If you have ever seen the images of the high mountain peaks draped with snow, deep river gorges, large glaciers and diverse range of flora and fauna, chances are they might be the pictures of the Himalayas.
The Himalayas that perennially stay draped in snow have enchanted the ancients and the modern men alike. They have been, over time, embedded in religions and cultures like no other mountain range in this world. They are epic and enigmatic, they are harsh and pristine, they are young and dynamic.
It is one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world,situated in the northern border of India and spread across six Asian countries.
THE FACTS ABOUT THE HIMALAYAS
1.The Himalayas contains some of the highest peaks in the world that includes Mount Everest, Karakoram and Kanchenjunga .
2.The word 'Himalaya' means the home or abode of snow.So it is also known as the "Abode of God" as according to Hindu mythology, God Shiva resides in the Himalaya.
3.Mount Everest was named by Sir Andrew Waugh in 1865 in honor of his predecessor Sir George Everest who was the Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843. However, the locals have their own names for the giant mountain.
4.Aleister Crowley was the first climber to attempt K2.
5.The Himalayas are home to the third largest ice deposits in the world, after the Arctic and Antarctica.
6.There are plenty of beautiful Buddhist Monasteries in the Himalaya region that really captivate the attention of the visitors. The prominent Hindu pilgrimage destinations such as the Amarnath, Kedarnath and Badrinath are nestled in the Himalayas.
7.The Himalayas cover 0.4% of the earth’s area, at 612,021 square kilometers ( 380,292 square miles) of earth’s 153,295,000 square kilometers (95,253,097 square miles ).
8.Himalayan fungus cures impotence and costs more than cocaine.
9There are approximately 40 million people living in the Himalayas
10.The Himalayas cover approximately 75% of Nepal.
For every adventure enthusiast, it is a dream to climb the Himalayas and explore its beauty. The amazing beauty of the Himalayas fascinates every visitor and makes it one of the best places to visit on earth.