Brontekst bekijken van Tourism Transforms Long-hidden Buddhist Valley In Himalayas

DEMUL VILLAGE, India (AP) — For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders.<br><br>Enduring the harsh year-round conditions of the high mountain desert, the people of Spiti Valley lived by a simple communal code — share the Earth's bounty, be hospitable to neighbors, and eschew greed and temptation at all turns.<br><br>That's all starting to change, for better or worse. Since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s, tourism and trade have boomed. And the marks of modernization, such as solar panels, asphalt roads and concrete buildings, have begun to appear around some of the villages that dot the remote landscape at altitudes above 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).<br><br>In this Aug. 17, 2016, photo, from left to right, Chhering Chodom, 60, Tashi Yangzom, 50, Lobsang Chhering, 27, and Dorje Tandup, 58, drink milk tea on the side of the road. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. Some villagers and travelers worry the influx of new funds will bring competition, greed and environmentally taxing change, such as flush toilets that might empty straight into the Spiti River, or a strain on the region's already limited water sources. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>"This year is busier than ever," said Ishita Khanna, co-founder of the eco-tourism agency Ecosphere. By Aug. 29, with at least a month left until the end of the tourism season, there had been 847 foreign visitors to the region in 2016, compared with 726 for all of last year, officials said.<br><br>They could not give a figure for how many Indians had traveled to the region in jeeps and buses across treacherous mountain roads, as Indian tourists do not need special permits. But additional district magistrate Jagan Thakur said that 70 percent of the tourists to the region were Indians.<br><br>Many of the valley's 13,000 or so residents — ethnically Tibetan yet long resident in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh — welcome the influx of tourists eager to explore the mountains or simply enjoy the pristine surroundings.<br><br>"In years when the climate and roads are good, they flock in together in high numbers," Thakur said. "Villagers will actually convert their houses into homestays."<br><br>In the hillside village of Demul, with only around 250 residents, people have devised a system whereby half of the residents move in with their neighbors while renting their earthen-hut homes to travelers during the summer, and then share the earnings. That income is helping many invest in better schooling for their kids.<br><br>"They have a great system in this village ... everybody takes turns," said British traveler Tom Welton. "They collectively bring all the money together and at the end of the year they distribute it equally to the whole village."<br><br>Tourism has become so important it now makes up at least half of most people's annual income, Khanna said. The rest of the people's wealth comes from traditional channels — herding sheep and goats, and growing crops like black beans, barley and, more recently, green peas.<br><br>For the crimson-robed Buddhist monks in the valley, the increase in visitors brings a chance to "teach Buddhism to others. More people should learn about it," said Lama Tenzin Rizzin, a resident of another hilltop village, Key, a half-hour drive from the valley's main town of Kaza.<br><br>Some villagers and travelers worry that the influx of new funds will bring competition, greed and environmentally taxing change — such as flush toilets that might empty straight into the Spiti River or put a strain on the region's already limited water sources.<br><br>"We cannot go beyond our limits. Mass tourism is not good for our culture," said Tenzin Thinley, 35, who runs a [http://www.mekongrustic.com homestay mekong delta vietnam] in the valley village of Kibber and works as a tourist guide. "Hospitality is important in Spiti's culture, and we will not let it disappear."<br><br>While increasing trade with cities outside the valley has broadened the dinner table with lentils and grains that can't be grown in the valley, it has also brought an influx of junk food that the elders are struggling to keep away from the children.<br><br>"Too many tourists mean too much money," Thinley said. "I do not want to be greedy."<br><br>___<br><br>Associated Press editorial assistant Chonchui Ngashangva in New Delhi contributed to this report.<br><br>In this Aug. 20, 2016, photo, a group of young monks brush their teeth at the Kongri monastery, Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. Some villagers and travelers worry the influx of new funds will bring competition, greed and environmentally taxing change, such as flush toilets that might empty straight into the Spiti River, or a strain on the region's already limited water sources. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 17, 2016, photo, a worker stands next to a stove of liquid asphalt by a road under construction leading to Demul in Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. Some villagers and travelers worry the influx of new funds will bring competition, greed and environmentally taxing change, such as flush toilets that might empty straight into the Spiti River, or a strain on the region's already limited water sources. