The remote village of Malana in the Parvati Valley is the abode of Deo Dzamlu, the tutelary
deity of the Kullu region. The inhabitants of the village belong to the ancient tribe of the
Kinnara and speak Kanashi, an isolated language of the Kanauri subgroup of the Sino-Tibetan
language family, which differs significantly from the other languages of the area.
Malana’s most remarkable characteristic is its socio-religious organization including an
autonomous village council and court to settle disputes. As the supreme authority and source of
power in religious, political and judicial affairs, Deo Dzamlu occupies a dominant position in
the governing structure of the village. The deity is being referred to as the “Great Deity” and
widely worshipped among Hindu ethnic groups across the Kullu region as well as in Lahul and
Spiti.