The Himalayas are full of numerous ashram retreats, meditation centers and luxury spas, where you can learn more about the ancient Indian spiritual traditions, even as you relax and revive physically.
Indulge Your Taste For Adventure
Where there are mountains there will be adventure! The glaciers, rivers, and hills of the Indian Himalayas offer every option you could want to satiate your taste for adventure.
Mountaineers can take on the challenging high altitude peaks of Nun-Kun Massif in Ladakh, Nanda Devi in Garhwal, and Dunagiri in Kumaon. Himachal Pradesh offers the Manali Valley, Manikaran and the Rohtang Pass. High-altitude climbers will also enjoy the rock faces at Sonmarg in Kashmir and Gangotri in Garhwal, Uttaranchal.
If mountaineering is not your scene, but you still want to savour the beauty of the mighty mountains, try trekking. Drink in the pristine untouched beauty of Sikkim (including over 600 species of orchids), or explore the tough trails, high mountain passes and dry barren terrain of one of the country's most remote regions, Ladakh.
Are winter sports your thing? Gulmarg and Khilanmarg in Kashmir, Auli in Uttaranchal, Gorsain in Garhwal, and Manali, Kufri and Narkanda in Himachal Pradesh provide good snow ski slopes, while Hanuman Tibba, Deo Tibba, Rohtang Pass and Chandrakhani Pass (near Manali in Himachal Pradesh) are perfect for heli-skiing. Skiing usually starts by the end of December and lasts till the end of March. Shimla is recommended for ice skating.
The climatic and physiographic conditions in Himachal are ideal for paragliding. Locations include Billing in the Kangra valley (venue of 3 international hang gliding rallies), Lahaul, Spiti, Bijli Mahadev, Solang in the Kulu valley, Bandla ridge.
The Himalayas offer you some of the toughest and most exciting river runs in the world. The Indus snaking through Ladakh and the Zanskar and Chenab in Kashmir are very different river running experiences.
For the white water rafting enthusiast, a popular stretch is on the Ganges, near Rishikesh in Uttaranchal. Other rivers like the Sutlej, Beas (in Himachal Pradesh), Teetsa (in Sikkim), and Yamuna also offer sporting challenges. The innumerable fresh water streams and lakes are ideal for angling and (brown and rainbow) trout fishing. The picturesque Kangra valley has several spots for Mahseer - river carp.
If freezing cold and solitude appeal, try the Great Himalayan jeep safari in the desolate moonscapes of the Zanskar valley.
Admire all Things Bright and Beautiful
Since the Himalayan range is so long, and has so many varied climates, the flora and fauna found here are remarkably diverse. Species from Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean are found in the Himalayas.
- One third of all mountain animals live in the Himalayas; these include a number of endangered species
- The musk deer, which produce a substance used to fix perfumes, have been hunted almost to extinction, as have the chiru antelope (whose fur is used to make shahtoosh shawls, one of the warmest coverings in the world)
- More sheep species live in the Himalayas than in any other mountain range in the world; these include the Marco Polo sheep, hunted almost to extinction for its long, spiraling horns, and the great Tibetan sheep, the largest wild sheep in the world
- Three species of mountain goat live in the Himalayas : the Ibex, the markhor, and the wild goat; three species of goat antelope live here too
- The brown bear and the Himalayan black bear scavenge mammal carcasses, although they also eat fruit
- One of the rarest bears in the world, the Tibetan blue bear, lives in the Himalayas
- Among the big cats are the tiger and leopard, as well as the jungle cat, lynx, and Pallas cat
- The beautiful, elusive snow leopard is a hunted for its thick coat . in spite of being a protected species
- As the altitude changes, so do the forests: The Himalayan foothills are carpeted with luxuriant tropical rain forests of bamboo, oak, and chestnut. Further west the forest thins, and evergreen cedars, pines, and firs become the dominant species. In the alpine zone, which begins at about 12,000 feet, there are great amounts of moist vegetation, including juniper and rhododendron.
- Himalayan trees include the holy bhoj, whose bark was used in ancient times as paper for writing manuscripts - its dry leaves are used in winter as beds, they block the cold
- The Chinar tree is synonymous with Kashmir , while Sikkim has an amazing range of orchids and rhododendrons
- A number of rare medicinal herbs are said to grow in the Himalayas .
Chill on a Hill
The entire Himalayan region is dotted with pretty-as-a-picture Hill Resorts. For eons, artists, poets and writers have chosen to make their home here.
- Nicholas Roerich, Russian artist and writer, who made his home in the Kullu Valley and established the International Institute of the Himalayan Studies, left a huge body of work inspired by the mighty mountains
- Acclaimed as the Indian Wordsworth, writer Ruskin Bond was born in Kasauli to British parents. He chose to return to the Himalayas and has lived there and written about village life ever since.
- Jim Corbett, hunter turned conservationist, was born of British parents in the Kumaon Hills. He established India's first national park, the Hailey Park, now renamed in his honor and the favored place for visitors hoping to see a tiger.
- Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of Tibet , believed to be the Living Buddha by his followers, found refuge in the small town of Dharamsala , when he had to flee his homeland.
Go on a Pilgrimage
From time immemorial, the Himalayas have been a place of refuge for hermits, the seat of contemplation and meditation for ascetics.
- The entire Himalayan region is considered to be the realm of Lord Shiva, who is worshipped in the form of a lingam at shrines like the ice cave at Amarnath in Kashmir, and the glacial formation at Kedarnath in Garhwal . Kedarnath was established in honor of Lord Shiva, by Guru Adi Shankaracharya
- Maharishi Ved Vyas is believed to have written the Mahabharata, with the help of Ganesha, in Badrinath
- The Hindu scriptures - Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas - were composed here
- The Pandavas, of the Mahabharata, are reputed to have wandered here while in exile
- The Garhwal region used to be known as devabhoomi , the land of the gods
- The Himalayas have some of the most spectacular Buddhist monasteries in the world
- Islam has a distinct presence in the Kashmir Valley
- Poselytizing by Christian missionaries, accompanies by the spread of education and health care has led to a significant presence of Christianity in the North East
