Kibber, also Kibber Khas and Khyipur, is a village high in the Spiti Valley in the Himalayas at in Himachal Pradesh in northern India. It contains a monastery and is a base for visiting the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. It is located from Kaza and a bus service connects them in the summer months. Agriculture forms the backbone of the local economy and lush green fields are abundant. It is the base for visitors to the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, home to about 30 snow leopards. Treks to nearby peaks and to a high pass in the Zanskar range between Spiti and Ladakh start from Kibber.
History
Kibber is the last village in Spiti on the traditional trade route to Ladakh and Tibet. One of the earliest descriptions is by botanist Thomson based on his expedition in September 1847. The route crosses the Zanskar range through the Parang La (pass) at an altitude of . It then descends along the Pare Chu (river) to Hanle and the Indus River. Thomson observed that houses in Kibber were constructed of stone, unlike the mud construction used in the rest of Spiti. He noted that farmers had terraced the hillside for above Kibber.
In earlier times, annual trade fairs were held in Kibber and other locations in Spiti. Traders would come from Tibet, Ladakh, Chamba and Kullu to barter their wares. With the closing of the Indo-Tibet border, these fairs have lost their historical purpose.
Geography
Kibber Khas is located on a limestone cliff on the left bank of the Spiti River. With an area of in an arid cold desert at , Kibber is about higher than Kaza. It is from the sub-divisional headquarters Kaza. After passing the Kye Monastery, the road from Kaza climbs steeply up a narrow gorge on the left bank of the Puri Lungpa, a tributary of the Spiti, to reach Kibber. It is one of the highest villages in the world that is inhabited year round.
The terrain slopes gently upwards from Kibber towards the northeast until the towering Zanskar Range. The streams in the area have cut deep gorges in the limestone strata. Mountain ranges on all sides provide some protection, and water from the streams is useful for irrigation. Farmers in Kibber are able to grow crops during the summer.
Demographics and amenities
Kibber Khas is a small village located in Spiti sub-division of Lahul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh with total 77 families residing. The Kibber Khas village has a population of 366 of which 187 are males while 179 are females as per Population Census 2011.
In Kibber Khas village, the population of children of age 0-6 is 36 which makes up 9.84% of the total population of village. The average Sex Ratio of Kibber Khas village is 957 which is lower than Himachal Pradesh state average of 972. Child Sex Ratio for the Kibber Khas as per census is 565, lower than the Himachal Pradesh average of 909. Kibber Khas village has lower literacy rate compared to Himachal Pradesh. In 2011, the literacy rate of Kibber Khas village was 72.73% compared to 82.80% of Himachal Pradesh. In Kibber Khas, male literacy stood at 82.93% while female literacy rate was 62.65%.
Kibber has a civil dispensary, a high school, a post office, a telegraph office and a community TV set.
Administration
The Gram Panchayat of Kibber or Kibber Gram Panchayat is a government office and local self-government body that governs the villages of Kibber Khas, Kee, Chicham, Gete and Tashigang. Kibber is located in the Development Block Spiti of the District Lahaul Spiti.
Economy
Traditionally, agriculture has been the mainstay of the economy. As the men were often traveling on trade to Tibet, Punjab and other parts of India, the women did the agricultural work primarily for subsistence. As Kibber is the base for several treks and for visits to the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, tourism is now part of the economy. Several homestays have been setup, and locals guide treks.
Agriculture
When botanist Thomson visited Kibber in September 1847, he found terraced and irrigated fields up to above the village. Barley was ready for harvest. Hugh Whistler, ornithologist, visited Kibber in July 1922 and observed barley and green peas in the fields.
In 2011, an area of of Kibber formed pastures for grazing. This amounted to 83.7% of the area of the village. Only 11.3% of the land was used for agriculture, with 85.3% of this being irrigated. Barley and pulses including black peas and green peas are the major crops. With the opening of roads, there is a shift to cash crops.