Kinnaura Tribe, Kinnaur

Because of its remote geographical location along the borders of Tibet and China, Kinnaur remained inaccessible till very late, the exchanges were rare and their culture flourished in its own unique way. According to Bhagwat Purana, Kinners trace their origins to Lord Brahma. People of the tribe are said to be ‘Ashwamukha’, with a look of half-man and half-horse. According to a legend, Pradumana, son of Lord Krishna was the first king of Kinners. Kalidas has aslo mentioned Kinners in his book Kumarasambhava.

The learned writer Rahul Sanskritayan in his famous book ‘Kinner Desh’ has written about the life of Kinnaur along Tibetan borders towards the south-west of Kailash Mansarovar. Many other ancient texts describe them as dwellers of the Himalayas like Himvaan and Mahaneel. Over time, the tribe confined itself to the inner Himalayan regions between the Sutlej and its tributaries.

The Jataka stories make a mention of the Kinneris in the Himalayas, with vivid descriptions of the beauty and melody of Kinneris, who are depicted as lovers of ornaments and skilled in decorating themselves with leaves and flowers.

Temples in Kinnaur have architectural similarities to monasteries. The royal palace of Kinnaur too has a very Tibetian feel to it.

Religious festivals and wedding ceremonies are the best occasions to witness the culture; during these events, women adorn themselves with spectacular silver jewels, covering their entire bodies and men perform trance dances lifting palanquins.