One never quite gets over the feeling of awe and the sense of permanence that these towering escarpments and jagged peaks continually speak to the visitor and the native alike.
For thousands of years man has striven to conquer and subdue these glorious mountains. Religious men have scrambled across the valleys and into the wastelands that surround certain areas of the mountains. Others cast their eyes to the towering peaks and rugged landscape, dreaming to conquer by sheer will power and strength the home of the gods, as surely these mountains must be gods’ home.
As far back as Alexander the Great, these mountains and their peoples have been subject to conflict and invasion.
Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet bask in the shadow of these mountains, relying, as many did years ago, for the protection they provided from marauding tribesmen from the north. As far back as Alexander the Great, these mountains and their peoples have been subject to conflict and invasion. It would, after thousands of years, be the British who would finally create a unified region and include all of it within the vast expanse of the British Empire!
The riches of the landscape would pass through the hands of merchants, caravan operators from China and beyond and become scattered all over the world. Cotton and cloth from India, tea and minerals from Nepal, and serenity and a relaxed religion form the stark beauty that is Tibet.
Mustang - Nepal
It is no wonder that from this region of massive mountains and snow-capped peaks religions would flourish. Hinduism and Buddhism lay claim to foundations from within this area and today many religions coexist in Nepal and elsewhere, refuting the claims of many to have the “correct” religion and answers to all questions.
As one gazes into the depths of steep canyons with their swaying bridges and cascading rivers, prayer flags strung across mountain voids and stupas built to honor ancestors who came before; one is lost in the majesty and the miraculous sense of peace that comes from this remarkable region of the world.
