📍 Location: ~19 km north of Reckong Peo, ~15 km from Pooh, Kinnaur District
📅 Season: June–October for access; avoid winter due to snow and road closures
A village of barley fields and bone-colored cliffs, where the goddess rides through legend and the ibex watches from the ridge
🕉️ Spiritual & Cultural Legacy
Lippa is home to three Buddhist monasteries, rooted in the Drukpa Kagyu lineage, yet interwoven with local animist deities and ancestral worship. Highlights include:
- Rangrik Monastery: A sacred site with clay idols and bronze statues of Maitreya and Buddha
- Tangyud Festival (Fulch): Held in August–September, featuring masked dances, processions, and offerings to the local deity Tangyud
- Ormi Festival: Celebrated in February, marking seasonal transitions and ancestral rituals
- Language: Locals speak Jangrami (Zhang-Zhung), a rare dialect with pre-Buddhist roots
🧘 The village was also the early learning ground of Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen, a revered 20th-century Buddhist scholar
🌿 Lippa Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary
Spread over 31 sq km, this sanctuary is a biodiversity hotspot:
- Home to Asiatic brown bear, musk deer, ibex, blue sheep, and wild yak
- Rich in medicinal herbs, alpine flora, and subalpine forests of fir, pine, and rhododendron
- Birdlife includes Himalayan monal, western tragopan, and koklass pheasant
🐾 The sanctuary is ideal for trekking and camping, but terrain is rugged—local guides recommended
🛕 Village Life & Resistance
Lippa’s residents are farmers and herders, known for their hospitality and traditional lifestyle. The village has:
- Barley and apple cultivation
- Slate-roofed homes and mud-stone architecture
- Opposition to the Integrated Kashang Hydroelectric Project, citing threats to forest rights and ecological balance
🌱 The village has become a symbol of community-led conservation and cultural preservation.
🧭 Plan Your Visit
| 🗺️ Travel Tips | 🏡 Stay Options |
|---|---|
| Reach via Reckong Peo–Jangi–Lippa route | Homestays in Lippa or guesthouses in Reckong Peo |
| Trek from Jangi (~12 km) if road is inaccessible | Combine with Charang Village, Nako Lake, or Sapni Fort |
| Best time: June–October | Carry warm clothes, respect local customs, and avoid plastic waste |
✨ Why It Belongs in Your Guide
Lippa Village reflects:
- Kinnaur’s spiritual and linguistic antiquity
- A living resistance to ecological disruption
- A sanctuary of silence, story, and sacred ecology
It’s not just a village—it’s a Himalayan hymn whispered through forest, faith, and fierce love for the land.
