no matter how good they are can never do justice to what it looks like to the eyes so my suggestion is this that do not deprive your eyes of such beauty. Visit Chitkul because it is these pictures that become a part of our memories is what keeps us going at times.
Chitkul can only be visited during months from May to October, during winters the roads get blocked dew to thick snow. The inhabitants of Chitkul and other villages move to lower regions of Himachal during this period. Special Inner Line Permit needs to be taken if one wants to travel beyond Chitkul towards Indo-Tibet border. Not long ago, such permit was required to enter Sangla valley as well due to it being close to the Indo-Tibet border.
Mathi Temple at Chhitkul:
Mathi is the local goddess of the people of chhitkul having three temples the main one said to have been constructed about five hundred years ago by a resident of Garhwal. The square ark of the goddess is made of walnut wood and is covered with clothes and surmounted by a tuft of yak tail. Two poles called bayanga are inserted into it by means of which it is carried. Her legend goes that she started from Brindavan and passing through Mathura and Badri Nath reached Tibet. Afterward she came to Garhwal, and via Sirmour reached Sarhan in Bushahr and ultimately reached the Barua Khad. Beyond Barua Khad she found the territory divided into seven parts. The deity of Shaung village was Narenas, her nephew. She appointed him to guard the territory.Then she proceeded to Chasu village. There too she appointed the Narenas of Chasu, her nephew as a guard. Then she visited the Kamru fort where her husband Badri Nath, was a guard of the throne of Bushahr. She further went to Sangla where her another nephew, Barang Nag, was responsible for safeguarding the Rupin Ghati. Thereafter she proceeded to Batseri village, where Badri Nath of Batseri, her husband was responsible for guarding a place named Dhumthan. Thence onward she arrived at Rakchham where Shanshares, yet another nephew was appointed as a guard of Dhumthan. Finally she arrived at Chhitkul and settled there permanently assuming the overall responsibility of safeguarding the seven divisions. After her arrival, people had plenty of food, animals had sufficient grass and the village began to proper. She had also a pujares. In the morning the pujares bring water from the nearby spring and worship goddess by burning incense, while musical instruments are played by Domangs.
Mathi is the local goddess of the people of chhitkul having three temples the main one said to have been constructed about five hundred years ago by a resident of Garhwal. The square ark of the goddess is made of walnut wood and is covered with clothes and surmounted by a tuft of yak tail. Two poles called bayanga are inserted into it by means of which it is carried. Her legend goes that she started from Brindavan and passing through Mathura and Badri Nath reached Tibet. Afterward she came to Garhwal, and via Sirmour reached Sarhan in Bushahr and ultimately reached the Barua Khad. Beyond Barua Khad she found the territory divided into seven parts. The deity of Shaung village was Narenas, her nephew. She appointed him to guard the territory.Then she proceeded to Chasu village. There too she appointed the Narenas of Chasu, her nephew as a guard. Then she visited the Kamru fort where her husband Badri Nath, was a guard of the throne of Bushahr. She further went to Sangla where her another nephew, Barang Nag, was responsible for safeguarding the Rupin Ghati. Thereafter she proceeded to Batseri village, where Badri Nath of Batseri, her husband was responsible for guarding a place named Dhumthan. Thence onward she arrived at Rakchham where Shanshares, yet another nephew was appointed as a guard of Dhumthan. Finally she arrived at Chhitkul and settled there permanently assuming the overall responsibility of safeguarding the seven divisions. After her arrival, people had plenty of food, animals had sufficient grass and the village began to proper. She had also a pujares. In the morning the pujares bring water from the nearby spring and worship goddess by burning incense, while musical instruments are played by Domangs.
Rakcham:
The name has been derived from 'Rak' a stone and 'Chham' a bridge. The village at Rakcham is on the left bank of Baspa if you are moving East towards Chitkul. Hundreds of years ago there was a big lake in the same place. The river moved and found a deep gorge, gradually the land filled up and the inhabitants settled there coming down from the hills. The hill ranges here open just a bit as if to fit in the village. Across the river on the right side you can see snow clapped peaks while on the other the peaks are mainly granite which reflects the sun at day time while in winter the snow fills up the nook and crevices giving it an artistic texture. Glaciers can be seen high up on both the ranges. You can trek up both the ranges where you will find meadows, plain land and beautiful lakes.
On way from Sangla to Chitkul tourists can stop by at Rakcham which is absolutely beautiful yet not very well know location. This place is gorgeous any time of the year. There’s abundant snowfall in winters here and somehow the village looks like it’s been painstakingly decorated in hues of white in winter. The rocks are very dark in colour due to a certain geological compositions and the snow lies in stark contrast to that. The sound of the Baspa River is pure music to the ears. There are several modest eateries here where you can grab a delicious but simple meal.
Rakcham-Chitkul Sanctuary was established in 1962 and is located at an altitude of 3200 to 5486m. The region is covered with dry brad scrub forests. The sanctuary is spread over 34 sq.km and is home to leopard, blue sheep, Himalayan black bear, brown bear, musk deer and goral.
