THE INCREDIBLE HIMALAYA

A major portion of the great Himalayan Range passes through India, stretching like a giant bow, it spreads 3000 km on its east to west axis. The western Himalayas are at the widest in the Indian Territories of -Garhwal, Kinnaur, Kullu,  Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba, Pangi and Kishtwar, Zanskar and Ladakh. Here they are characterized by the awe inspiring heights of it summits and ridges , stupendous valleys, huge river gorges and a rich variety of temperate flora and fauna. These mountains ranges further form different valleys. Lying in isolation for centuries, the land and its people, have retained their age old traditions, customs and beliefs.

For centuries a mystic aura surrounds the Trans – Himalayan tracts of this region. Living in practical isolation for centuries, here faith is as deep as the rivers swift, it has an introversive culture of life focused around its several monasteries. The Land has a haunting and unforgettable beauty.

Here nature in company with the infinite blue of the sky and the unbroken silence has brought an unearthly panorama of eerie beauty, incredible and indescribable land of Gods; for no human being can live here…… probably Rudyard Kipling came most close to grasping the spirit of the land. Starting from the hot dusty and fertile plains of Punjab in northern India, the Himalayan foothills rise like a series of parallel running serrated ramparts, progressively increasing in height. Starting from the Shiwalik hills, taking giant steps into the snow clad Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges leading further up to the great Himalayan range. Between these lower foothills and mountain ranges, lies sheltered valleys and mountain capes of bewitching and ethereal beauty. The green valleys, quaint little villages, thickly forested hill sides, gem like lakes, numerous streams and rivers, cascading water falls dominated by the snow capped peaks and the blue of the sky together create this unforgettable beauty. In a dramatic contrast, the vast north western Himalayan region, lies to the north of the Pir Panjal range, marked by the 3978 mt high Rhotang pass, just 52 km from Manali. It comprises of Lahaul and Spiti, falling between the Pir Panjal and the great Himalayan range, the Zanskar and Ladakh, falling between the great Himalayan range and the Zanskar and Karakoram ranges on the further north. This vast area to the north of the Pir Panjal is a veritable natures wonder land, mind boggling and awe inspiring in its sheer scale splendor and majestic grandeur. Distant and aloof. Rocky barren uninhabited (except for a few pockets), cold and dry, this high altitude cold mountainous desert, where the average ground level height varies between 4000 mt to 4500 mt, is a surrealistic land of stunning colors, bizarre rock forms, and the sprawling plains of the high altitude plateaus, encircled by the massive and towering mountains and snow clad peaks lie like the amphitheatre of the Gods. The Pir Panjal range marks not only a geographical divide but at the same time a religious and cultural divide too. The Hindu religion is predominant on the South of the Pir Panjal range, while on its north lies the land of the Gompas (monasteries), ochre robs and prayer stones. It is Buddhism that dominates here, guiding and influencing the life and culture of these hardworking and friendly people. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US AT- (+919997070385) or YOU CAN MAIL ME TOO AT MY EMAIL ID (yashshukla.se@gmail.com)

Categories: HIMALAYA DARSHAN