Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh - my home in the Himalayas

Tirthan Valley, a hidden gem of Himachal Pradesh, is what I call my home in the Himalayas. Once I started traveling extensively and got addicted to the Himalayas, I consciously kept away from Himachal Pradesh, because I needed my own sweet time to explore Himachal Pradesh, the second most beautiful state in India after Kashmir. Little did I know then that I would be blessed enough to get to spend an entire year in Himachal Pradesh. After I quit my job, I donated most of my belongings, packed only what I needed and drove all the way to Himachal Pradesh from Pune. I am living a completely nomadic life in different parts of Himachal Pradesh since then. Bir in Himachal Pradesh was my first abode in the Himalayas. Thereafter I backpacked in Spiti and Kinnaur. I then planned to spend a month in Tirthan Valley in winters, hoping to write more blogs as the ruthless winters of Himalayas would keep me indoors.

The beauty of Tirthan Valley had blown me away since the day I landed. It is a quaint little valley in the lower Himalayas of Kullu district. The more I explored Tirthan, the more I realised that this is the place I had been looking for all this while, a place which I could call my home in the Himalayas. 

The valley is a collection of small hamlets along the road and the ones beautifully perched on mountains on both the sides.

​Fresh Air to Breath

One road runs through the middle of Tirthan valley with mountains on either side and Tirthan river on one side. The vehicles that run here are so few that it hardly pollutes the air. Tirthan Valley offers a blend of rocky mountains, dense forested mountains and snow-covered mountains. The valley is covered with fruit orchards and fields. This valley completely satisfies my need of breathing fresh air. 

​Fresh Water to Drink

Tirthan River has the cleanest water, with minerals and digestive enzymes that make me hungry every 2 hours. The river is a tributary of river Beas and originates from glaciers of Hanskund, a snow covered peak in the Great Himalayan National Park . I feel privileged to drink this natural water everyday. The river flows right outside my room, and I'm addicted to the sound of the river. It constantly reminds me of the life that runs through my veins and motivates me to go with the flow.

​Fresh Food to Eat

Naturally grown food is another priority of my life. Agriculture is the primary occupation for the people in Tirthan Valley. They grow all the grains (wheat, barley, corn, rice), dals (chickpeas, kidney beans, gram, lentils), vegetables (green peas, potatoes, tomatoes, ladies fingers, brinjal, beans) and fruits (plums, apricots, peaches, pears, apples, walnuts, oranges, Japanese persimmons).
I again feel privileged when I can pluck fresh fruits and veggies straight from the orchards for myself.

Non-commercialisation in Tirthan Valley

What makes the valley more beautiful is the non-commercialisation here. The village names change after almost every kilometre. There's just 1 shop in each village that provides with the basic needs. The shopkeepers have opened up shops in their homes itself. I have no choice of shampoos  or toothpastes or washing powders. I can buy a toothpaste only worth INR 10, bigger sizes aren't available. And to make it clear, that doesn't make me sad at all. I'm happy to walk down to the shop every time I need to stock up my little resources. I had started living minimalistic even when I lived in Pune. I had stopped using departmental stores so that I don't buy things in bulk. I had started visiting the local stores to buy only what I really needed.
Tirthan Valley has a central market in Gushaini (3km away from my home) with 15-20 shops for groceries, vegetables, medical, stationery, confectionery, mobile and other daily needs. There's also SBI bank and ATM at Gushaini.

Loving Family to Live with

One of the wisest decisions I made was to live with a local family in Tirthan Valley. I chose a family,based on various factors, and I'm proud of my choice. It is a small family of a young couple and their kid who mostly lives with his grandmother in a traditional Himachali house perched on a mountain. They run a small homestay. I had moved in with them on my birthday 16 November 2016 and since then, I'm a part of their family, to an extent that the lady mentioned that if I don't get married, their son will take care of all 3 of us when we grow old :) The lady cooks lovingly for me and feels satisfied only when she serves me food. The guy protects me from everything and makes me feel secured here. Both of them easily read my face and check on me if they see me worried. They wake up to see me off and wish me "Best of Journey" when I go out of town and miss me while I'm away.
The bond and trust that we have built over few months is so strong that it is difficult to separate me out of their family.

A cozy room to myself

I have my own room in the homestay, though I use the entire house freely. My room even in Tirthan Valley smells of aroma oils. I make my own ginger lemon honey and green teas and there are times when I ask the lady to rest while I cook for the family. 

Abundant Nature around me

I am addicted to waking up to the sound of the river and birds who drop in by my room to wish me good morning. The mornings are so refreshing here, that I love to get out of my bed early just to treasure the serenity of nature.

People of Tirthan Valley welcomed me with wide arms

I'm lucky to be welcomed in Tirthan Valley with lot of warmth. The ladies here loved talking to me about various things like why I quit my job, how is everyone back home, how was my lifestyle in the cities, how do I like it here. They never forget to invite me to their place for tea or dinner. There are few locals here doing great work with ecotourism. I learn a lot from them about the nature and how it has changed over time. I'm very impressed with the humility of these simple and hard-working people. I have a lot to learn from them. 
I have already had teas and dinners at so many homes in Tirthan Valley, I don't know how am I going to pay it back to them! They make me feel at home. More than the teas and dinners, it's their warmth that makes me obliged to them.

I think I've listed enough excuses for me extending the month to 3 months in the winters. I had them gone to the cities for some work and other travels. I had to come back to Tirthan Valley to spend my summers here. Like they say, I deserved the summers here after living through the harsh winters.
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Related Posts:

Things to do in Tirthan Valley

Living in a Traditional Himachali house in Tirthan Valley

Bir - my first abode in the Himalayas