Niti Valley is a remote valley located in the northernmost region of Uttarakhand, India at a height of 3, 600 m (11, 811 ft).[1] It is close to the Chinese border and Niti is the last village in the valley before the border with south Tibet.[2] The Niti Pass was an ancient trade route between India and Tibet, and it was sealed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War.[1] Since then, the border has remained sealed.
The villages in the valley include Lata, Kaga, Dronagiri, Garpak, Malari, Bampa, Gamshali and Niti. They are mostly inhabited by Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand of Chamoli district ,namely Marchas, a community of Mongoloid origin, and Tolcchas, both known as Rongpa. The language spoken by Marchas is mix of Tibetan and Garhwali , while Tolcchas speak Garhwali Rongpa .[3] Due to adverse weather conditions in the winter, the villages in the valley are only hospitable for about six to eight months. Villagers migrate to lower regions during the winters.[4] Various medicinal plants and herbs grow in the valley that have been mentioned in the Charak Samhita, an ancient treatise on Ayurveda.[5]
Shiva Temple
editBetween the villages of Gamshali and Niti, there is a cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva known as Timmersain Mahadev.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Negi, Sharad Singh (July 23, 2002). Cold Deserts of India. Indus Publishing. ISBN 9788173871276 – via Google Books.
- ^ Wright, Colin. "The village of Niti, Kumaon (U.P.). 4 June 1812". www.bl.uk.
- ^ a b Nand, Nitya; Kumar, Kamlesh (July 23, 1989). The Holy Himalaya: A Geographical Interpretation of Garhwal. Daya Publishing House. ISBN 9788170350552 – via Google Books.
- ^ Negi, S. S. (July 23, 1998). Discovering the Himalaya. Indus Publishing. ISBN 9788173870798 – via Google Books.
- ^ Ethnomedicinal Plant Use and Practice in Traditional Medicine. IGI Global. March 13, 2020. ISBN 9781799813217 – via Google Books.