Malana is an ancient Indian village in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The only village in the Malana Nala, a side valley of the Parvati Valley northeast of the Kullu Valley, it is isolated from the rest of the world. The peaks of … See more

Although the village is situated in Himachal Pradesh, India, people of this village do not consider them to be a part of India. They have their own judiciary system as well. The village is governed by a bicameral parliament, … See more

The residents of Malana speak Kanashi/Raksh (supposedly the dialect of people residing there long ago), which is understood only by the villagers. "Kanashi, the language of Malana, does not resemble any of the d… See more

The economy of Malana was traditionally based on making baskets, ropes and slippers from hemp. Marijuana was cultivated as a legal cash crop for centuries. Beginning in the 1980s, Malana became a destination … See more

The village administration is democratic and is believed, by locals, to be the oldest republic of the world.
Despite being a part of the Kullu valley, there is a myth that the Malanis have very distinct phy… See more