Reminiscing Spiti

Photo essay from a magical region in Himachal Pradesh.

I was in conversation with Anandi about my writing and travel inspirations and realised I haven’t taken any photos with my DSLR camera lately. It’s been lying abandoned in a corner of my room, seeing the light of day only when needed for a (rare) professional assignment. At some point, what feels like a lifetime ago, my camera was the most expensive and precious thing I owned. I had bought it with all my savings at the time and dreamt of expanding my lens collection, going on long photo walks, and honing my skills in post-processing. These desires still reside in me somewhere, but have become dormant with time. 

I have also been thinking a lot about Spiti. Perhaps the sweltering heat of Delhi has me craving for snow. It was my first long-ish trip with a group of professional photographers. One of them was my grand-aunt’s friend and let us (the only two women in the group) tag along. I had just completed my master’s degree and needed a break before diving into a new job. Spiti had been on my bucket list forever and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit. The 15-day road trip began in Shimla and ended in Manali. We covered Chitkul, Sangla, Nako, Tabo, Kaza, Chandratal, Rohtang Pass, and many isolated villages along the way. We drove through snow on the narrowest of roads that made our hearts skip a beat. We crossed barren land that looked like a war zone. We ate the juiciest apples plucked from home orchards and generously offered to us by locals. We saw the milky way in all its glory at night. While driving to Chandratal in the wee hours of the morning, our path was lit by the full moon and countless stars. The majestic landscape and terrain made me realise how insignificant and tiny we are in the larger scheme of things. 

The trip holds a special place in my heart, and while I long to go back to the region again, I pulled out an old photo essay from my trip that I hope will give you a glimpse of my journey.

A map of the region to give you an idea of the route

Nako

Key Monastery

Chandratal Lake