Spiti

Spiti
Spiti River upstream of Kaza
Spiti River upstream of Kaza
Spiti is located in Himachal Pradesh
Spiti
Spiti
Location of Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh
Spiti is located in India
Spiti
Spiti
Location of Spiti Valley in India
Floor elevation2,950–4,100 m (9,680–13,450 ft)[1][original research?]
Geography
CountryIndia
StateHimachal Pradesh
RegionIndian Himalayas
DistrictLahaul and Spiti
Population centersLosar, Kaza, Tabo, Sumdo, Chango
Coordinates32°14′49″N 78°03′08″E / 32.24694°N 78.05222°E / 32.24694; 78.05222
RiverSpiti
View of Spiti Valley and Key Monastery in winter, January 2008

Spiti (pronounced as piti in Bhoti language) is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tibet and India.[2] Spiti incorporates mainly the valley of the Spiti River, and the valleys of several rivers that feed into the Spiti River. Some of the prominent side-valleys in Spiti are the Pin valley and the Lingti valley. Spiti is bordered on the east by Tibet, on the north by Ladakh, on the west and southwest by Lahaul, on the south by Kullu, and on the southeast by Kinnaur. Spiti has a cold desert environment.[3] The valley and its surrounding regions are among the least populated regions of India. The Bhoti-speaking local population follows Tibetan Buddhism.

Traditionally, agriculture was for subsistence, but has shifted to cash crops in the past few decades. Spiti is a popular destination for photography, snow leopard spotting, and adventure tourism of various kinds, including winter sports.

  1. ^ "Losar - Chango, OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  2. ^ Kapadia 1999, p. 209.
  3. ^ A. S. Kashyap (2006). Dr. Satish K. Sharma (ed.). Horticulture in Cold Desert Conditions with Particular Reference to Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh. New India Publishing. pp. 201–202. ISBN 9788189422363. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)