The Village of Barkhang – Thomas Kelly

“Nyin” sunshine valley, Barkhang village, 9’700 feet, is rich with terraced fields and has views of snow peaks to the east and south and the Karnali river, Humla’s main drainage course. Following the river’s cut in the mountains nine hundred years ago, the Hindu Chhetri and Thakuri ancestors migrated into Humla’s valleys from the flat southern plains of India. Settling in the valleys and lowlands, the Hindus left the high mountains for the Bhotias to settle. In the Nyin valley these people are referred to as Nyinbas. Nyinba society observers an eclectic mix of Khasa and Bonpo shamanism and, more recently, Tibetan Buddhism.