CHANDIGARH: Parvati Valley, a picturesque area in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, far removed from modern civilisation, has long been considered an ideal location for rave parties because of the secrecy afforded by its remote terrain. The region was already notorious for Malana Cream (cannabis) and, over time, also became known for the use of synthetic drugs.
The issue has come into the spotlight after the Himachal Pradesh High Court recently ordered the transfer of the Kullu Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and Sub-Divisional Magistrate for failing to maintain public order and curb the nuisance caused by such gatherings near Kasol.
A detailed order was issued on Saturday, although the directions were pronounced on June 24.
The case pertains to a ticketed event organised at Green Forest-I and Green Forest-II in Grahan, near Kasol, from June 7 to June 11. The court noted that tickets were reportedly priced between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000 and attracted revellers from across India and abroad.
The court also directed the state government to register an FIR, constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), and initiate departmental proceedings against the three officers.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on rave parties and drug abuse in Kullu and Mandi districts, a division bench comprising Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin C Negi observed that the officials had failed to maintain public order and had instead facilitated the organisation of large-scale rave parties despite prior police warnings about the possibility of drug consumption, trafficking and other unlawful activities.
According to a report submitted by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), the venue was located in an isolated forest area and had around 50 camping tents, private security and infrastructure capable of accommodating thousands of people.
Accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles, the venue could accommodate 4,000 to 5,000 people. The report also noted the presence of around 10 temporary toilets, a large refrigerator stocked with beer bottles and ice cubes, a considerable number of liquor bottles, cigarette butts, and rolling papers commonly used for preparing locally available hashish and tobacco.
Following the court's intervention, local police raided the venue and arrested two tourists found in possession of cocaine and LSD. A Russian national, Caria Kuzminykh, who was performing as a DJ at the event, died due to a suspected drug overdose.
The recent crackdown has forced organisers and revellers to shift to regulated campsites, cafés and other venues in Parvati Valley, according to local residents.
Promotion of these parties through apps such as Telegram has made it easier for organisers while making detection more difficult for the police. What were once small rave parties have now evolved into corporate-style events, with venues expanding from small open spaces to larger, denser forests and even private resorts.
For obvious reasons, organisers do not use the term "rave" while seeking official permission. Instead, they describe such gatherings as "cultural events", which enables them to obtain the necessary approvals, sources said.
A typical rave party features a natural setting with UV-lit décor, sunrise dance floors, art pop-ups, tattoo kiosks and an international crowd. These events are mostly held in and around Kasol, including Grahan, Chalal, Katagla and Pulga villages.
Sources added that a lack of infrastructure, coupled with the region's favourable climate and topography, as well as poverty, encouraged cannabis cultivation, particularly around Kasol. Foreigners later introduced hybrid cannabis seeds and, in some cases, married local women, giving rise to an organised drug trade. Narrow, serpentine trails with limited access points along the Parvati River have provided safe escape routes for drug peddlers.
O P Sharma, former Superintendent of the Narcotics Control Bureau's Chandigarh Zonal Unit and former Convener of the Nasha Nivaran Board, Himachal Pradesh, attributed the strengthening of the drug culture to failures in law enforcement and intelligence gathering. He said rave parties in Manali were not new and had begun in the 1990s.
"The socio-cultural mindset of local people to earn money has also contributed to the problem, as drugs like LSD and MDMA had made inroads into the region long ago," he said.
In the past three years, Himachal Pradesh Police have registered 6,246 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and filed chargesheets in 5,684 cases.
Budhi Prakash Thakur, president of the Hotel Owners Association of Manali, said, "If proper permissions are taken from the local administration and there is strict police vigilance at the venue for security and checking drug abuse, parties should be welcomed."