Niti Valley
Niti Valley is a remote valley located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India at a height of 3, 600 m (11, 811 ft).[1] The geographic location is approximately at 30° 55′ 12″ N latitude and 79° 39′ 36″ E longitude. [2] It is close to the Chinese border and Niti is the last village in the valley before the border with south Tibet.[3] The valley is located approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Joshimath.[4]
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 and Tolcchas, both are known as Rongpa. The language spoken by Marchas is mix of Tibetan and Garhwali , while Tolcchas speak Garhwali Rongpa .[5] 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.[6] Various medicinal plants and herbs grow in the valley that have been mentioned in the Charak Samhita, an ancient treatise on Ayurveda.[7]
History
The 1886 Himalayan Gazetteer described the village of Niti as standing at an elevation of 11,484 feet on the left bank of the Dhauli, at the foot of a ridge that curved around the settlement and sheltered it from the violent storms blowing from the north and north-west.[8]
Under Article IV of the 1954 Sino-Indian Agreement, the Niti Pass at the head of the valley was one of six passes designated for the passage of traders and pilgrims of both countries.[9]
The pass was sealed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War.[1] Since then, the border has remained sealed.
Shiva Temple
Between the villages of Gamshali and Niti, there is a cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva known as Timmersain Mahadev.[5]
See also
References
- 1 2 Negi, Sharad Singh (July 23, 2002). Cold Deserts of India. Indus Publishing. ISBN 9788173871276 – via Google Books. Cite error: Unknown parameter "<" in
<ref>tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page). - ↑ https://discover-uttarakhand.com/niti-valley-complete-travel-guide/
- ↑ Wright, Colin. "The village of Niti, Kumaon (U.P.). 4 June 1812". www.bl.uk.
- ↑ "Niti Valley Uttarakhand". Uttarakhand Tourism. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- 1 2 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.
- ↑ Atkinson, Edwin T. (1886). "Niti". The Himalayan Gazetteer, or The Himalayan Districts of the North Western Province of India. Vol. III. New Delhi: Cosmo Publications. Part 2, p. 640.
- ↑ "Agreement on Trade and Intercourse with Tibet Region". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. 29 April 1954. Article IV.