Himalayas - the abode of snow

To be a true Bengali, you have to visit Digha, Puri and Darjeeling (বাঙালির দৌড় দীপুদা পর্যন্ত ). Strangely, even though I am a very true Bengali, I have not been to Digha, nor was Darjeeling my first trip to the Himalayas. It was at Shimla, or better still on the train ride from Kalka to Shimla where I got a glimpse of what the Himalayas truly mean.

Mt Everest raising his head at 8848 mts.

Himalaya is a Sanskrit word meaning the abode of show (hima = snow, alaya = home). Starting from the lush green forests of Terai and Dooars, you come to meet the foothills of Shivalik (meaning the tresses of Lord Shiva. alak/alik = tresses). Further north starts the Himalayas and even north is the Himadri (meaning mountain of snow, adri = mountains). Spanning over 1500 miles from west to east, stretching from the Pamir Knot in the north west to the Tibet-Arunachal Pradesh in the east, it is unbelievable that this massive mountain system consisting of so many eight-thousanders was well under the Tethys Sea before India broke loose from the African landmass (Gondwanaland to be more precise) and rammed into the Eurasian plate. I love Geography so I wonder about this a lot. I tried to go over the entire event with Arnab but it just blew me off!!

It's not just the scenic part that I love most about these mountains, but it's a philosophy somewhere I can't really explain that makes me think and feel good. Perhaps that's why our mythological gods decided to live there. (No wonder. I would have wanted to do the same if I were a goddess!) The Himalayas are sacred to Hindus. Why wouldn't it be? All our live giving, civilization creating rivers originate from there. Manas Sarovar in Tibet, gave rise to both Brahmaputra and Indus from opposite sides of the lake. Those rivers charted out their courses and Pakistan and Bangladesh are thriving because of them. Ganga, Yamuna, the 5 famous tributaries of the Indus (from which the name Punjab originates. Panch = five, ab/ap = water) - Jhelum (Vitasta), Chenab (Chandrabhaga), Ravi (Iravati), Beas (Bipasha), Sutlej (Shatadru) and many more tributaries of the Ganga and Yamuna originate. Together they have given rise to the great plains of the north, famous for its rich lands for cultivation. Well, it's all because of the Himalayas.

If it weren't for this mountain range, all the Arctic winds from north Russia would blow over India and the rain causing clouds would fly off to the north. India would turn into a barren land. There is no end to our gratitude for the Himalayas.

One early October afternoon in 1994, I was sitting on the terrace of Keventer's in Darjeeling and sipping on chocolate milkshake when following my mom's excited shouts, I saw the entire range of Kanchenjungha slowly emerging out of the clouds in front of my eyes! The next morning my mom and I were racing down Darjeeling mall to catch a glimpse of the same range during sunrise. I saw the snow capped eight thousander go from grey to pink and then shining golden as the sun rose. It's one of "those moments" for sure.

I can write pages about the Himalayas. How we stayed at a village at the border between India and Tibet at an elevation of 11,000 feet, the hiking trip from there to the border, walking up to Jakhu hills full of mischievous monkeys near Shimla... the lush evergreen forests near Narkanda, the mountain streams and tiny waterfalls at every turn of the road...collecting "bhurjopatro", talking to Buddhist monks on their way to Tibet...Sutlej flowing at top speed, rushing past human worlds on her way to meet Indus, with snow capped ranges in the background...all these make you pause... and think...

It reminds me of what Rabindranath said - "I asked the Ocean, what are your saying? The Ocean replied, I have too many questions. I asked the Mountain, what are your thoughts? The Mountain just remained silent as ever." 

PS: Please excuse my translation. I hope I got the point right.