31°35′N 78°25′E / 31.583°N 78.417°E / 31.583; 78.417 Kinnaur district is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The district is divided into three administrative areas ( Kalpa , Nichar (Bhabanagar), and Pooh ) and has six tehsils . The administrative headquarters of the district is at Reckong Peo . The revered Kinnaur Kailash mountain, one of the Panch Kailash sites, is situated in Kinnaur. As of 2011, it is the second least populous district of Himachal Pradesh (out of 12 districts ), after Lahaul and Spiti .
22-562: Chhitkul is a village in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh . During winters, the place mostly remains covered with the snow and the inhabitants move to lower regions of Himachal . According to a recent study by Centre of Atmospheric Sciences at IIT Delhi, Chitkul has the cleanest air in India. Chitkul, a village located on right bank of Baspa River , is the last village of the Baspa Valley and
44-690: A total of 640 ). The district has a population density of 13 inhabitants per square kilometre (34/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 7.61%. Kinnaur has a sex ratio of 819 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 80%. The entire population was rural. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 17.53% and 57.95% of the population respectively. Languages of Kinnaur district (2011) Kannaura people speak about eight language varieties, seven from Sino-Tibetan language family; Kinnauri, Chitkuli, Sumcho, Jangrami, Poo Kinnauri, Sunam, Nesang and one from an Indo-Aryan language family, called Pahari Kinnauri. Also see At
66-523: Is 10 km trek from Chitkul. Chitkul is around 569 km from the National capital Delhi, 345 km from Chandigarh and 28 km from Sangla. Kinnaur district Around 235 km (146 mi) from the state capital, Shimla, Kinnaur is located in the northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh, bordering Tibet to the east. It has three high mountain ranges, namely Zanskar and the Himalayas , that enclose
88-697: Is 6,714 m (22,028 ft) above sea level and is the main peak of the Transhimalaya (also called the Kailash Range or Gangdisê Mountains). The holy mountain and lake are associated with number of religions: Buddhism , Hinduism , and Bon , among others, attracting numerous domestic and international religious pilgrims and tourists. Surrounding Mount Kailash are four ancient and famous monasteries: Zhabura , Chiu Gompa, Zheri and Zhozhub . Manasarovar lies 4,588 m (15,052 ft) above sea level, covers an area of 412 km (159 sq mi) and reaches
110-647: Is Shimla Airport that is connected with all the major cities. Kinnaur does not have any railway service commuting directly to the place. One can reach Shimla that is connected by a narrow-gauge railway line from Kalka. Connected by National Highway 05 Kinnaur can be easily reached via Shimla . Busses run by Himachal Road Transport Corporation ply from Shimla to different parts of Kinnaur. Ngari Prefecture Ngari Prefecture ( Tibetan : མངའ་རིས་ས་ཁུལ། , Wylie : mnga' ris sa khul , ZYPY : ngari sakü ) or Ali Prefecture ( simplified Chinese : 阿里地区 ; traditional Chinese : 阿里地區 ; pinyin : Ālǐ Dìqū )
132-456: Is a delight for nature lovers; especially the stretch after Raksham and right up to Chitkul. The valley is extremely beautiful, on the left bank of the Baspa River are snow-clad mountains and on the right bank the whole terrain is full of apple orchards and wooden houses. Chitkul is start point for Lamkhaga pass trek and Borasu pass trek. Nagasthi ITBP post is 4 km and Ranikanda meadows
154-432: Is a prefecture of China's Tibet Autonomous Region covering Western Tibet, whose traditional name is Ngari Khorsum . Its administrative centre and largest settlement is the town of Shiquanhe . It is one of the least densely populated areas in the world, with 0.3 people per kilometer (0.85 per mile). Ngari was once the heart of the ancient kingdom of Guge . Later Ngari, along with Ü and Tsang, composed Ü-Tsang , one of
176-501: Is the only non-Buddhist deity to which respect must be paid by the Parikrama pilgrims. It is believed that the local Deity is related to the Deity of Gangotri and till recently the locals would carry the Deity to Gangotri on foot over high mountain passes. Chitkul is situated around 40 km from Karcham, the place where road bifurcates from Hindustan-Tibet Road (NH 22). The Sangla Valley
198-460: Is the second richest district in terms of per capita income after Solan in Himachal Pradesh. Kinnaur was a part of erstwhile Chini Tehsil of Mahasu district. It became a separate district on 1 May, 1960. Earlier Kinnaur was a north-eastern segment of the erstwhile Bushahr principality, which had its capital at Kamru . Later, the capital was shifted to Rampur Bushahr . After the fall of
220-555: The Himalaya , where vegetation is sparse and consists primarily of hardy grasses. Alpine species such as juniper , pine , fir , cypress , and rhododendron can be found at elevations between 3,500 and 5,000 metres, primarily in Middle Kinnaur. At lower altitudes, temperate-climate trees are found, including oak , chestnut , maple , birch , alder , magnolia , apple , and apricot . Yaks and dzos are reared by local farmers in
