For the rest of the world Himalayas is a mountain range that encloses the Highest peaks of the world. For the thrill seekers, Himalayas is the ultimate adventure sports destination. And for the tourists they have the most exotic and picturesque holiday resorts found on earth. But for the pilgrims they are the most sacred and revered mountain ranges in the world. From ancient times these holy mountains were considered the abode of Lord Shiva. It was here in the mist shrouded crags of these mystic ranges that the legends and myths of Hinduism were born and thrive to this day.

Drive along ancient pilgrim trails, visit the remote Himalayan temples and shrines and experience the serenity and tranquillity of the Himalayas. Travel on the same trail used by pilgrims for centuries to visit sacred pilgrimage site such as Kailash Mansarovar, the Holy Mountain in Tibet and the Char Dhams Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. In the Trans-Himalayan regions the Monasteries, often built on steep slopes, still dominate social life and religious practices that continues in much the same way.

Himalayan range covers the entire northern part of India, nestling five major states of the country within it. The ancient Indian pilgrims who have travelled in these mountains since time immemorial coined a Sanskrit word for the Himalayas meaning “Abode of Snow”.

Some of the reasons why people have been so fascinated by the Indian Himalayas is because of the Hindu pilgrim routes, the low valleys that abruptly rise up in high mountain ranges, the lovely trekking hikes, densely forested areas lying just a mountain range away from barren cold deserts, and the lovely people of the mountains with their unique hospitable lifestyles.

In a memorable verse of the ‘Kumarsambhava’, the famous Sanskrit poet Kalidasa compares the Himalaya to a gigantic measuring rod striding the earth between two oceans. The snow-capped peaks are indeed the most impressive feature. Himalaya, a Sankrit word, which means ' The Abode Of Snow' and all other names used to describe this mountain range associate it with eternal snow - “Himvan”, “Himvat”, “Himachal” and “Himadri”.

Interestingly, a vast shallow sea, the Tethys, existed where the Himalaya stands today. The submerged landmasses on either side started pushing towards each other, giving birth to these mountains. This was a relatively recent occurrence in the geographical time frame, so the Himalaya is considered a young and fragile land formation.

Scientists speculate that the whole process took five to seven million years. Fossil finds at heights of over 8,000 metres (26,000 feet) support these theories. The Himalaya has risen about 2,000 metres (6,600 feet) in the past 20,000 years and continues to rise at the rate of 7.5 to 10 centimetres (3-4 inches) a year.

The earliest is in the Rig Veda. Singing the praise of the supreme deity, the poet sages refer to the Himalaya: 'It is to He to whom belong these celestial mountain ranges.' These sages also describe its stretch as: 'the expanse of the two arms of the great being'. The epic Ramayana and Mahabharat, and the Puranas, describe this as the region where the Gods dwell, and the landscape is evoked beautifully in classical poetical works. According to the “Skanda Purana”

Notes: As the sun dries the morning dew so does the mere sight of the Himalaya dissipate the sins of man.

The Himalaya is the source of many great rivers of the Indian subcontinent. The Indus or Sindhu (the river rising out of a lion's mouth) rises in the trans-Himalayan Tibetan Plateau, as does the Brahmaputra. The Ganga and Yamuna, with their countless colourful Himalayan tributaries, are inextricably intertwined with local myths and legends.

The vast Himalaya is far from being a homogenous region. It is, in fact, a region of remarkable variety. 'Himachal' (steadfast snows), is the term used to denote the lesser Himalaya; the outer rim rises sharply from the foothills, which are called the 'Doars', from the Sanskrit ‘Dvar’ (gateway). The greater Himalayas themselves are referred to as the 'Himadri'. ' Uttarakhand' is a loose, general term covering all the northern territories; it also denotes Kumaon and Garhwal as a unit.