The Romance of Shangri La

Mountains everywhere have fascinated and impressed human beings by their mystery and majesty. It is no wonder that the Himalaya - mightiest of them all - should engage the imagination of people in the Indian sub-continent from early times. According to Markandeya Purana, the Himalayan range is said to have stretched from sea to sea like the string of a bow. This was alluded to by Kalidasa in one his verses:

God of the distant north, the Snowy Range
O'er other mountains tower imperially;
Earth's measuring rod, being great and free from change
Sinks to the eastern and western sea...

Extracted from Gurung, Harka, "Reflections on the Himalaya", Nepal: Dimensions of Development, 1989, pp. 233.

(This view of the Himalaya seems to be in consonance with the generally accepted theory of the genesis of the Himalaya.)

Here are some fine writings on the grandeur of the Himalayas and the beauty of little places nestled in it:

An exhilarating trek to Milam glacier - Aditya Bhagat

The Beasts of Tarai: Predator and Prey - John King

The formidable passes of the Hindukush - Adil Ahmad

Some interesting plants in and around Kathmandu Valley - Puru Shrestha

The wilderness of Makalu-Barun National Park and Conservation Area

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