School series 38

Arunachal Pradesh — Where India Meets the Sky

Arunachal Pradesh feels different from almost anywhere else in India.

Here the Himalayas do not merely form a spectacular backdrop. They shape the lives of the people who live among them. Mountains rise into clouds, rivers cut through deep valleys, forests seem endless, and tiny villages appear almost hidden in the green.

It is India's easternmost Himalayan frontier, and appropriately, the first rays of the sun touch Arunachal before much of the rest of India.

But its greatest wonder may not be its mountains.

It is its people.

More than a landscape, Arunachal is a meeting place of many ancient communities—Monpa, Apatani, Nyishi, Adi, Galo, Mishmi and many others. Their languages, houses, ornaments, festivals, farming traditions and relationship with the forest are remarkably diverse. A journey of a few hundred kilometres can feel like entering another cultural world.

And then there are the mountains.

Tawang sits high in the Himalayas, surrounded by enormous peaks and valleys. Its monastery, perched in this dramatic landscape, gives the place an extraordinary sense of stillness. The journey itself is part of the experience—winding roads, waterfalls, snowfields and high mountain passes.

Then comes Sela Pass, where the landscape can suddenly become almost surreal: snow, bare mountains, blue skies and the famous Sela Lake lying quietly amid them.

Further east, the character changes.

Ziro Valley is gentler—a beautiful green valley surrounded by hills, home to the Apatani people. Their traditional agricultural practices, especially their remarkable system of wetland rice cultivation combined with fish farming, show how closely human ingenuity can work with nature.

And deeper still are the forests.

Namdapha is one of India's great wildernesses, where tropical forests climb towards Himalayan heights. Few places demonstrate so dramatically how many different worlds can exist within one state.

There are also places that seem almost mythical: Mechuka, tucked away in a remote mountain valley; Dong, associated with India's earliest sunrise; the Siang and Lohit rivers; waterfalls, bamboo forests and villages reached only after long journeys.

What makes Arunachal memorable is therefore not one monument or one mountain.

It is the feeling of discovery.

A road disappears around a bend and suddenly there is a valley.

A forest opens and a village appears.

A river rushes below a suspension bridge.

Snow begins where the forest ends.

And people whose traditions have evolved in these mountains for generations welcome you into a world very different from the one you left behind.

Arunachal is not merely a place to see. It is a place to wonder about.

And perhaps that is the right way to revisit it—not as a state on a map, but as one of India's last great landscapes of mystery: mountains, forests, rivers and people living at the edge of the sky.

School series 37

Nepal — The Himalayan Kingdom of Sacred Mountains

Nepal is a small country in area, but enormous in Himalayan significance. Stretching from the Terai plains to the roof of the world, it contains some of the highest mountains on Earth.

The Himalayas

Nepal is home to Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain at 8,848.86 metres. But Everest is only one of many magnificent peaks. Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Annapurna are among the other great Himalayan mountains.

The mountains are not merely geographical features. They have long been associated with spirituality, meditation and the sacred.

Kathmandu — Valley of Temples

The Kathmandu Valley is an extraordinary cultural landscape containing Hindu temples and Buddhist stupas side by side.

Among its treasures are:

Pashupatinath, one of the most sacred Shiva temples

Boudhanath, one of the world's great Buddhist stupas

Swayambhunath, the famous hilltop "Monkey Temple"

Jal Narayana temple. A marvelous image of Narayana resting in the open just a tent like structure over open on all sides. For exceptional viewing. 

The ancient cities of Patan and Bhaktapur

Here Hinduism and Buddhism have lived alongside each other for centuries.

Lumbini — Birthplace of the Buddha

In southern Nepal lies Lumbini, traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Gautama Buddha.

It transforms Nepal from being merely the land of the Himalayas into a land associated with one of humanity's greatest spiritual teachers.

Pokhara — Mountains Reflected in Water

Pokhara offers another face of Nepal.

The peaceful Phewa Lake reflects the Annapurna range, while waterfalls, caves and mountain trails surround the city.

It is one of those places where the grandeur of the Himalayas becomes almost gentle.

Rivers and Valleys

Nepal's great rivers—including the Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali—cut through the Himalayas and eventually flow into India.

The deep gorges and valleys created by these rivers are as remarkable as the mountains themselves.

A Land of Many Peoples

Nepal is culturally diverse, with numerous ethnic communities, languages, traditions and festivals.

Sherpa culture is particularly associated with the high Himalayas and Everest region, while the Newar heritage of Kathmandu Valley has produced remarkable architecture, sculpture and craftsmanship.

Nepal in One Thought

Nepal is where the world's highest mountains meet some of Asia's oldest spiritual traditions.

In Nepal, the Himalayas do not merely rise above the land; they seem to rise into the realm of the sacred.

