We share the name of the company with a beautiful valley, nestled in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh - Parvati Valley.

For many decades, the valley has attracted people from all over the world gaining reputation as a hermitage. People who come to the valley frequent the many places that are now famous in the valley.

The list includes Manikarna, treks to Kheerganga, or to the many villages in the valley including Tosh, Kasol, Rasol, Kalga.

But beyond the charm of cannabis that attracts many to the valley, the plant also inspires the humble homes of the people who live there.

This post is to cheer all the ways in which people in Parvati Valley, and the rest of Himalayas, have added the hemp plant and its many products into their lifestyle.

The Earliest Evidences..

The relationship between the hemp plant and Parvati Valley goes back hundreds of years, if not thousands.

Local legends narrate that Bhagwaan Shiv first found the ‘Vijaya’ plant in the valley. This would date back to 10,000 years or more depending upon the estimation you choose to consider. Its mention as a source of medicine and nutrition is well documented in Vedic texts from ~3000-5000 years ago.

As late as the 19th century, the British Commission Report on the plant suggested hemp was part of the culture at large across India. It’s remarkable that within a hundred years, culture has largely forgotten the hemp plant and its value except for a handful of frivolous use cases. Which is why we find it important to name the company after this place and its people. The fact that the people in Parvati valley have adopted hemp products across different facets of life has helped keep the tradition alive.

Outside of carrying this cultural heritage, there is a fact of the hard life in the Himalayas which made it possible for people to pay attention to the plant. Not a lot of crops grow at these heights, temperature and rain conditions as in the Himalayas. Hemp crop is an exception. For most people who rely on agriculture, a crop that can stand on its own against the hard conditions is alone worth noticing. The fact that it can be repurposed in so many interesting ways only kept on adding its value in the eyes of the local.

They came to rely on hemp for its Fiber. You’ve likely already seen or heard about these traditional Pulla Slippers that people use in the villages in the valley. 

Bottom of this footwear is made of hemp fiber, while the top part is stitched in colorful designs using goat hair and threads. Two other everyday tools people make out of the hemp fiber are ropes and baskets. People also know the plant for its nutritional value. You’ll find people using it in their food simply to sleep well at night, while others use it to balance their digestion. We put this knowledge into use and made them into the Nutrition collection for you to enjoy.

Hemp also finds use as a Construction Material.

Not only as Hempcrete, but also as an insulating agent in the clay and lime plaster. Case in Point: Ellora Caves.

As a medicine, Vijaya plant finds mention as early as Sushruta Samhita from 2500+ years ago. People in Himalayas use hemp products as part of their diet to improve their digestive and reproductive health. 

Now, a whole new generation is looking at the hemp plant with interest.

And we're sure to see more and varied uses of the plant that are relevant to life and culture in 2022.