HIMALAYA ENCYCLOPEDIA

Magical, mystical, mesmerizing…, the exotic allure of the Himalaya has captured the imagination of explorers, trekkers, mountaineers, nature lovers, scientists, geologists and pilgrims alike the world over. The Himalaya forms a broad arc that stretches for a distance of about 2,600 km, starting from the Brahmaputra River in the east till the Indus River in the northwest. This chain of mountains, which contains more than 200 mountain peaks exceeding 7,200 m in altitude and a host of other lesser peaks, runs through Nepal, Tibet, India, Bhutan and Pakistan. As many as nine out of the world’s 14 highest peaks lie in the Himalaya, including Mt. Everest (8,848 m/29,035 ft) on the Nepal-Tibet border, K2 or Mt. Godwin Austen (8,611m/28,251 ft) on the China-Jammu & Kashmir border, Mt. Kanchenjunga (8,598 m/28,209 ft) on the Nepal-India border, Mt. Makalu (8,481m/27,824 ft) on the Nepal-Tibet border, Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,172 m/26,811 ft) and Annapurna I (8,091 m/26,545 ft) in Nepal, Nanga Parbat (8,125 m/26,657 ft) in the Pakistan territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Nanda Devi (7,817 m/25,645 ft) in India.

The diverse geographical, historical, natural and cultural endowments and the adventure options available for the spirited souls have made the Himalaya one of the most fascinating and sought after travel destinations. The term “Himalaya” was derived from a Sanskrit word meaning "Abode of Snow" and is believed to have been coined by Indian ascetics who used to meditate in and travel across these majestic mountains since time immemorial. The mighty Himalaya is also sacrosanct for people of many religious beliefs as they consider it to be the abode of the gods, with many of the peaks even considered as divine manifestations.