A frigid mountain desert dotted with green patches on the arid, weather harsh surface, enchanting valleys, windswept landscapes and tranquil villages, Spiti, roughly translated as ‘Middle Earth’ . The geographical location conveys strong Buddhist influence and the region’s striking cultural similarities with the valley.

Religion plays an important role in everyday life, as evidenced by piles of “mani”, whitewashed houses containing Buddhist relics, and prayer flags waving tirelessly in the air. central. The echo of ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ (literally ‘Behold the jewel in the lotus’) brings good luck and prosperity to all distant lands. Novelist Rudyard Kipling in his book ‘Kim’ describes Spiti as ‘the world within the world’, ‘where the gods live’ – which is still true today.

For centuries, Spiti had an introverted culture, where life was still centered around the monasteries. It was loosely ruled by a hereditary wazir, the so-called ‘Nono’, and during that time, for a short time, the valley was also attacked by invaders from the kingdoms. neighbor. Spiti faces attacks from the private warring nations of Kullu and Ladakh in an attempt to control the region. An army from Jammu and Kashmir led by generals Ghulam Khan and Rahim Khan invaded Spiti in 1841 AD. A few years later, in 1846–, an army of Sikhs also attacked the valley.