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At an altitude of 3420 meters on the confluence of the Saraswati and the Alaknanda streams, Mana is 525 km from Delhi. Onwards, it is only 3 km beyond Badrinath, one of the world's oldest and most frequented pilgrimages. Mana is also the last Indian village, 48 km ahead of which lies the Mana pass on the old trade route to Tibet, disused after the border was sealed in 1962. The Border Roads Organisation has extended the road another 10 km to Musapani, from where the Inner line is 2 km away at Ghastoli. Mana's Bhutia tribal community is migratory, their life pattern linked to the Badrinath shrine. The community's dwelling idiom consists of stone cottages, single or double storeyed, mud plastered with slate-tiled sloping roofs, built into the hillside, some with carved wooden windows and doorway facades. Women are the real keepers of the indigenous knowledge of making natural dyes. The also collect wild plant raw materials. The Mana Bhutias are known for their expertise in making a range of woollen garments and materials, besides processing and colouring of wool. Mana, like many Garhwal villages, is thus not just a human settlement but a micro-ecosystem encompassing the local community, livestock, physical and organic resources.

District: Chamoli State: Uttarakhand Travel Season: The best time to travel to Mana is during May to September. Community: The village comprises of 150 houses. The community tends its Yaks under the watchful eye not far from the Tibet border. The local community- Mana Bhutias- consists of 290 families. Approximately 200 persons are employed in various government and armed forces establishments. Literacy is high with a bank of educated youth looking for employment. Loyalty to the village is strong.

Places to See Mana is the last Indian village close to the Indo-Tibetan border. The region falls within the buffer zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR), a repository of fragile and diverse life support systems. In this region, the discerning visitor get an opportunity to get up close with nature, and a breed of extremely hospitable, honurable and gifted lot of migratory local residents - the Bhutias. Above all, the tourist will most definitely get mesmerised by the simple lifestyle of these people.Apart from the high density Badrinath yatra, tourists can digress into Mana for short day excursions. Nature lovers can visit the Valley of Flowers & Hem Kund yatra. Adventure seekers can opt for treks & mountaineering expeditions in and around Kalindi Khal, Saraswati and Dhauli valleys. One can also try winter skiing and the Garhwal-Kumaon road safari via the Pindar valley

Art & Craft The Mana Bhutias are known for their expertise in making a range of woollen garments and materials, besides processing and colouring of wool. Before 1962, there was trans-border trade with Tibet. The import of wool was the major source of income for the Bhutias. Wool-based indigenous cottage industry, shuttered after 1962. Most families own their own sheep, yielding sizeable quantities of wool within the homestead. The woollen cottage industry is thus the backbone of the Bhutia tribal economy with indigenous practices based on environment care. The Bhutias of Garhwal generally weave more than 10 woollen items such as Gudma, Thulma, Pankhi, Pattu, sweater, cap, muffler, scarf, carpet, Ashan and Pakhi. Among these only four items, i.e. carpet, Ashan, sweater and Pakhi are generally dyed. Bhutia women weave these woollen items in winter as the rest of the season goes in cultivation and harvesting. The Mana geo-backdrop is rugged with towering mountain faces. The community's dwelling idiom consists of stone cottages, single or double storeyed, mud plastered with slate-tiled sloping roofs, built into the hillside, some with carved wooden window and doorway facades

Local Culture Mana Bhutias: Mana's Bhutia tribal community is migratory; their life pattern is linked to the Badrinath shrine. When the temple opens in early May, the community re-occupies Mana, moving up from their winter location at Ghinghran near the Chamoli district HQ at Gopeshwar where wool dyeing continues through the winter. The Mana community places its origin at 500-700 years and is host to several legends. The Veda and Purana texts are believed to have been written here. Some also say that the Mahabharata was written here in the Vyas Gufa, named after the ancient Indian mystic, Rishi Vyas. Cuisine: Rice, millet and locally available vegetables are the mainstay of the local cuisine. A lot of Tibetan influence can be found in the cooking style

How to Reach Mana is 3 km north of Badrinath in Uttaranchal. Regular bus services are available from Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh. The nearest airport is Dehradun and the nearest railway stations are Haridwar and Dehradun