Exploring the hidden hash of India
When you think of getting the finest and purest of hash, few places come to mind. Many people think of going to Amsterdam and sitting in the small cafe, eating hash brownies or smoking a joint, but very few people around the world know about the Parvati Valley located in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India.
It’s best to visit during the summers as the temperatures can go to freezing conditions during winters.
1. Malana Village – famous for it’s Malana Cream
There are many small villages located amidst the Himalayan range, where you can actually visit the cannabis farms and sometimes harvest them yourself if you be nice to the locals. One of these villages is Malana, it is situated on a remote plateau by the side of the torrential Malana river, at a height of 2,652 metres (8,701 ft) above sea level. With its beautiful view comes the wondrous hash, the temperature is cold and lovely all around the year. Hash grown here is premium quality and pure in its form. You would easily get the same 10gm hash for around 250$ in Amsterdam, but here it might cost you 20-30$. This is another great reason to be there.
To reach Malana, you will need to go via Kullu, which is a city in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It’s also the closest airport to reach either Malana/ Kasol. Whenever people plan a trip to Malana they usually go to Kasol, as you know Kasol is very famous for its cafes and nightlife where you get hash very commonly.
“When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself”
– Bob Marley
You can either choose for a day trip or plan on staying for a few days in the village, there are small tents available and the view is stunning, here is a picture of what you can expect.
You will find houses build differently here then rest as the people living here have to be prepared for the cold weather, the houses here usually are three storeys, the bottom of the house is for storing wood for the fire, cattle and their food, the next storey is for storing the eatables and groceries. The topmost is the living and sleeping area.
Malana has been called ‘one of the oldest democracy’ in the world. The villagers believe that they have pure Aryan genes and that they are descendants of Alexander the Great’s soldiers. Nobody is allowed to touch the locals or their temples, any transactions happening between the village locals and outsiders has to be from a distance. I remember when we were buying the Malana cream from an old man, he put the cream on the floor for us to check and once we were happy we buy it, we have to put the money down and he picks it up.
The route to Malana is quite spectacular, there is a trek of around 2 hours to reach the actual village so be prepared for it. The trek is easy to walk with few inclinations here and there. The walking path is bit narrow and you have to wait for others to cross you if walking in opposite directions.
2. Kasol – the heart of Parvaty Valley
Kasol is situated right around the Parvati river and easily accessible through Kullu, as you drive through to the road you will hear the roaring sound of the Parvati river flowing right beside you. It calms your mind and gets you excited for whats coming next. A flowing river will always bring happy thoughts and soothing feeling in the mind and heart and thats the type of feeling you should get when you are going to a place like Kasol. Away from the stress of the city and towards your time of rejuvenation.
There are many cafes and accommodations available, choosing one would be a difficult task. We opted to stay at the Nomads Hostel, it’s beside the Parvati river and very near to all the cafes, easy to find what you are looking for. There is also a hidden hot water spring just beside the river, a dip in the cold water from the glaciers can give you the adrenaline rush and then a hot water bath would relax you for a very long time.
This hot water spring is very near to Kasol market and if you staying in the Nomads Hostel, the host might take you there. we visited Kasol in mid-October when the temperature was getting colder. Our host took us there to enjoy the hot water but he fooled us and made us all take a dip in the chilling water, this was one of the best experiences of my life.
You can find all types of hash in Kasol if you are ordering in the cafes or from your host. The most common hash here is the local Kasol cream but you can find varieties of it here. The cafes and restaurant offer hash brownies as well. We tried the hash brownie in the Shanti cafe, it’s worth the money. It tastes like a normal brownie but will take you on a trip if consumed more than one.
3. Tosh Village – Famous for it’s Tosh balls
Tosh can be accessed via Kasol, first you need to go to Barshini via bus or a taxi and from their you can either hire a taxi to take you to the village or you can trek, its around 3 km and can take around 1-2 hrs depending on an individual. It is located at about 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) in elevation on a hill near Kasol in the Parvati Valley, surrounded by mountains.
Tosh can be accessed all around the year due to its good road connectivity. Not all people who visit Kasol or Malana would go to Tosh and hence it’s not as crowded as other villages. There are quite good accommodations available here and due to its beauty, you should stay overnight and enjoy some time there. If you are lucky you will find some out of the world rave parties.
The hash found here is Tosh balls, this village is at a lower elevation compared to Malana and hence it’s different from Malana Cream.
There are other villages in the Parvati valley and more hash to try, maybe on my next trip.
Hope this post helps you plan for your next trip to the Parvati Valley, I would love to hear about your experiences, please let us know your thoughts in the comments and feel free to reach out – Contact Us.
