an introduction and a poem  

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The Parvati Valley is notorious for cannabis cultivation and the best charas/hashish can be found in some parts of the valley. This notriety has lead to a very obvious type of traveller and this in turn has resulted in a very obvious type of development.

 

"Thakur ji. I cant take this anymore. Too many tourist these days in Parvati Valley. I really need to get away from this madness". Its the early 80's and Guido, a young Italian is sipping a cup of tea with Thakur ji, a village elder at Barshani, a major settlement deep within the Parvati valley. 

The birth of Kalga lends itself to a simple need - for space.

 

Guido was directed to a shepherds cottage where the villagers from Barshani, Pulga and Tosh would graze their cattle during the summer months. Atop a hillock, a short steep hike away, a rolling meadow bordered by forests on one side rising steeply to Kheer Ganga and Bhunbuni and a branch of the Parvati river on another side, it was isolated from the major tourists tracks and the lack of any sort of settlement allowed it to remain.

 

Over the subsequent 2 decades a spate of collaborative construction between tourists and the locals allowed Kalga to grow into a thriving tourist settlement, unique in the fact that it had no semblance of a typical mountain village- No temple, no deity, no families that stayed there on a permanent basis. A settlement built by tourists and for tourists, which in the rapidly changing economic scenario of Parvati valley turned out to be a blessing. Fighting main stream tourism, these neo settlers were seeking to keep alive a spirit that was quickly disappearing. 

 

Kalga refused to accept concrete. The only attempt lies today in ruins, when a sudden drop in visitors made an ambitious attempt at a resort unviable. Constructed in traditional style with wood and stone, the houses in Kalga allow a glimpse into a lifestyle of the Himachali folk - simple, strong and resilient. Not much has changed in Kalga of today. A small settlement of permanent villagers live in the lower corner of Kalga but the bulk of the 30 odd houses are operated as budget guest houses serving  as the transit point for the trek to Kheer Ganga or as a home away from home for the more discerning traveller.

 

A young orchard of Apple trees interspersed with fields of mustard and wheat splattered with guest houses isolated from each other by  winding paths, irrigation streams and bird song.

 

Kalga inspires you to dream.

 

You in the bridal white of snow

You in the colours of autumn aglow

You dappled on golden moonlit nights

You in the emerald of monsoon flush

You wearing your misty veil

In your bosom I stared at starlit nights

I snuggled in your warmth on winter mornings

In your arms I lazed in summer noons

I bathed in rain showered evening light

I lost myself in your embracing dawn

 

Your dresses bedecked with apple blossom

Your tresses deadlocked, the alpine forest

Your green skirt, flecked with mustard yellow

Your fragrance a refreshing whiff of desire

Your caress, a fleeting touch of wind, mist & sun

 

In your midst I spiritually energise

In your paths, doubts no longer surprise

In your silence I open the door to my soul

I listen to sounds, hear the voice of stillness, of hope

I find illusion, confusion, direction – control

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~ Hashim Qayoom (Co-founder, Producer and Host, KYTA)