The Indus and the Ganges are the two great Rivers which originate in the Himalayas/ Trans-Himalayas and all the Rivers of the Western and Central Himalayas drain into either of these two Rivers. The Indo - Gangetic Plain as the combined basin of these two Rivers is called sustains well over a Billion people and is one of the most thickly populated Regions on the Planet. The story of the Indus and the Ganga is the story of India in historical, social and religious contexts.
Read MoreThe Anglo Abor War was a series of events which took place in 1911 between the British and the Abor Tribesmen in what is today Arunachal Pradesh. The British were keen to explore and Map out the almost impenetrable Jungles that the Siang River cut through in the Eastern Himalayas. And of course this put them on a collision course with the local Tribal communities who saw them as invaders and outsiders.
Read MoreIve had a childhood fascination for the Gujjars and especially the Bakarwals while growing up in Kashmir. Well they are almost the same thing except that nowadays the ones who live in fixed locations are called Gujjars while the ones which move up and down with their herds are referred to as the Bakarwals. Also as the name suggests it comes from the word Bakri, so a Bakarwal is also a keeper of the Sheep. Especially in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. There isnt a single Region in this vast State which is not familiar with the congenial Bakarwals who flocked to the highlands with their Goat/ Sheep / Buffaloes / Horses/ Mules which they term as “Maal” as in “Goods”. That is the commodity that they deal in and a Bakarwal is judged by the size of his Herd. And then there were my favourite part of a Bakarwal entourage, the Shepherd Dogs also called by the same name Bakarwal or Bakarwali.
The Rivers and the Himalayas and the even the Mountain Ranges beyond it are always interacting in very interesting ways. In this article we see how the River Basins of the Indus, Ganges and Satluj and the Mountains interact and in some cases the River Basins extend beyond the Ranges themselves.
Read MoreThe Shaksgam Valley situated beyond the Karakorams, and also referred to as the Trans Karakoram Tract is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth and as of now its disputed Territory, claimed by India but illegally ceded to China by Pakistan. Few people have ever ventured in the one of the last remaining wildernesses of the World.
Read MoreThe Hindu Raj Mountains is a little known Mountain Range sandwiched between the Hindus Kush and the Karakoram Ranges located mostly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. And till date many few people outside the region know of this Range which purists consider separate from the Hindu Kush Range.
Read MoreThe British established Hill Stations, as they were called in the Himalayas as places where they could escape the heat of the Indian Plains. These Hill Stations acquired a European flavor and the Mall Roads in these Hill Stations became the playground of Scandals and Romances. My personal ode to my favorite Mall Road.
Read MoreThe Hall of Fame Museum near Leh in Ladakh has a section dedicated to the Equipment used by High Altitude Mountaineers generally and the Indian Army specifically while guarding the high frontiers in the Himalayas and the Karakorams. We have a look at some of the great Gear on display.
Read MorePeople who read Books about old explorations in the Western Himalayas and Karakoram and the Hindu Kush come across a term quite often “Muztagh”. The first time I read this name, and though I was unaware of the meaning I knew it was a strong word. For a long time Muztagh was the name given to the almost impenetrable wall of Mountains which separate Kashmir from Central Asia. An of course with everything in Central Asia the word has Turkic origins.
Read MoreKashmir was once home to the Woolly Mammoths at the time of the last Ice Age. To date there have been remains of two Mammoths that have been found in the same area in Kashmir at the Interval of 70 years. And tragically both were taken out of Kashmir. One set of the Mammoth remains were subsequently returned while a struggle is on to get the other set.
Read MoreA detailed Map explaining the Plate Tectonics and the Geology of the Himalayas and their formation. Helps us understand the basic fault lines between the Indian and the Eurasian Plate. Many other smaller details make it a good guide to understanding the formation and the evolution of the Himalayas.
Read MoreOne of the most exquisite creation of man on Fabric, arguably the finest. The Legendary Map Shawl of Kashmir commissioned by Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir for Queen Victoria of the British Empire and it took 30 years to create this masterpiece. We present for the first time, the Map deciphered as shown on the Shawl which is now on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Read MoreThe Story of the Kashmir Sapphire, the finest Sapphire that exists. Very few true Kashmir Sapphires exist today and are mostly held in Museums and Private Collections. We delve into the fascinating history of when and where did these Kashmir Sapphires came from and why they are so rare.
Read MoreThe story of Queen Kota or Kota Rani as she was also known. The trials and tribulations that she witnessed during a very volatile period in History. And of course the tragic end of the Last Queen of Kashmir.
Read MoreThe Story of the the Chitral Expedition, a conflict in the shadows of the Hindu Kush and the Karakorams between the local Rulers and his tribesmen against the British and the soldiers of the Jammu and Kashmir state. A story of a seige and how it was finally broken.
Read MoreThe story of Col.Jagatram, a Doctor in the Indian Army, who had a dream. A Dream of growing Apples at his acquired Estate in Dalhousie.
Read MoreJaglot near Gilgit is the point where the Three Mightiest Mountain Ranges of the world the Himalayas, the Karakorams and the Hindu Kush meet at the confluence of the Gilgit River with the Indus River
Read MoreIn this time and age of Global warming and changes in the overall global weather patterns one of the most established fact is the shrinking of the Polar Ice Caps and the reduction of Glaciers in the Glacial non Polar Regions of the World. However there are certain Glaciers in the Karakorams which are growing and this has been termed as the Karakoram Anamoly by the experts.
Read MoreA commentary on the Flight from Delhi to Leh which takes one over the Himalayan Range. It is one of the most spectacular Aeroplane journey for the sights it offers. Starting over the Plains, then over the Lower Himalayas or the Shivaliks, then over the Middle Himalayas / Pir Panjals and finally over the Great Himalayan Range itself before finally landing in the Trans Himalayan landscape of Ladakh.
Read MoreThe Khampa as the people of Kham are called were the most warlike of all the Tibetan people. The Khampa Horsemen were greatly feared and their horses were in great demand. Infact some Khampas kept on fighting the Chinese well into the 70s. They were called the Buddha's warriors. They were aremed by the CIA and gave resistance to the Chinese in Tibet through their bases based in the Mustang region in Nepal.
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