Sikkim — The Himalayan Garden

If Nepal is the great Himalayan realm, Sikkim feels like a Himalayan garden.

A small state tucked between Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, Sikkim is famous for its mountains, monasteries, forests, waterfalls and spectacular views of Kanchenjunga.

Kanchenjunga — The Sacred Giant

The defining presence of Sikkim is Kanchenjunga, rising to 8,586 metres.

It is the world's third-highest mountain and is deeply revered by the people of Sikkim.

The mountain is not simply admired from afar. It forms part of the spiritual identity of the state.

Gangtok

Gangtok, the capital, sits on a mountain ridge surrounded by forests and valleys.

It combines modern Sikkim with its Buddhist heritage and is an ideal starting point for exploring the state.

Monasteries of Sikkim

Sikkim has a rich Buddhist heritage.

Rumtek Monastery is one of its most important monasteries and an important centre of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Other monasteries, including Pemayangtse and Tashiding, sit in extraordinarily beautiful mountain settings.

Here the monasteries do not feel separate from nature. They seem almost to grow out of the mountains.

Tsomgo Lake

High in the mountains lies Tsomgo Lake, also called Changu Lake.

Its waters change character with the seasons, and the surrounding snow-covered landscape gives it an almost otherworldly appearance.

Yumthang — The Valley of Flowers

Yumthang Valley is often called the Valley of Flowers of Sikkim.

During spring, rhododendrons and other alpine flowers transform the valley into a spectacular natural garden.

And then there is Khecheopalri Lake, regarded as sacred by both Buddhists and Hindus.

A State of Forests

Sikkim is remarkably rich in biodiversity for such a small state.

Its landscape changes dramatically with altitude—from subtropical vegetation to temperate forests and finally alpine landscapes.

Rhododendrons, orchids and other Himalayan plants flourish here.

A Meeting of Cultures

Sikkim's history has been shaped by Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepali communities.

Their traditions, languages, food, festivals and religious practices have given the state a distinctive cultural identity.

Sikkim in One Thought

Sikkim is where the Himalayas seem to slow down—where great mountains, quiet monasteries, sacred lakes and flowering valleys exist in extraordinary harmony.

Nepal and Sikkim — Two Himalayan Stories

There is a lovely contrast between them:

Nepal — vast Himalayan ranges, Everest, ancient Kathmandu, Lumbini and great trekking routes.

Sikkim — Kanchenjunga, monasteries, forests, lakes, orchids and peaceful mountain valleys.

Both remind us of something wonderful:

The Himalayas are not one landscape. They are a thousand landscapes, each with its own character, culture and sacred story.

School series 36

 Uttarakhand — Devbhumi: Where the Himalayas Become Sacred

There are places where nature is beautiful, and there are places where nature itself seems to inspire reverence. Uttarakhand is one of them.

Nestled in the Himalayas, Uttarakhand is popularly known as Devbhumi — the Land of the Gods. Here, towering mountains, sacred rivers, ancient temples, forests, meadows and pilgrimage routes are woven together so closely that geography and mythology often seem to tell the same story.

The Himalayan Land

Uttarakhand has two broad cultural-geographical regions: Garhwal in the west and Kumaon in the east.

From the Shivalik foothills, the land rises dramatically into the Greater Himalayas. Snow-covered peaks, deep valleys, alpine meadows, glaciers and dense forests create an extraordinary variety of landscapes.

Among its great mountains is Nanda Devi, rising to 7,816 metres. She is not merely a mountain to the people of Uttarakhand but a goddess deeply woven into the culture of the region.

Where Sacred Rivers Begin

Few places in India have such a close relationship with rivers.

The Bhagirathi rises in the Gangotri region, while the Alaknanda descends through the mountains. At Devprayag, they meet—and from that sacred confluence the river is known as the Ganga.

The Alaknanda's journey itself takes it through a remarkable chain of confluences known as the Panch Prayag:

Vishnuprayag → Nandprayag → Karnaprayag → Rudraprayag → Devprayag

The Yamuna also begins her journey in Uttarakhand, near Yamunotri.

Thus two of India's most sacred rivers begin their long journeys from the Himalayan landscape of this state.

The Char Dham

Uttarakhand is home to the Himalayan Char Dham:

Yamunotri — Gangotri — Kedarnath — Badrinath

Yamunotri is associated with Goddess Yamuna and the source region of the Yamuna.

Gangotri is associated with Goddess Ganga and the descent of the sacred river to earth.

Kedarnath, one of the most revered Shiva temples, stands dramatically amid the high Himalayas.

Badrinath, dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Badri Narayana, lies beside the Alaknanda and is one of the most important Vaishnava pilgrimage centres of India.

