Malana, Himachal Pradesh

Malana is an ancient Indian village in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The only village in the Malana Nala, a side valley of the Parvati Valley northeast of the Kullu Valley, it is isolated from the rest of the world. The peaks of Chanderkhani and Deo Tibba shadow the village. It is situated on a remote plateau by the torrential Malana river, at a height of 2,652 metres (8,701 ft) above sea level. Malana has its own lifestyle and social structure, and people are strict in following their customs. Malana has been the subject of various documentaries, including Malana: Globalization of a Himalayan Village and Malana, A Lost Identity. The existing speakers of the autochthonous language Kanashi, the traditional language of the inhabitants of Malana, number approximately 1700, a roughly threefold increase from 563, gathered from a 1961 census; relatively correspondent to a growth in population. The most common route to the village is by road from Jari.

As per the village's strong custom, outsiders are prohibited from physically touching anything in the village, including its people and temples, a rule punishable with a fine ranging between ₹2,500 and ₹3,500. Villagers are known to bathe after being touched by an outsiders. To avoid touching one another, transactions are performed by leaving money on the ground. Villagers strictly keep up with this custom to "preserve the 'purity' of the village".