The Secret Vacation to Malana in Himachal Pradesh

A small population of the world knows about the tiny hamlet of Malana in Himachal Pradesh, but the location is highly popular. Everyone who smokes hashish has heard about Malana, no matter the part of the world they live. Restaurants in Amsterdam charge the highest amount for Malana cream than any other item. Nevertheless, apart from smoking joints, this little place is also famous for various other things including taboos and myths, which are definitely interesting to know.

No touching

We have always learned that we should not touch things at the house of strangers, but this rule applies in public places as well in Malana. This rule applies to people as well as things; the Malanese are generally nice to the tourists, but they do not like to be touched. When you go shopping for items, you will receive your things from the counter, and the shopkeeper will tell you to keep the money at the same place. You may see people rushing for a bath when they touch any stranger.

Photography

You can conveniently click photographs of the Malanese kids and adults as they are very camera friendly people. However, the tourists are not allowed to do videography. When you want to take a few candid shots, you can do it conveniently. However, do not insist anyone to let you make a video of any place. You might face fierce resistance.

The language

Since the Malanese consider themselves superior to others, they do not like to share their culture or language with others. They do not like the tourists or outsiders from other villages to speak in their dialect known as Kanashi.

Taboos in the village

• No one in the village can fix nails on the trees because the villagers believe that it will damage the trees.
• The villagers must not burn wood in the forests to save the environment.
• One can carry only dry branches and twigs out of the forests.
• If you wish to hunt the wild animals in the woods, you must take permission from the village council. The board allows hunting only during certain phases during the year.
• If any wild animal attacks the herd of goats and sheep while grazing, the hunters from the village go to save them. Whoever kills the bear is rewarded, but he has to deposit its fur in the devta’s bhandara.
• The villagers put deep faith in the village council, and they do not like the police to intervene in their matters. If someone wants to take help from police, he or she has to deposit 1000 INR of penalty to the council.
• Even when the residents have to solve a conflict among themselves, they do it by conducting a ritual. Although it sounds irrational, people prefer to decide their matters based on their belief. They cut the foreleg of a lamb belonging to each party, insert some poison in it, and stitch it using a needle. The individual who sheep dies first loses the case.

Being at a place like Malana is an exciting experience for a short while, no matter how irrational or arrogant people appear. The villagers are friendly towards tourists; it is just that they want them to respect the local traditions. You may not avail modern transport facilities using a rent a Car App, but it is fun to walk around places on foot. The mountains allow you to breathe in the fresh air, forget the agonies of city life, eat the local delicacies, wear the regional clothes, and adopt the local lifestyle along with the villagers.