Malana is an ancient Indian village in the state of Himachal Pradesh. This solitary village in the Malana Nala, a side valley of the Parvati Valley to the north-east of Kullu Valley, is isolated from the rest of the world. The peaks of Chanderkhani and Deo Tibba shadow the village. According to the local legends, Jamlu rishi (sage) inhabited this place and made rules and regulations. The locals claim it to be one of the oldest democracies of the world with a well-organized parliamentary system, guided by their devta (deity) Jamlu rishi. Although Jamlu is currently identified with a sage from the Puranas, this is a relatively recent development. Jamlu is believed to have been worshipped in pre-Aryan times. Penelope Chetwood recounts a tale about an orthodox Brahmin priest, who visited Malana, and tried to educate the locals about the pedigree of their god, and what subsequently befell the hapless priest.
- Malana grows the world’s best Marijuana: Malana is known for its charas and attracts a lot of people all over the world because of the quality of marijuana found over there. A product of Malana, that is, the Malana cream has won the title of Best Hashish in the years 1994 and 1996.
- Malana is one of the oldest democracies in the world: The entire village of Malana is administered by a council that consists of 11 members and the decision they take is final. No outsider is allowed to take a decision regarding the matters related to Malana.
- Kanashi is a special language and no outsider is allowed to speak it: Kanashi is a language that was spoken in ancient times when an old saint called Rishi Jamdagni got Malana free of demons. The villagers, after being free, asked for a wish that they speak the same language. The saint granted their wish and established a language called Kanashi, which is still spoken in the village and no outsider is allowed to use it as a way of communicating with the villagers of Malana.
- Police intervention is strictly prohibited: All matter in Malana is resolved only with the help of the council. Intervention of the police is strictly not allowed.
- Conflicts are resolved by poisoning lambs: In Malana village, the parties in conflict resolve their conflicts by poisoning lambs. The party that loses its lamb first is said to lose the conflict.
- One cannot touch the people of Malana: Anyone who visits Malana has to pay special attention to only sticking to the prescribed paths that have been told to him/her and avoid touching the people of the village or their belongings without their permission.
- Common Two Storey Houses are observed: In the village of Malana, every house is two-storeyed and each storey has a specific name and purpose. The ground floor of the house is used as a cattle shed and also as a place for storing the fodder for the goat and sheep. The first floor is used for storing eatables, wood and for weaving woollen fabric. The top floor of the house is a balcony which is also the living area of the people.
- Preservation of ecological heritage is a fundamental principle: In Malana, no one is allowed to fix nails to a tree or burn a fire in the forest. Only dry twigs and branches are to be carried away from the forest. Hunting is strictly prohibited, until and unless the council approves it.
- Divorce is very common in Malana: The marriage of a man and a woman in the village happens without any ritual or priest and is known as ‘Rakhasi Marriage’. In case of a divorce, the man is supposed to provide a separate house, food and other materials to the woman. Polygamy is allowed for men and divorced women and widows can remarry and divorces happen every now and then in the village.
- The villagers of Malana are considered to be descendants of Greek Soldiers of Alexander’s Army: The people residing in Malana consider themselves to be descendants of Alexander The Great’s army as it is believed by them that some soldiers took refuge in this village after Alexander left the country and later settled there permanently.
