Spiti Valley

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Himachal Pradesh

Capital - Coordinates	Shimla - 30.06° N 77.11° E
Largest city	Shimla
Population ({{{population_year}}}) - Density	{{{population}}} ({{{population_rank}}}) - {{{population_density}}}/km²
Area - Districts	[[1_E{{{area_magnitude}}}_m²\|55,673 km²]] ({{{area_rank}}}) - {{{districts}}}
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Establishment - Chief Minister	{{{established_date}}} - Virbhadra Singh
Official language(s)	Hindi and Pahari
Abbreviation (ISO)	{{{abbreviation}}}

The Spiti valley is a desert mountain valley located high in the Himalaya mountains which is periodically cut off totally during winter. It possesses a distinctive Buddhist culture similar to that found in nearby Tibet and the Ladakh region of India. The valley and surrounding region is one of the least populated regions in India and is the gateway to the northernmost reaches of the nation. The Spiti valley is part of the Lahaul and Spiti District (Capital is Keylong) in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Lahul and Spiti are surrounded by high mountain ranges. The Rohtang Pass, at 3,978 metres, separates Lahul and Spiti from the Kullu Valley. Lahul and Spiti are cut off from each other by the higher Kunzum Pass, at 4,550 metres. A road connects the two divisions, but is cut off frequently in winter and spring due to heavy snow.

Along the northern route from Manali, Himachal Pradesh or Keylong via the Rohtang pass or Kunzum pass respectively, the valley lays in the North East of the Indian hill state of Himachal Pradesh, and forms part of the Lahaul and Spiti district. It was formerly a separate district and was combined with Lahaul in The valley is cut off from the north up to eight months of the year by horrendous snowfalls and thick icing conditions. A southern route to India proper is periodically closed for brief periods in the winter storms of November through June, but road access is usually restored a few days after storms end via Shimla and the Sutlej valley in the Kinnaur district.

[edit] Culture

It was the location of the spectacular scenery and cinematography in the 2006 Indian film Milarepa, a biographical adventure tale about one of Buddhisms more famous and well known Tibetan saints. The Buddhist monastery in the valley served as the locus of the set and some of the monks appeared in the film.

The Pin Valley of Spiti is home to the few surviving Phuchen Lamas of the Nyingmapa sect of Buddhism.

about Manali, Himachal Pradesh

The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and, from there, over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin.