Niti Valley

Niti Valley lies at about 3,600 m in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, some 90 km from Joshimath and close to the Chinese border. Niti is the final village before the border with south Tibet; other settlements include Lata, Malari, Dronagiri, Kaga, Garpak, Bampa and Gamshali. They are home mainly to Marcha and Tolchha Bhotiyas, together called Rongpa; the Marchas speak a blend of Tibetan and Garhwali. Harsh winters make the valley habitable for only six to eight months, and villagers move to lower ground for the cold season. Medicinal plants named in the Charaka Samhita grow here.

An 1886 gazetteer described Niti village beside the Dhauli, on its left bank, at 11,484 feet, shielded from northern storms by a curving ridge. The Niti Pass at the valley's head was one of six passes opened to traders and pilgrims by the 1954 Sino-Indian agreement, but it was closed after the 1962 war and has stayed shut. Between Gamshali and Niti is Timmersain Mahadev, a cave temple of Shiva.