The Kullu-Manali region is among the most hyped tourist spots in Himachal Pradesh and across the country. The region serves a rich demography of tourists. Families looking for summer breaks, foreigners from the West searching for “inner peace”, trekkers, bikers, and so on. Biking to Himachal would appear on a number of bucket lists owing to a lot of cinema and social media influence. The Kasol area is a bustling hotspot within this region. Kasol is also on the way to Malana, that hosts a closed community of indigenous inhabitants who have become popular owing to documentaries and media coverages on their way of life.
Due to many of these reasons, I always wanted to visit Manali and Kasol. The opportunity to work in Himachal through the Fellowship gave me all the more reason to tick it off my wish list. I undertook two trips to Kasol, both in the summer. From Kasol, I travelled to Malana and Tosh. I tried to record my travel through pictures, as much as I can. In this photo blog, I have collated some of my favorite frames in monochrome.
These roads are usually much busier. This bridge right in the middle of Kasol town will be the first landmark to register in your mind once you get down. Picture credits: Author
The entrance to the market in Kasol. The economy is heavily dependent on travelers and these markets filled with local products are a popular source of employment. Picture credits: Author
Local youths taking a break from their shops for a game of cricket. They have to pause and step aside every time a vehicle passes through. Picture credits: Author
The very popular, handmade Hemp bags. They are made out of a mixture of cotton and Hemp fabric. Depending on the size and craft, they can cost anything between INR 300 and INR 1500. Picture credits: Author
Anesh was happy to pose for my camera. He migrated from Nepal with his uncle to work in one of the shops in Kasol market. I wanted to share this picture with him but there was no means to do so. Picture credits: Author
Malana village after sunset, as seen from a distance. Situated at a height of 8,700 ft, Malana is very much isolated from the outside world. The community doesn’t interact much with other cultures. Malana has its own dialect, lifestyle, and social structure. Picture credits: Author
The people of Malana prefer to keep their places of worship untouched by outsiders. Handwritten ‘No Entry’ boards can also be found in front of some of the alleys. Picture credits: Author
Youths hanging out around what seemed like the ‘central square’ of Malana village. I found a large number of people just hanging around, taking naps in the sun, smoking, and talking. A few of them tried to sell me their products. Picture credits: Author
The people of Malana are dependent on the pulley system for transportation of heavy goods, especially construction materials. Popularly called ‘Spain’, the pulley system is a part and parcel of the lives of people in and around Malana. You can notice some of the goods that were offloaded minutes before the picture was taken. Picture credits: Author
Kids in Malana enjoying a game of football after school. Picture credits: Author
A temple/shrine in Tosh village, around 30 kilometers ahead of Kasol. Such structures were common around the area and could easily be identified as places of worship. Picture credits: Author
Nabhas was born and raised in a small town in Kannur district of Kerala. He pursued his undergraduate education from Amrita University. He graduated in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 2017, and later pursued a post-graduate degree in Development Policy and Practice, graduating in 2022. Irrespective of pursuing engineering, Nabhas always aspired to be a part of the development sector in India. After his graduation, he joined Goonj fellowship where he served the organization’s Kolkata chapter in 2019 and 2020. At Goonj, he worked on various campaigns on livelihood, education and menstrual hygiene. During his post-graduation, Nabhas also worked on internships and field projects, touching upon areas such as youth and employment, health, environmental conservation, etc. In his personal space, Nabhas enjoys reading non-fiction, watching cinema, playing football, etc. Through the fellowship journey, he hopes to deepen his knowledge regarding his interest areas and express himself through ideas.
Nabhas was born and raised in a small town in Kannur district of Kerala. He pursued his undergraduate education from Amrita University. He graduated in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 2017, and later pursued a post-graduate degree in Development Policy and Practice, graduating in 2022. Irrespective of pursuing engineering, Nabhas always aspired to be a part of the development sector in India. After his graduation, he joined Goonj fellowship where he served the organization’s Kolkata chapter in 2019 and 2020. At Goonj, he worked on various campaigns on livelihood, education and menstrual hygiene. During his post-graduation, Nabhas also worked on internships and field projects, touching upon areas such as youth and employment, health, environmental conservation, etc. In his personal space, Nabhas enjoys reading non-fiction, watching cinema, playing football, etc. Through the fellowship journey, he hopes to deepen his knowledge regarding his interest areas and express himself through ideas.
We use cookies and similar technologies to collect information and to personalize the site. By continuing to use this site, you consent to the placement of these cookies and similar technologies and to our privacy practices. Read our updated Privacy Notice to learn more.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate. Out of these, the cookies categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of the basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
