Malana.. The Village of Taboos

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Malana.. The Village of Taboos

There are some really amazing places in India.. Malana in Himachal Pradesh is one of them.. 

Malana is an ancient village to the north-east of Kullu Valley. This solitary village in the Malana Nala, a side valley of the Parvati Valley, is isolated from the rest of the world. At an altitude of 9,938 feet above sea level lies the village of Malana also known as the village of Taboos. 

There are some really interesting facts about this place. Here are a few..

5. Oldest Democracy in the World

Malana is considered as one of the oldest democracies in the world. From times of yore, the judiciary system of Malana hasn’t undergone any major changes and still remains preeminent.

4. Men of Faith, Less of Reason: Resolving conflicts based on the death of lambs

The judiciary in Malana is different from that in the rest of India in many ways. They believe in a godly approach over the rational one. In a difficult decision to solve a conflict, they make a deep cut in the foreleg of a lamb each of the two parties, poison it, and then sew it back with needle. The person whose lamb dies first is said to lose the case.

3. The Little Greece of Himalayas

Perceptible for its rich and inimitable culture, Malana is often termed as the little Greece in Malana. The villagers here claim to be the inhabitants of Greek ancestry. However, there is no convincing substantiation for the declaration.

2. The ‘Touch-Me-Not’ Villagers

One cannot touch them or their belongings without their permission. The people are friendly but outsiders are told to keep distance and not touch anything in the village. The shopkeepers will ask you to keep the money on the counter and place the goods on the counter, without any physical contact. In case of any contact, they will rush for a bath.

They consider themselves to be superior to the rest. That is why they refrain from physical contact. Their language, Kanashi, is considered sacred and outsiders from other villages are not allowed to use the same. Tourists are not allowed to enter the temples either for they consider outsiders as untouchables.

1. Malana: The Village Of Taboos

In addition to the taboo on physical contact and use of Kanashi by an outsider, there are many other restrictions.

According to village rules, fixing nails on a tree is prohibited as that could damage the tree. Burning wood is also prohibited in the forests of Malana. Only dry twigs and branches are permitted to be carried outside the forest. Similarly, hunting of wild animals is not allowed without the permission of the village council that too only during specific periods of the year.In case wild animals attack the herds of sheep and goats of the villagers the hunters are sent from the village to the pastures to kill them. And if a bear is killed, the hunter is rewarded but has to deposit the fur in the Bhandara of the Devta.Police intervention is not allowed, but if the accused wants to seek the help of police he has to pay a fine of Rs 1000/- to the village council.

INCREDIBLE BHARATHA