Kasol

Kasol, a small village in Parvati Valley (Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh), has a very recent “history” as a tourist hub, even though the valley itself is ancient. Traditionally, Kasol was just a quiet Himachali hamlet on the route between Bhuntar and Manikaran, where locals farmed, kept livestock and used the river and forests for daily needs. The wider Parvati region has long-standing Hindu and local devta traditions, with nearby Manikaran known for its hot springs and legends of Manu, Shiva and Guru Nanak, but Kasol itself remained largely unnoticed outside the valley.

From the 1980s–1990s onwards, backpackers—especially Israelis after military service—started exploring Parvati Valley for its beauty, cheap stays and trekking possibilities. Kasol’s flat riverside location and road access made it a natural base. Slowly, guest houses, cafés and trekking shops appeared, and guidebooks began calling it “Mini Israel” because of the high number of Israeli visitors and restaurants serving their cuisine.

In the 2000s and 2010s, social media and travel blogs turned Kasol into a global backpacker destination, tied to Kheerganga, Tosh, Malana and other side trips. This rapid growth brought jobs and income but also issues like litter, unplanned construction and drug-linked tourism, leading to increasing concern from villagers, authorities and environmental groups about how to manage Kasol’s future sustainably.