GOD JAMLOO OF MALANA
Strictly speaking, god Jamloo of Malana has the precedence over all the village gods of Kullu. He has well-knit shrines and temples throughout the valley. Malana, (2520 metres) a solitary village in Parvati valley stands isolated from the rest of the world. It is approachable by a difficult track from Jari through the narrow terrain of Malana torrent or the arduous route from Naggar via the Chanderkhani Pass (3750 metres). There is something mysterious about this remote little human settlement, for they do not themselves know whence and where they came from. They try to keep themselves aloof from the neighbours across the mountains and are either ignorant or incapable of giving their identification to the outsiders. The formidable mountain barriers have so effectively insulated this tiny village that its inhabitants have been able to keep their curious social, cultural and religious customs intact ever since they are said to have settled on this remote plateau. Devta Jamloo is a Buddhist deity of wealth. In Buddhist literature, the real name of Jamloo was Jambal, a temporal deity with a temple at Hamta in Spiti. At the time, when theocracy prevailed he was a raja of Spiti and his brother Ghyepan was raja of Lahaul. Jamloo is believed to have settled down firstly at Hamta and then migrated to Malana. He does not owe allegiance to Raghunathjee of Kullu and boasts to have received tribute from the Mughal Emperor, Akbar the Great. The story runs that Akbar's daughter was stricken with leprosy as his tax collectors took from a sadhu two pieces which had come from the treasury of the god at Malana. These two pieces were found struck together in Akbar's treasury. It was pointed out by the court astrologers that these coins should be returned back to the devta who lived far away in the Himalayas along with his statue made of gold, a horse and an elephant in silver so that the immodest sin could be expiated. This was done and the devta graciously removed leprosy from the Emperor's daughter. These objects are taken out annually from the devta's treasury to the courtyard of the shrine where these were received from the Emperor's deputy. The most interesting feature of the Malana village is its political and judicial set-up. Jamloo is the ultimate authority and source of power in the sense that he controls the entire administration of the village. The religious and judicial authority vests with a panel of eleven officials which constitute the Village Council. The Council's authority emanates from the deity who is believed by the Milanese to have delegated his executive powers to this body to govern the village in less name. The Council is composed of three permanent members holding hereditary office and eight Jeyshthas (elders) who are elected according to the democratic norms. This system of governance is so deep-rooted in their blood and veins that they have rarely knocked the doors of local courts to settle their disputes. Malana is essentially a "Hermit" village according to Professor Collin Rosser, who spent two years during 1952-53 in the village. The Oxford University has conferred on him a doctorate in oriental studies on Malana -a surviving village republic. He says "Malana is like a walnut. It has a very hard shell outside but is pleasant enough once cracked open." Life at Malana has begun to change. People are discovering the simple joy of better working life. Matinees are now slowly and gradually finding their way to join the mainstream of national scene. For, they are anxious to have a decent road and transport from Jari side to their village with a purpose to transform their socio-economic ethos towards modernisation.
. TEMPLE OF GOD JAMLOO.
. MALANA VILLAGE.
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