The account of shilajit presented here is based on a conversation with Paldan Dadul, a farmer and resident of Raikur village in Ladakh
Up high in the mountains of Ladakh, surrounded by barren cliffs, icy winds, and rugged landscapes, we traveled to a village called Raikur to understand what shilajit is and to learn about the lifestyle of the people living there. In recent years, shilajit has become widely known both as a source of income and as a substance associated with health and wellness. Therefore, we visited this village to understand the roots of shilajit and to meet the people who have been collecting and processing it for generations, despite many consumers never fully understanding the realities and hardships behind obtaining it.
Fig: Paldan Dadul from Raikur village, Ladakh, whose livelihood depends on farming, livestock rearing, and collecting shilajit from the high mountains.
During our visit, we met a farmer named Paldan Dadul, who has lived in the village his entire life and is now 59 years old. He continues to reside there with his family. As we spent time with him in the mountains and conducted conversations and interviews regarding shilajit, we first asked him about himself and the history of his village. In response, he explained that the village was established around 1,300 years ago, beginning with a single household and eventually expanding to 8 houses before many families migrated to lower regions in search of better economic opportunities. Today, only five houses remain in the upper settlement. When asked about his education and occupation, Paldan shared that he had never attended school and had no formal employment. Instead, his livelihood depends on farming, cattle rearing, selling ghee, preparing cheese during the summer season, and collecting shilajit during winter. He explained that collecting shilajit is uncertain work, as there are days when he returns from the mountains without finding anything at all. Nevertheless, this remains one of the primary ways through which he survives economically. He further recalled that for a long period, there was no road connecting Raikur to nearby settlements, as people carried goods and luggage on donkeys and traveled for five to six hours to reach larger villages. Even today, despite partial road construction and occasional vehicle access, infrastructural work on drains and nalas has remained incomplete for several years, continuing to obstruct movement and reinforce the isolation of the village. Life there, as he described it, still moves according to the pace of the mountains, with limited outside interaction.
What is Shilajit?
Fig: Paldan holding raw shilajit collected from beneath rocks along with the fine product from Siachen Naturals.
When we asked Paldan what shilajit is, his first response reflected the knowledge passed down through village elders, as this is where understanding traditionally begins. According to local belief, shilajit originates from a creature resembling a rat that lives among the stones and survives on medicinal herbs and grasses. The elders believed that its urine eventually dries into powder and transforms into shilajit. However, Paldan honestly clarified that he himself had never witnessed this process and could not claim with certainty what shilajit is scientifically made from.
Based on his long experience collecting and preparing shilajit, he explained that it is found beneath stones in the mountains as a black, sticky substance attached to rocks or hidden within cracks and crevices. He emphasized that collecting it requires considerable time, labor, and physical endurance. Sometimes a person may find two or three pieces in a day, while on other occasions they may search from morning until evening and return empty-handed. According to him, the work depends greatly on luck, persistence, and the ability to navigate harsh mountainous terrain. As he showed us both the raw and processed forms, it became evident how difficult and dangerous the work truly is. He further explained that shilajit is a mineral-rich substance found mainly in rocky crevices across the Himalayas and other high-altitude regions. During warmer conditions, it slowly oozes from cracks in rocks and hardens into a resin-like material. For centuries, it has been used in traditional medicinal systems, particularly Ayurveda, where it is associated with strength, stamina, recovery, and overall well-being.
As our discussion moved beyond collection practices, Paldan explained that there is no fixed season for collecting shilajit, although he generally prefers winter because agricultural work is less demanding during that period. In summer, his family remains occupied with farming and livestock rearing. Whenever weather conditions and free time allow, they travel into the mountains to search for shilajit, despite knowing that success is never guaranteed. Since it forms part of their livelihood, they continue this difficult work even when days of labor produce no results. He also described the risks involved in the process. Nowadays, collectors carry ropes because they must climb steep slopes and dangerous rocky structures where accidents can occur at any moment. A person may slip, rocks may fall unexpectedly from above, or large stones may collapse without warning. Earlier, according to him, collectors did not use ropes or safety equipment and relied only on experience and careful movement. However, over time, people have recognized the need for greater precaution. As a result, they now carry ropes along with water, food, and thermos flasks before leaving early in the morning, often returning home empty-handed by evening.
Process of Making Shilajit
Fig: Lab-tested processed shilajit from Siachen Naturals, prepared from the Himalayan mountain region.
Later, when we asked how shilajit is processed for consumption and sale, Paldan willingly explained the procedure in detail. He stated that once the raw material is brought down from the mountains, the actual labor-intensive process begins because the collected substance is mixed with sand, stones, and grit. Following methods inherited from his father and grandfather, the material is first broken into smaller pieces using a hammer, spread across cloth, lightly beaten, and soaked in water. It is then repeatedly washed and filtered numerous times until the dirt and impurities are removed. After cleaning, the shilajit is heated slowly over a low fire. Paldan emphasized that this stage requires constant attention because excessive heat can completely ruin the substance, causing it to melt away entirely. Therefore, maintaining a slow and controlled temperature is essential. According to him, producing one kilogram of usable shilajit can require four to five days of continuous labor, and any mistake during the heating process may result in the entire batch being wasted.
In the end, listening to his experiences made it clear that for the people of Raikur, shilajit has never been viewed as a luxury supplement or a modern social media “superfood.” Instead, it has long served as a traditional form of medicine and a means of survival within the community. Paldan explained that since the time of his grandfather, before hospitals, nurses, or government medical facilities reached the village, families consumed shilajit with milk to treat chest pain, dysentery, fractures, injuries, and bone-related illnesses. Whether partially effective or fully effective, it remained one of the few medicinal resources available to them.
The knowledge inherited from previous generations through observation, practice, and lived experience continues to sustain the community even today, despite the constant dangers of injury, isolation, harsh labor, and the uncertainty of returning from the mountains without finding anything.