242-619: The Kannauj Empire , the rulers of Kamru annexed adjoining territories by force and laid the foundation of the state of Bushahr. Kinnaur belonged to it till the dissolution of the state after independence of India. In the absence of authentic historical records the early history of the Kinnaur region is obscure and the reference of the Kinnaur or Kannaura and their land is by and large confined to legends and mythological accounts. Kinnaur also has historical cultural links with Ngari Prefecture of
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#1732876154733264-652: The Tibetan Autonomous Region . With a mountainous area, ranging in altitude from 2,320 to 6,816 metres (7,612 to 22,362 ft), Kinnaur is one of the smallest districts in India by population. It is known for the Kinnaur Kailash , a mountain sacred to Hindus , close to the Chinese border. According to the 2011 census , Kinnaur district has a population of 84,121. This gives it a ranking of 620th in India (out of
286-512: The 2011 census, 72% of the population in the district spoke or knew native languages of Kinnaur, 16.65% Hindi and 7.03% Nepali as their first language. Although, Hindi is fast emerging as the language of choice in most domains, especially the young speakers, due to the demands of modernity which has threatened the native languages. Most of Kinnaur enjoys a temperate climate due to its high elevation, with long winters from October to May, and short summers from June to September. The lower parts of
308-460: The Shakyamuni Buddha , a Wheel of Life mandala and four Directional Kings on either side of the door. Chitkul is practically the last point of the famous Kinner Kailash Parikrama as one can hitch a hike from here onwards. After one crosses over the 5,242 m high Charang Pass., it is a long and steep run down through slithery scree slopes to Chitkul(3,450m). The powerful goddess of Chitkul
330-603: The Sutlej Valley and the Baspa Valley receive monsoon rains. The Baspa valley receives highest rainfall in July month. The upper areas of the valleys fall mainly in the rain-shadow area. These areas are considered to be arid regions, similar to the climate of Tibet and Central Asian countries. A study by the IIT Delhi in 2016 established that Kinnaur district has the cleanest air in the country Portions of Kinnaur are situated high in
352-565: The capital, Lhasa . Ali Kunsha Airport began operations on July 1, 2010, becoming the fourth civil airport in Tibet (shortening the trip to Lhasa to one-and-a-half hours from three or four days by car) along with Lhasa Gonggar Airport in Lhasa, Qamdo Bamda Airport in Chamdo and Nyingchi Mainling Airport . Ngari is best known for Mount Kailash , also called Sumeru , and Lake Manasarovar . Mount Kailash
374-483: The high point 3038 meters, along the boundaries of Shimla and Kinnaur to Srikhand Dhar via Gushu Pishu Peak, up to Kokshane Peak. The flora includes kharsu, oak, weeping fig , alpine, chir pine , Himalayan temperate forest, coniferous and dry broad leaved coniferous. The fauna of Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary includes snow leopard , brown bear , Himalayan tahr , blue sheep , Indian fox, and musk deer . No direct flight commute to Kinnaur. The nearest airport
396-641: The higher areas. Scattered populations of the Himalayan black bear and small ponies may also be found. Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over an expanse of 503 sq.km. of Rupi Bhaba, Kinnaur. In 1982, a 239 sq. km. portion of the Bushahr state forests was declared the Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary. To the north, it covers main Srikhand Dhar, starting from Kokshane Peak. To the east, it covers
418-422: The last village on the old Hindustan-Tibet trade route. It is also the last point in India one can travel to without a permit. Of particular interest at Chitkul are its houses with either slate or wooden plank roofs, a Buddhist temple and a small tower. However, there has been an increased use of tin-roofs, especially the high school and the army/ITBP barracks. The Kagyupa temple has a highly valued old image of
440-470: The ridge line from high points 5567 meters, on the main Srikhand mountain range, heading south, diving first Nichar from Murang Tehsil then Kalpa Tehsil till the point on the ridge line of Mukim Dhar up to peak 5496 meters. To the south, it meanders through Listrang Gad, Khosyan, Angyar Ghat, Wanger Khad, Soling Dhar, Saknatpa PF, Kandarn Khad, Shorang Khad, and Bara Kamba etc. To the west, starting from
462-508: The traditional provinces of Tibet , the others being Amdo and Kham . The prefecture has close cultural links with Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti district of the bordering Indian state of Himachal Pradesh . The paved Xinjiang-Tibet Highway ( 新藏公路 ) passes through this area. There are well-known prehistoric petroglyphs near the far western town of Rutog . The town of Ngari lies 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) above sea level in northwest Tibet some 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) west of
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#1732876154733484-439: The valleys of Baspa , Satluj , Bhaba and Spiti , as well as their tributaries. The slopes are covered with thick wood, orchards, fields and hamlets. At the peak of Kinnaur Kailash mountain is a natural rock Shivling (Shiva lingam ). The district was opened to outsiders in 1989. The old Hindustan-Tibet Road passes through the Kinnaur valley along the bank of river Sutlej and finally enters Tibet at Shipki La pass. Kinnaur
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