Himalaya

Place : Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam. Arunachal Pradesh. It also includes the international boundaries of Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan.

Popular As : Houses 10 highest peaks of the world, including the Mount Everest.

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.

Ten highest peaks of the world are situated within the Himalayas and out of those 10, 8 are the part of the Nepalese Himalayas. Discover the beauty of the Himalayas from five exceptional viewpoints, Singu Chuli Base Camp, Machapuchare, Annapurna Base Camp, Everest Base Camp, the Rongbuk Glacier and Thang La, Tibet.

Major Indian Himalayan Regions -

Jammu & Kashmir : The entire Jammu and Kashmir is divided into three regions : the foothill plains of Jammu; the lakes and blue valleys of Kashmir rising to alpine passes, the high altitude plains and toothy beautiful mountains of Ladakh, which lies beyond those passes. Srinagar is Kashmir's summer capital and Jammu, the winter capital. Among the most attractive part that this Indian state has is the adventure oppurtunities that can be seggragated into trekking, mountaineering and Trans Himalayan Jeep Safari.

The Himalayan range offers some of the most rigorous mountaineering challenges one can ever expect. The glaciers of Ladakh and Kashmir regions can test one's survival to the fittest and most testing of them all is the Siachen glacier, known as the largest glacier outside the Polar Regions.

Himachal Pradesh : Himachal Pradesh is the land of snow, lofty peaks, cascading streams, alpine meadows & lush fruit-laden valleys. Shimla the capital of Himachal Pradesh, is still very much a Raj township in appearance and atmosphere. Himachal also houses numerous wonderful hill stations, which are particularly cool in summers. Shimla, Dalhousie, Kullu, Manali and Kufri are a few of the hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh which offer breathtaking scenery and countless options of adventure sports. Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama lives, is another important centre on the tourist map.

Uttaranchal : Lying in the north of the vast and bountiful expanse of India and cradled in the awesome beauty and calm serenity of the stately Himalayas, Uttaranchal - the "Devbhumi" that has attracted tourists and pilgrims from world over since time immemorial. Uttaranchal is a paradise for adventure sports. The sheer variety ranging from Mountaineering, Trekking, Skiing, Skating, Water Sports to Aero Sports like Hang Gliding, Paragliding make Uttaranchal one of the most visited destinations for adventure sports not only in India but the world over.

The North Eastern States : The northeastern states comprise of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram, also know as the seven sisters. While the seven sisters are unique in their own way, the major Himalayan destination over here is Arunachal Pradesh. The state provides abundant scope for angling, boating, rafting, trekking and hiking. Besides, there are a number of wild life sanctuaries and national parks where rare animals, birds and plants will fascinate the visitor.

The region of northeastern India is the paradise for the travellers, tourists, anthropologists and observers. It is impossible to describe the nuances that make this area unique, challenging and interesting.

Sikkim : Sikkim is now the 22nd State of India. One of the smallest states of India, it is bounded by Nepal to the west and Bhutan to the east; by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north and northeast and by West Bengal to the south.

Obscured in heavy mist, the guardian deity Kangchenjunga both protects and terrifies the inhabitants of the magical kingdom of Sikkim. An awe-inspiring mass of rock clothed in dazzling white snow, this Himalayan giant in the world’s third highest peak at 8,590m (28,199ft). The name itself means ’house of five treasures’ represented by its five soaring summits.

Reaching The Himalayas -
The entire Himalayan stretch expands from Jammu & Kashmir in the extreme north of India to Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast of India. The entire stretch has numerous airports, railheads and bus routes. If you keep interest in Himalayas, then land anywhere within the stretch of Himalayas and head towards the Himalayas by bus or trekking. The entire Himalayan region can't be accessed by bus or other vehicles. The unaccessible areas has to be approached by foot.