Chitkul a living painting

Getting posted to Kinnaur, one of India's most stunning regions, filled me with much joy and anticipation. I'd always dreamt of seeing its picturesque valleys and towering mountains that grace picture postcards.

On weekends and holidays, I explored new places around Kinnaur. On one such occasion on Ram Navami, I decided to visit Chitkul, known as the last inhabited village near the Indo-China border. It took me three hours and two buses to reach the village on the banks of the Baspa river, with its breath-taking panorama of snow-capped mountains and verdant meadows.

Stepping into Chitkul was like entering a living and breathing painting. The quaint village with its traditional wooden houses and friendly locals exuded an old-world charm. And those ultra-blue skies were not camera tricks, but real, vivid and absolutely stunning, as Chitkul has the cleanest air in India.

The village’s raw, untouched beauty is a stark contrast to the modern city life, offering a much-needed respite for the soul. Here, life can be experienced in its truest form, focused only on basic necessities and a strong sense of community, far from the endless pursuit of a "perfect" existence.

Bharat Arora, Shimla