Parvati Valley - Hippie Hills

PARVATI Valley: This place is Trippy

Parvati Valley is situated among dhauladhar ranges along Parvati River, Kullu, Himachal in western Himalayas. ​With its ethereal viewpoints, cute villages, lovely locals and good charas, the magic of Parvati Valley pulls me towards it at least once every year.

• All of these places, although different in their own stead, have one thing in common – the cannabis that is heavily cultivated here, and a love for the same. Malana Cream, hush that is cultivated in the Malana village mainly, is one of the most sought after hush in the world, and the motivating factor for half the hippies who flock to the valley.

A trail through lush farms, dark pine forest, small hills and villages along the parvati river. The upper section of the Parvati Valley, after the road ends, is simply awesome: pine and fir-clothed high mountains with no permanent human habitations and the short but furious Parvati river thundering ceaselessly through its deep gorge.

Nature colours..Pine forest among Parvati Val

• Parvati valley is highly notorious for its cultivation of cannabis. Tourists, mostly foreigners, openly buy and consume hashish (hash/charas) even though it is illegal, giving it a name of hash capital of India.

 Pro tip: Be careful as buying and consuming hash (or charas) is illegal in India and there are many checkpoints in this area. Observe the connection between Dealers, police, villagers. Be aware. Switch on your stealth mode.

Things to do in Parvati Valley:

• Kasol Valley
• Try Israeli Food
• Malana Village
• Tosh Village
• Kheerganga Trek
• Chalal Village
• Rashol Trek
•  Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara

KASOL: mini Israel

The biggest reason – It has an underground psytrance culture and an easy access to some homegrown magical herbs that are purer, more affordable and way more potent than what you get in Amsterdam’s coffee shops. Yes, Kasol is India’s hashish capital and it’s not a secret anymore. 

KASOL..along Parvati River

Once a quaint little river side town, Kasol has now become a jam-packed tourist destination. I prefer to head to one of the nearby villages and skip Kasol entirely.

Apart from being a hippie paradise, Kasol is also a haven for great food, albeit little known. Tucked amidst wilderness, in a remote corner of the world, Kasol is flocked by young Israelis. Hence the name Mini Israel. The influence is clearly visible in the Hebrew inscribed sign boards and abundantly available Israeli food. When in Kasol don’t hunt for fancy. Street side cafes serve excellent food. Eat outdoors if you can. There is no dirt threatening to get into your food in this pristine valley. A view of the immense hills and dark green forests just makes your eating experience that much better. Do try the ‘Turquoise Kasol’ and ‘The Evergreen’ for a taste of Israeli food.

Visit Manikaran Sahib:

Manikaran is just about 6 kms from Kasol so you can take a hike or hitch a ride, whatever suits you. Manikaran Sahib is a huge Gurudwara tucked between imposing hills and a fierce Beas. The high point of the Manikaran Sahib is the hot spring located within the premise of the Gurudwara. The devout take a dip here to wash their sins and illnesses away as the spring water is believed to have healing properties. The ‘Langar’ is delicious and wholesome. It is a fact that the rice is cooked in the hot water from the spring. You have to take off your footwear and cover your head in respect before entering the holy Gurudwara. It would be wise to carry a convenient piece of clothing to cover your head. Inside the shrine, you can see pictures of Hindu Gods, alongside Jesus and Sikh Guru’s. The messages couldn’t have been clearer; everyone is welcome and all faiths are respected. I find this bit especially touching about Manikaran Sahib.

In August 2015, the Gurudwara was hit by a massive boulder, loosened by a landslide, which killed eight people and damaged some of its rear floors. Work is going on to restore the Gurudwara as quickly as possible.

TOSH - village with 360 view

Tosh is the last village in the Parvati Valley. 30 minutes trek from Barsheni leads you to this small village inhabited by 400 locals.The village gives you a 360 degree view of the Parvati Valley which is very scenic. You can opt for home stay and live with the locals and take a short two-hour trail to Kutla, higher up in the mountains in the evening. There are green meadows, small bridges on the way and fresh water springs.

TOSH Village.. 360 view

Treacherous roads, a hippie culture and some stunning sceneries, this is what makes up Tosh. This little village tucked in the Himachal offers on-going treakers pretty pastoral scenes and calming views. The architecture of wooden houses, with simple designs and bright colours also add a lot to the beauty of this pristine Himalayan village.

Tosh is one of where simple-minded locals sit and smoke chillums with their families after a long day’s work. After all, they are surrounded by magical herbs that grown in plenty around them. One have to notice the different flavour hash plantation.

Rasol Trek 

Kheerganga - place with no connectivity

The only way to reach is by trekking. The 14 km Kheerganga Trek from TOSH passes through Nakhtaan village, Rudranag and dark pine forests. The trek can take anywhere between 4-6 hours.

Nakthan Village.. on trail to Kheerganga

The reward? ...... A hot water pool surrounded by snow peaked mountain!!

That's nothing less than healing.The natural hot-water-spring experience is something that you will remember for a lifetime.



The trek is very pleasant and offers some exhilarating views. The vegetation changes dramatically and opens up into a flatland that is graced by the occasional tent, the few guest houses and cafes.

Kheerganga.. flatland 

If you want to spend a night Into the wild, camp there and dream open eyes under a gazing Milk Way. Maybe in month of November, one can witness fresh snow morning.

Fresh morning snow, kheerganga