Chitkul is the last village in India near the Indo-Tibetan(China) border. It is a beautiful village in Sangla valley in HIMACHAL PRADESH. It is at a distance of 28kms from Sangla town. It is in Kinnaur district, Chitkul is on the river bed of Baspa river.
It is a small beautiful village surrounded by snow-capped high peaked Himalayan mountains. The road from Sangla town to Chitkul village is very rough and bumpy uphill and many small streams flowing across the road. The village is at an elevation of 3450 meters i.e., 11,320 ft from sea level. The population of the village is below 1000 and the residents will speak Hindi. The houses are made up of wooden planks with slate or tin sheets roofs.
Plenty of apple gardens and small Keshri (saffron) fields on either side of the Baspa river banks. The whole area is under the control of the Indo- Tibetan border police (ITBP). The winter is very severe here and the fall of snow starts in November month. The residents of the area will shift to plain lands in the winter season. The weather changes here rapidly and the roads will be blocked by snow.
BOURJ trees are grown plenty here Bourj bark is used as paper in olden days in India we can find heaps of Bourj wood everywhere in the village of Chitkul. The Borja wood will be used as firewood by the local people. There will be no ATMs, no fuel stations, no clinics in this area. One should run to Sangla town in emergencies. One can see the beauty of this place in the winter season, with high peaked snow mountains all around, and small streams of water flowing across the village streets.
A Hindu temple with high walls is seen in the midst of the village. The local Goddess Maatha Chitralekha’s wife of Lord Kubera is worshipped in the temple. Local people say the Goddess is most powerful and will speak with them on her command they will shift the idol of the Goddess on a wooden platform within the compound of the temple. They believe that she will protect them always in difficulties. They will sacrifice animals to the Goddess on festive occasions. They will offer Rotis as Naivedhy to the visitors.
There is also one Kashyapa Buddhist temple in the village and a highly valued old image of the Sakyamuni Buddha is worshipped there. Chitkul is known for growing some of the finest quality peas and potatoes in India. Many Hindu pilgrims on Kinner Kailash Parikrama will visit this place every year. The temple of Goddess Chitralekha is considered a 500years old idol.
Chitkul is one of the remote, beautiful, and peaceful villages in the state of HIMACHAL PRADESH which is also called Devabhoomi (The Abode of Gods).
JAI HIND