Malana: A Village Of Legendary History

A Himalayan village, Malana, is drenched in the myth that they are the descendants of Alexander the Great's soldiers. It is believed that they took shelter in this village after being wounded in a battle in the period 326 BC. Even the local court in this village follows the ancient Greek system, whereas the majority of courts in India are following the Indian system.

Malana Village, Image source: BBC

The light brown colored eyes and long noses evidently make the people of Malana distinct from the communities living in Himachal. People of Himachal are generally talkative and warm, but this place feels like it’s from some other dimension and we are an outsider to them. It’s taboo around there to touch outsiders as they think of it as maintaining the community’s purity. So be cautious if you ever visit there because neither can you touch them or their belongings. The village was also known as ‘forbidden land’ until it opened its doors to tourists. Reaching this isolated place surrounded by snowy mountains requires one to trek for a few hours as there are no built roads to drive.

This place is mysterious and unusual compared to most parts of the world, but that’s what makes it intriguing and worth visiting. Sometimes oblivion serves us such experiences that knitting them with words doesn’t do justice to the experience as it transforms into a strong-nameless feeling.

Jamlu Temple, Image Source: Trip Tap Toe

The distinct appearance of descendants of Alexander the Great, Image Source: Pinterest

Every land rests on histories or myths and we are unbeknownst to most of them. And a tragedy the myths bring is that we are always standing in the middle finding it difficult to believe it or not. Such is a village in Himachal, Malana, it chooses to live and breathe myths swaying through the trees surrounding it. Though the inhabitants are reserved and keep their thoughts to themselves, they speak a sacred language called Kanashi which is spoken nowhere else around the globe. If we were to hear them, we would not be able to comprehend a single word coming out of their mouth.

An interesting thing about the language as claimed by a professor from Uppsala University in Sweden is that the language is associated with the Sino-Tibetan language, whereas the surrounding region practices the Indo-Aryan language, which is intriguing enough to question its true history. And such encounters make us consider what the legends say about the place where Alexander the Great’s wounded soldiers took shelter in Malana during 326 BC. They came from a battle they fought against Porus, a ruler from the Punjab region. The genetic relationship between the soldiers and the villagers hasn't been studied yet; they call themselves the army’s descendants. And this belief is widely accepted as truth, but there is no concrete evidence to support the belief except for some weapons and other things found in Malana. The weapons of Alexander’s army are said to be hidden in this famous temple called Jamlu and the walls of which cannot be touched or else the visitors will have to pay an INR 3500 fine.

Following their own beliefs, they even have a local government that runs on the grounds of the Ancient Greek system. The existence of such an old political set-up has shocked many researchers and visitors to their core. Jamlu Devta whose original name is Jamdagni Rishi holds significance in their governance system. According to Hindu mythology, he was known as a great sage and hence one among the three representatives in their system’s upper house is the representative of Jamlu Devta who communicates his decisions to everyone. It is also believed that he used to inhabit Malana which was given to him with the blessings of the Hindu God Shiva. Apart from the Jamlu temple, there is also a temple dedicated to his wife, Renuka Devi.

But before these legends came out the place was famous for the high-quality hash called Malana Cream, which is made from cannabis plants grown in Parvati Valley. Although cannabis add to their economy, it is a great threat to the community’s social well-being because the young children from the place are involved in the trade of drugs.