Residents live with significantly lower oxygen levels than at sea level, while the extreme cold makes it difficult for trees and many plants to survive. Komic village, located at an altitude of about 15,050 feet in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley, is often described as one of the inhabited villages closest to the sky.
Komic is a small settlement of whitewashed mud-and-stone houses in the remote Spiti Valley. The region is a cold trans-Himalayan desert that remains cut off from much of India for nearly six months each year when heavy snowfall blocks mountain passes. Phone and internet connectivity are limited, while schools and healthcare facilities are located far away. The video offers a glimpse into life in Komic, one of India’s highest villages. The vlog captures not only the challenges of life at such an altitude but also how residents have adapted and built thriving lives in one of India’s most remote settlements. To survive the harsh cold of the trans-Himalayan desert, villagers build mud houses with walls nearly two feet thick. The houses are painted white to reflect sunlight during the day. During winter, water often freezes, prompting residents to use dry toilets, with the waste later converted into manure. With limited infrastructure and resources, community bonds remain Komic’s greatest strength. If one of the village’s dozen households hosts a celebration, the entire community pitches in to help.
Despite its remarkable location, life remains challenging for the village’s roughly 100 residents. Uploaded to YouTube around four months ago, Kanishk Gupta’s vlog, India’s Village Closest to the Sky, continues to attract viewers, garnering more than 4 million views. Situated at an altitude of 15,000 feet, the settlement experiences low oxygen levels, harsh winters and a landscape where trees struggle to grow.