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 17, 2016, photo, 60-year-old farmer Rinchen, gathers mountain plants that will serve as fodder for cattle in Demul, in the Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. In this hillside village of Demul, with only some 250 residents, people have devised a system whereby half of the residents move in [http://www.mekongrustic.com mekong delta tour with homestay] their neighbors while renting their earthen-hut homes to travelers during the summer, and then share the earnings. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 15, 2016, photo, a jeep drives along the only road that leads to Spiti Valley, a remote Himalayan valley situated at 4000 meter above sea level, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change, for better or worse, since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 15, 2016, photo, a car drives along a mountain road that leads to Spiti Valley, a remote Himalayan valley situated at 4000 meter above sea level, India. It takes about ten hours to reach from Manali, a city in Himachal Pradesh. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change, for better or worse, since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 16, 2016, photo, an elderly woman sits in front of her house in the village of Kibber, in Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. Some villagers and travelers worry the influx of new funds will bring competition, greed and environmentally taxing change, such as flush toilets that might empty straight into the Spiti River, or a strain on the region's already limited water sources. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 18, 2016, photo, Buddhist monks perform their daily  [http://www.mekongrustic.com homestay mekong delta vietnam] rituals in the monastery of Komic in Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. Some villagers and travelers worry the influx of new funds will bring competition, greed and environmentally taxing change, such as flush toilets that might empty straight into the Spiti River, or a strain on the region's already limited water sources. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 18, 2016, photo, the Key monastery is seen from a neighboring hilltop. Key is one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in the Spiti Valley, and home of more than 350 monks. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 20, 2016, photo, two girls play in front of newly constructed hotels in Kaza, headquarters of the Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. Some villagers and travelers worry the influx of new funds will bring competition, greed and environmentally taxing change, such as flush toilets that might empty straight into the Spiti River, or a strain on the region's already limited water [http://search.usa.gov/search?affiliate=usagov&query=sources sources]. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 16, 2016, photo, Buddhist lama Tenzin Rigzin studies religious texts in his room at the Key monastery, Spiti Valley, India. For centuries the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. For the crimson-robed Buddhist monks in the valley, the increase in visitors brings a chance to "teach Buddhism to others. More people should learn about it," Lama Tenzin Rizzin said in another hilltop village called Key, a half-hour drive from the valley's main town of Kaza. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 17, 2016, photo, solar panels are installed on the [http://en.Wiktionary.org/wiki/rooftop rooftop] of a traditional house in the mountain village of Demul, Spiti Valley, India. Set up six years ago by an eco-tourism foundation, the panels provide 24/7 electricity to each household in the village. For centuries the Spiti Valley remained a hidden Buddhist enclave nestled in the Indian Himalayas and forbidden to outsiders. That all changed in the 1990s, as India began issuing permits for visits. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 16, 2016, photo, a woman ties a scarf around her head to protect herself from the wind in the village of Kibber, in Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 20, 2016 photo, elders play 'chollo', a game where they shout as they throw the dice to bring good luck, in the city of Kaza, Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. Some villagers and travelers worry the influx of new funds will bring competition, greed and environmentally taxing change, such as flush toilets that might empty straight into the Spiti River, or a strain on the region's already limited water sources. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>This Aug. 17, 2016, photo shows the mountain village of Demul, in Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders. That's all now starting to change since India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. In this hillside village of Demul, with only some 250 residents, people have devised a system whereby half of the residents move in with their neighbors while renting their earthen-hut homes to travelers during the summer, and then share the earnings. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)<br><br>In this Aug. 17, 2016, photo, two children watch television in the living room of their family home in Demul village, Spiti Valley, India. For centuries, the sleepy valley nestled in the Indian Himalayas remained a hidden Buddhist enclave forbidden to outsiders but India began allowing its own citizens as well as outsiders to visit the valley in the early 1990s. In this hillside village of Demul, with only some 250 residents, people have devised a system whereby half of the residents move in with their neighbors while renting their earthen-hut homes to travelers during the summer, and then share the earnings. (AP Photo/Thomas Cytrynowicz)