Akin to the Himalayas, for centuries, the myths and folklores of the Kinnaura tribe have stood as steadfast pillars within their community. These narratives have not only influenced various facets of tribal life but have also served as protective shields amidst the challenges posed by the rugged terrain they inhabit. While within the tribe, one can observe a form of eco-egalitarianism through these manifestations, externally, the ecological equilibrium of the landscape faces threats from corporate greed and the ongoing climate crisis within the region.

Traces of these beasts seemingly roaming the land for centuries, exist. This project explores the folklore of mythical creatures as a means of understanding a community and its relationship with ecology. These creatures, once symbolic representations instilling both fear and reverence for the sacred land, now, in their apparent extinction, symbolize the losses incurred in the relentless pursuit of “development” as a superior form of modern living.

This project was made in close collaboration with Chander Rekha Negi and her son Nikhil Negi. Lippa Village in Kinnaur, their hometown, faces an imminent threat from the construction of the Kashang Tunnel under the 243 MW Integrated Kashang Hydroelectric Project, which endangers the region’s fragile landscape and delicate river ecology.