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Lahaul and Spiti are two remote Himalayan valleys of
Himachal Pradesh lying on the Indo-Tibet border. Strange, exciting,
primitive, these valleys are incomparable in mountain scape, in the rugged
beauty of their rocky escapements and the splendor of their snow covered
peaks.
Lahaul
is marked by a central mass of uniformly high mountains, massive glaciers,
passes, lakes and gushing rivers. The two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, which
rise on either side of the Baralacha La, flow through the narrow Chandra
and Bhaga valleys. Lahaul is a land of fascinating Buddhist art and
culture. Often called as the 'middle country', Spiti is a cold desert
regarded as a "World within a world" and "Palace where the gods live". The
monasteries of Lahaul-Spiti are rich repositories of ancient murals,
thankas, woodcarving and golden images of Padmasambhava
SPITI
VALLEY : Spiti is the
sub division of Lahaul & Spiti district with its hqrs. at Kaza. It is
called "Little Tibet" because it has almost the same terrain, vegetation
& climate . Spiti also means "Middle Country". It lies between Tibet,
Ladakh, Kinnaur, Lahaul & Kulu. From Shimla via Kinnaur there is a
motorable road which remains open upto Kaza for 8 to 9 months. About
10kms. ahead of Pooh, satluj enters India near Shipki la & Spiti river
joins it at Khab. The road then goes to Sumdo via Hangrang valley. From
Sumdo Spiti valley starts. The Spiti river flows fast through deep gorges
at some places. The valley is not wide but there are villages and some
fields where people grow barley, buck- wheat, peas & vegetables. It
has an area of 4800 sq. kms. Some inhabitants have adopted Budhism as
there faith and Bhoti is the spoken language. The people are simple and
honest. The main Spiti valley is split into eastern and western valleys.
They are connected with Ladakh & Tibet on eastern side & Kinnaur
and Kulu on western side through high passes.
Climate: Lahaul's climate is very much similar to that of
Ladakh and Zanskar, which border it to the north. Beyond the reach of the
monsoon, the valley sees little rain in summer, when the sun is strong and
the nights are cool. Between late October and late March, heavy snow
closes the passes, and seals of the region. Less rainfall in both valleys
enables climbers & trekkers to enjoy a long and unbroken season in
perpetual sunshine and explore the wilderness and grandeur of the inner
Himalaya. This unique feature makes Lahul-Spiti as an ideal destination
for tourists and trekkers in the month of July, August and September.
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