Nako – a small village in upper Kinnaur – has a refined and composed artistic cultural heritage that has been flourishing in this hamlet for centuries. Some of the most striking examples that portray societal and cultural tradition of this village are seven temples and monasteries.
Nako Lake is the most famous landmark of the area. The village is well connected to the road. A connecting road branching out of NH22 at a point 7 km prior to the village takes you to this small place that asks for an Inner Line Permit to travel through. The permit that has validity of 15 days can be procured at Rekong Peo.
Nako Lake
An element and a gem of the mother nature because of which this small village is very famous is a holy lake. The village sits on brim of the lake and keeps watching and admiring beauty its beauty in still lake water. If you are a nature lover and admirer of its amazing creations, then sit on a rock and enjoy views of snow-capped mountains in lake water. Apart from that, you can take short strides along the sides of the lake and feel your lungs ballooning up with fresh and cool air of high Himalayas.
Additionally, you can get close glimpses of century-old traditional atmosphere and architecture in houses, temples and monasteries and take home small bits of history.
Nako Monastery
High on traditional and cultural diet, Nako has a century-old monastery right in the middle of the village). Founded by Ringchen Zangpo in 996 AD, a wood and stone complex of reasonable size with fine carving on walls and old sculptures takes you back in time. There is a temple which can lift your spiritual senses as high as the crest of Reo Purgyil.
Reo Purgyil
Elevated at an altitude of 6,816 m (22,362 ft), Reo Purgyil is more of a crown of the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh. At this altitude, the mountain peak takes pride of being the highest mountain in entire Himachal.
Reo Purgyil is no less than a gift from the god of gods, Neelkanth, because the sky-piercing peak not only guards the village and its inhabitants from wrath of evil eyes, but also beautifies the small village with a gift of love in form of sweet water lake formed in lower slopes of the mountain.
Apples & Dry Fruits
The village is well blessed with fertile soil, because of which apples, apricots and almonds grown on the soil of Nako village are of supreme quality and taste. Due to high juicy content and hardness responsible for longer lifespan, apples this small village produces fetch high prices in market. Another specialty of Nako is sun-dried apricots, which is a hot-selling edible product at Lavi international fair in Rampur.