Rangrik

Rangrik is a small village located about 6 km from Kaza across the Spiti River connected by a small bridge. I am calling it small but by the standard of Spiti’s villages, it is quite a big village with a population of about 900 people. It is a relatively green patch in an otherwise barren landscape. When I visited Rangrik in July, there were lots of flowers around. I noticed tall grass with yellow flowers and I was told that it is cattle feed. It is dried and kept for year-long consumption of cattle. Across a small dam in the village lies a small cave that has a mysterious stone with magnetic properties. While I understand the magnetic properties of the stone, it was the cave that was intriguing. A small 6 feet by 6 feet space that had everything needed for a stay of an individual—a kitchen, a prayer place, a bed and a reading and writing table. Some monk probably used to live here in seclusion. The cave is kept open, which tells a lot about the culture of this place. A Buddha statue has been recently installed on a hill next to the village with the Buddha overlooking the village all the time.