No Indians allowed except for foreigner haven of Israeli tourists:Kasol in Himachal Pradesh is hippieland
Chandigarh August 2: The Kasol village in Himachal Pradesh is a favourite destination for Israeli tourists visiting the country, it has emerged.
On visiting the place, it feels like an Israeli village, as most of them speak only in the Hebrew language.
The Indian men are banned from the village. And if men from outside occasionally dropped in, the villagers won’t give them shelter.
The locals said the ban on Indian men is due to rampant eve-teasing of tourists living there.
That is why the Israeli tourists, mainly women, are very fond of the place, they said.
The Israelis believe that their fellow nationals discovered the village some 10 decades ago.
The tourists can get a room to stay there for just Rs 300 per day.
However cyber cafes, run by the locals, are a booming business in the village and becoming a major economic activity.
Some parts of scenic Himachal Pradesh are virtually turning into Jewish settlements, with a large number of Israelis tourists coming in and settling here. According to an estimate, about 70 per cent of the foreigners visiting the state are from Israel.
Places such as Dharamkot village (near Dharamsala), Old Manali, Vashishth, Kasol and Tosh Village have nearly half of their population of Israeli nationality, a source said.
Sign-boards in Hebrew are a common sight in these areas. The peaceful Kangra and Kullu valleys have become a safe haven for lakhs of Jews who migrate here for many reasons – including karmic cleansing, and an uninterrupted feast of drugs, adventure and sex.
The connection between Manali and Goa has come to light a number of times. Records of Israeli, Russian, Italian, Japanese and Nigerian tourists show that many of them first reach Goa and then plan their trip to Delhi, Manali and Dharamsala. Besides Goa, narcotics are also traded in Paharganj and other areas of New Delhi.
The well-oiled networks of Israelis, Russians and Nigerians have their roots in Manali and Dharamsala. While Dharamsala is considered as a safe zone for money exchanges, Manali valley has become a charas trade centre.
