The Parvati Valley in Himachal Pradesh is an extraordinarily beautiful region, but most people know it more for its charas than its beauty. Even till a decade ago, the valley remained underground, somewhat surprisingly, and mostly saw foreign tourists, as Indian tourists preferred other destinations in the Himalayan state. But as awareness about cannabis (the source plant of charas) and its forms increased in India over the years, the Valley has seen more and more young Indians pour in. While that has definitely helped tourism in the Valley’s villages, its environment, along with its reputation, has suffered a lot.

The Origins of Charas Trade in Parvati Valley

Charas is a black, sticky substance that is extracted from cannabis plants by continuously rubbing the plants, and it has been cultivated and used by the locals for decades. Lord Shiva is said to smoke it, which makes it a substance of immense religious importance in a region that is predominantly Hindu.
When foreigners, mostly backpackers, and hippies, first stumbled upon the valley and discovered the potent charas, they couldn’t wait to take it back with them, as it had immense value in the west. More interestingly, the natives of the valley had little idea of the prices their products would fetch, as they kept selling it for extraordinarily low prices.

Thus started a drug trade that grows stronger with every passing year. The natives are now fully aware of their products’ value in the international markets. As a result, thousands of acres of Himalayan lands, located in the upper reaches of the valley, remain full with cannabis plantations from April onwards. They are allowed to thrive and grow till September when the rubbing process begins, and the charas is extracted. It’s hard work, but it definitely pays; to what extent, however?

Why is it a Problem?

Earnings may have skyrocketed for the locals in recent years thanks to the charas trade, but most people these days venture into the Valley in the only for charas, and they rarely want anything more. This strong undercurrent of indifference for the natural magnificence of the region has resulted in a huge amount of litter on the Himalayas.

Pay a visit to any of the villages in and around the Valley, and it wouldn’t be long before you can spot garbage on the sides of the mountains. The banks of the Parvati River too, haven’t been spared, and Kasol, probably the most popular destination in the Valley, is among the many victims.
With no proper waste management system in place, it is imperative that visitors to the Valley handle plastic and packaged products with utmost care, especially in remote places of the Valley like Kheerganga, which can be accessed only after a 3-hour trek. But on the contrary, the crowd stays busy in drug-fuelled fantasies, happily ignoring the need of the hour; keeping Parvati clean and green.

Preserving Parvati

Charas may be intrinsic to the Parvati Valley way of life, but the Valley needs to be seen as much more than just a place that produces a really potent drug. It’s time all of us admired the Valley for its views of spectacular snow-capped Himalayan peaks, its apple trees, and all its lush greenery, and played our parts in protecting Parvati from the dangers of too much plastic and pollution.

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It is easier than you think to set up luxury travel plans with great upgrades. Yet you don’t have to pay full price for them. In fact, you can often get those rewards without paying much more than you would for the basics. It all comes down to finding the best deals and putting them in motion. Rather than spending a great deal of time to do this, you can get it done through a provider.

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My long-time dream came true when I visited Konya (Turkey) in the first week of April 2017, to pay my respects to the 13th century great Sufi saint, a dervish, philosopher, spiritual leader and a preacher of Divine love, Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. Rumi do not belong to a particular religion or sect. His words of wisdom and his message of love is for all mankind, irrespective of their religious beliefs.

The ancient city of Konya is the second most visited city of Turkey after Istanbul. Apart from its historic significance, Konya has become a pilgrimage city not only for Muslims but also for people of other religions who seek spiritual guidance from Rumi’s poetry and treat Rumi as their spiritual leader. Rumi spent most of his life in Konya and was buried there. In 1927, his monastery was converted into a museum named as Mevlana Meuseze or the Maulana Museum. Maulana is a religious title for respect. In the west Maulana is known as Rumi and the museum named after him as Rumi Museum.

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi was born in Balkh (now Afghanistan) in 1207 and came to Konya alongwith his parents when he was only 12 years old. Rumi became a great religious scholar of his time and started teaching Koran and Islamic Sharia to his students. After meeting with Shams Tabriz at the age of 37 his whole life changed. He became a whirling dervish and followed the footsteps of his Murshed Shams.

Shams Tabriz filled Rumi’s heart with Divine spiritual enlightenment and taught him the knowledge what he could not learn from the books. After that Rumi started writing poetry. He wrote 70,000 verses in a period of 25 years. Rumi’s poetry, written in the Persian language, has been translated in all the prominent languages of the world, and thus Rumi has become the best known, most respected and the most read poet of the world.

Rumi Museum is opened daily from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm and the admission is free. Before entering the Rumi’s shrine, everyone is required to wear thin plastic covers on shoes as respect for the holy place. In the main room there are many tombs of Rumi’s family and followers. Rumi’s tomb is covered with a large thick cloth embroidered in gold with a big green turban placed on it. Besides his tomb there is the tomb of Rumi’s father, Maulana Bahauddin Valed.

In the next room, placed in the glass cases are the hand written books of Rumi’s poetry written in Persian language, hand written Holy Quran in various periods, clothing belonging to Rumi and his son Sultan Veled, caps belonging to Rumi and his Murshed Shams Tebriz, etc. The next is the prayer room for men and women. The main shrine was built by Seljuk emperors while the rooms in front of the main shrine were added in the times of Ottoman Sultans and became a part of the Rumi Museum.

Rumi left this world on 17 December 1273. This day is remembered every year as his leaving this world and “wedding with God”. Every year, on 17 December, pilgrims from all over the world come to Konya to pay their respects to the 13th century great poet and Sufi saint. They participate in religious ceremonies and witness the whirling dervishes performing live in front of the pilgrims.

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