Can Malana Survive Tourism’s Impact?

As outsiders pour into the Himalayas, Malana struggles to protect its centuries-old traditions from the pressures of modern tourism.

Transcript

00:00Tourists endure great hardship to reach this village due to its remote location which modern transport cannot access.

00:10The only challenge which I felt was trekking to Mallana village from the parking, which is quite a lot for me.

00:17It took me around an hour to reach over here.

00:21In this distant valley, there lies a rich history that stretches back thousands of years,

00:26a way of life deeply bound by its own unique traditions and laws.

00:33The beliefs of the Malanese, which often conflict with their economic needs,

00:37mean that although they strictly forbid physical contact with outsiders,

00:41they are nonetheless forced to rely mainly on tourism, a blessing, yet also a curse for them.

00:47As the head of the village, my job is to take care of all the work here,

01:00such as leveling roads and installing solar light.

01:04It is my duty to place trash bins in different parts of the village

01:08and to raise awareness among tourists to use them instead of throwing garbage anywhere.

01:14I use the money that the government provides for this work.

01:19Jamlingirishi, regarded as one of the great sages in Hindu mythology,

01:23is said to have intervened through his divine oracle,

01:27commanding that all guest houses surrounding Mallana be closed.

01:30According to the legend, his decree allowed the village to welcome visitors only during daylight hours,

01:37when the god's blessing was present.

01:39…

01:42The sin was present.

01:55The mariner the Book of the years

01:58said that the crypto can only body and the accursed Welcome.