SPITY VALLEY
Spiti (pronounced as Piti in Bhoti language) is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name “Spiti” means “The middle land”, i.e. the land between Tibet and India.[2] Spiti incorporates mainly the valley of the Spiti river, and the valleys of several rivers that feed into the Spiti river. Some of the prominent side-valleys in Spiti are the Pin valley and the Lingti valley. Spiti is bordered on the east by Tibet, on the north by Ladakh, on the west and southwest by Lahaul, on the south by Kullu, and on the southeast by Kinnaur. The valley and its surrounding regions are among the least populated regions of India. Spiti has a cold desert environment. The Bhoti-speaking local population follows Tibetan Buddhism.
Administration
Spiti forms one of the two sub-divisions of the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, the other one being the Lahaul sub-division. The sub-divisional headquarters (capital) of the Spiti sub-division of the Lahaul and Spiti district is Kaza,[3] which is situated on the bank of the Spiti River at an elevation of about 3,650m. The eastern administrative boundary of the Spiti sub-division is the Sumdo bridge, beyond which, the valley of the Spiti river – till it merges with the Sutlej river at Khab – is called the Hangrang valley. The Hangrang valley lies in Kinnaur district. The district headquarters lies at Kyelang in the Lahaul valley. But the Spiti valley is separated from Lahaul valley by the high Kunzum Pass, at 15,059 feet (4,590 m).[3] A road connects these two divisions of Lahaul and Spiti district, but is cut off for 5-6 months in winter and spring due to heavy snow.
Designated as one of the ‘Tribal Areas’ of Himachal Pradesh, Spiti is administered under the Single-Line Administration system, which facilitates direct communication between the Kaza administration and the higher levels of administration in Himachal Pradesh.[4] Electorally, Spiti is a part of the Lahaul and Spiti constituency for the state-level Vidhan Sabha, and of the Mandi constituency for the national-level Lok Sabha.
The Spiti sub-division is spread over an area of 7,101.1 square kilometers.[5] According to the 2011 Census, the population of Spiti is 12,445 persons.[6]
Geography
The Spiti River originates from the Kunzum range. Tegpo and Kabzian streams are two of its tributaries. Water draining the famous Pin Valley National Park is also a part of the Spiti river system. Its position across the main Himalayan range deprives it from the benefit of the South-West monsoons that causes widespread rain in most parts of India from June to September. The river attains peak discharge in late summers due to glacier melting. After flowing through Spiti valley, the Spiti River meets the Satluj near Khab and Namgia in Kinnaur district traversing a length of about 150 km from the North-West.[7] Steep mountains rise to very high altitudes on either side of the Spiti River and its numerous tributaries. The mountains are barren and largely devoid of vegetative cover. The main settlements along the Spiti River and its tributaries are Kaza and Tabo.
Over millenia, the Spiti River and its tributaries such as the Pin River, have cut deep gorges in the uplifted sedimentary strata. With little rain or snow there is not much of weathering of the steep valley sides. As vegetation is sparse, the rock strata in the steep cliffs are easily visible to the geologist, without excavation or drilling. Thomson during his 1847 expedition noted 3 forms of alluvia in the Spiti valley. The first is deposits of fine clay. The second is triangular platforms that slope gently from the mountains to the river, usually ending in a steep cliff. The third are enormous masses of great depth, 400–600 ft (120–180 m) above the river bed. The river has cut deep gorges through these platforms. The latter two consist of clay, pebbles and boulders. Thomson speculated that the valley appeared to have been a lake bed in the past though he could not conceive mechanisms to explain the phenomena.[8]