Important Details
About Demul Village
Demul is a village that distinguishes itself from its neighbors. Certain practices in Demul are unique from anywhere else in the valley. The villagers follow a rule that allows each household to earn in a systematic order, restricting anybody from holding a monopoly. You also have a vantage point near the village, from where the entire Spiti Valley is visible.
How to reach Demul Village
There are two approach routes to Demul village: the shortest one is 34 km from Kaza. In this route, you have to reach Lidang, which lies towards the Shimla side from Kaza and is 14 km out. From there, you make the cut towards Demul and it’s another 20 km to the village. The second Route is through Langza-Hikkim-Komic-Demul. This is the longer route, as it consumes more time, chances suggest that you will not visit Demul after Komic. It is advised to stay the night in Demul. The first route is for travelers who want to spend quality time in Demul rather than ticking places off the checklist.
Kaza to Demul Village
The bus runs from Kaza to Demul from the Kaza bus stand daily at 5:00 PM and the same bus returns from Demul to Kaza at 7:30 AM. In winters, however, the service discontinues and you will have to opt for shared taxi service.
Homestays in Demul Village
The specialty of Demul village is that you will find abundant homestays in Demul. The entire village works as a co-operative and everybody gets a chance to host a guest, implying that everybody gets a fair chance to earn. The winters in the region are very harsh and the modes of livelihood are scarce, so hosting people gives a small boost to their incomes. The village has a nodal officer appointed, who allocates the staying place for tourists. Interestingly, if you want to stay for 3 days, you will have to stay at 3 different homestays every day.
Balari Top Demul Village
Located at 16250 feet another 2000 vertical feet above Demul, a two-hour hike from the Demul village exists the vantage point from where the 18 villages of Spiti Valley are visible at once. One can even see the confluence of the Spiti, Pin Lingti river systems from Balari top. It is free of any rush because very few people visit Demul and even fewer people visit the Balari Top, owing to the 2-hour trek, but believe me it is something you should do and experience. One can experience such by staying in the village for the night because you would not want to rush through things and enjoy the trek and the views. The various peaks such as Kanamo, Chau Chau KhangNilda are also visible from there.
Demul to Balari Top
If you have a vehicle, you can reduce the distance by driving till the White-colored Stupa, situated at the top of the scissor bend from where Demul is visible for the first time. Here on the trail gains elevation and you walk up the ridge. Takes around an hour or two to reach the top, depending on your stamina.
Story of Demul Village
So the story behind Demul is that a farmer lost his Yak and started searching for it, the yak wandered away and went to a high altitude pasture. The farmer after searching for the Yak finally found it and the Yak happened to be in an area that was full of greenery and fertile soil, which is a rare setup in the cold desert of Spiti. So he decided to take his family there and settle. Later on, he called all his relatives to settle there. After coming back, I had a thought if this story is true everybody in the village must be related somehow. If somebody goes there after reading this, do ask and tell me in the contact forms.
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