Niti Valley


Niti Valley is a remote valley located in the northernmost region of Uttarakhand, India at a height of 3, 600 m. It is close to the Chinese border and Niti is the last village in the valley before the border with south Tibet. The Niti Pass was an ancient trade route between India and Tibet, and it was sealed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. 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 or Chamoli's Marchas, a community of Mongoloid origin, or Tolcchas. The language spoken is a mix of Tibetan and Garhwali or Rongpo. 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. Various medicinal plants and herbs grow in the valley that have been mentioned in the Charak Samhita, an ancient treatise on Ayurveda.

Shiva Temple

Between the villages of Gamshali and Niti, there is a cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva known as Timmersain Mahadev.