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In the 1901 novel Kim, author Rudyard Kipling, who spent his growing up years in Mumbai, described the remote Spiti Valley nestled in the Himalayas as “a world within a world”.

For half the year, the mountain valley located in the north-eastern part of Himachal Pradesh is almost inaccessible to the rest of India. In winter, temperatures can fall as low as –30 degrees celsius. Unspoiled by technology and pollution, it has become a haven for mountaineers and trekkers and offers a wide range of beautiful sights.

In a new timelapse video by Shashanka Nanda, these sights of what is also known as “middle country” – seeing as it is located between Tibet and India – can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home.

From the calm of 12,500 feet above sea level, the video shows breathtaking sights of pure unspoilt nature. And for those accustomed to living in cities, there is something even better on offer. In the city, air pollution and light pollution or the glow from thousands of illuminating sources means that scarcely a star can be seen in the night sky. (For comparison, here’s how the night sky would look like in cities if you so many lights were not on).

Not so in Spiti Valley, where the wonders of the universe and especially the Milky Way can be gazed at for eternity.

Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this article stated that Spiti Valley was located between Nepal and India. It is actually located between Tibet and India.