The journey to these shrines is itself part of the experience—the mountains, rivers, forests and changing landscape becoming companions to the pilgrim.

Panch Kedar and Panch Badri

Uttarakhand has an even larger sacred geography.

The Panch Kedar are five important Shiva temples associated with the Kedarnath tradition:

Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwar.

Among them, Tungnath is renowned as the highest Shiva temple in the world.

There is also the tradition of the Panch Badri, five important shrines of Lord Vishnu centred around the sacred region of Badrinath.

The mountains therefore contain not merely temples, but an entire sacred landscape.

Haridwar and Rishikesh

At the foothills, the Himalayas begin to give way to the plains.

Haridwar, where the Ganga enters the plains, is one of India's most sacred cities and one of the great centres of the Kumbh tradition.

Further upstream is Rishikesh, famous for yoga, meditation, ashrams and its spectacular setting along the Ganga.

Here spirituality and the natural world meet in a particularly beautiful way.

Lakes of Uttarakhand

The mountains also hold beautiful lakes.

Nainital is perhaps the most famous, with the town embracing the emerald Naini Lake.

Nearby are Bhimtal, Sattal and Naukuchiatal, each offering a different expression of Himalayan lake scenery.

These lakes remind us that Uttarakhand is not only a land of peaks and temples but also of tranquil waters.

Valleys, Flowers and Forests

The Valley of Flowers is one of Uttarakhand's natural treasures. During its flowering season, the high-altitude valley becomes a spectacular carpet of alpine flowers.

The Nanda Devi National Park, together with the Valley of Flowers, forms one of the great protected Himalayan landscapes.

The forests contain deodar, oak, pine and rhododendron, while higher elevations give way to alpine meadows and snow.

And then there is Jim Corbett National Park, one of India's best-known wildlife landscapes, where the Himalayan foothills meet the forests of the Terai.

The Kumaon Hills

The eastern part of Uttarakhand, Kumaon, has its own distinctive character.

Almora, Ranikhet, Nainital, Binsar and Mukteshwar are associated with mountain scenery, forests, traditional culture and magnificent Himalayan views.

The region is also rich in temples and local traditions.

The Culture of the Mountains

Uttarakhand is home to the Garhwali and Kumaoni cultural traditions.

Folk songs, dances, festivals, village fairs, traditional architecture and mountain cuisine reflect a way of life shaped by the difficult but beautiful Himalayan environment.

The mountains have also produced generations of soldiers and people known for their courage, endurance and close relationship with their land.

A Land of Journeys

Perhaps what makes Uttarakhand unique is that the destination is often less important than the journey itself.

A road winds beside a rushing river.

A small temple appears unexpectedly among the trees.

A snow-covered peak suddenly emerges from behind a cloud.

A village sits quietly on a mountainside.

A river tumbles through a gorge.

And somewhere ahead is a shrine that generations of pilgrims have walked towards.

In Uttarakhand, the landscape is never merely scenery.

The river is sacred.

The mountain is sacred.

The forest has its own presence.

The journey becomes pilgrimage.

Uttarakhand — Devbhumi

Uttarakhand brings together things that are rarely found so intimately connected elsewhere:

the Himalayas and mythology,

rivers and pilgrimage,

forests and wildlife,

lakes and hill stations,

temples and trekking trails,

nature and spirituality.

Perhaps that is why the name Devbhumi feels so natural.

Uttarakhand is not simply a state in the Himalayas. It is a landscape in which the Himalayas themselves seem to have become sacred.

And perhaps the simplest way to remember it is:

In Uttarakhand, geography and mythology seem to have been written on the same page.

Tribute to shri Vajpayeeji.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not merely a politician who wrote poetry; poetry was an important part of his personality. His poems are remarkably accessible, but beneath the simple Hindi is a deep philosophy of courage, hope, humanity, humility and perseverance. His collection Meri Ikyavan Kavitayen is one of his best-known literary works. 

They are understandable even to someone who doesn't normally read Hindi poetry.

1. गीत नया गाता हूँ — I Sing a New Song

This is perhaps the best place to begin.

टूटे हुए तारों से फूटे वासंती स्वर

पत्थर की छाती में उग आया नव अंकुर।

Meaning:

From broken strings arise the sounds of spring;

from the hard chest of a stone, a new shoot has emerged.

The imagery is beautiful: even from something broken, something new can be born.

Then comes the heart of the poem:

हार नहीं मानूँगा, रार नहीं ठानूँगा।

“I will not accept defeat; nor will I deliberately seek conflict.”

That distinction is very Vajpayee. He is not advocating aggression. He is saying: I will neither surrender nor become bitter.

And finally:

काल के कपाल पर

लिखता-मिटाता हूँ,

गीत नया गाता हूँ।

Meaning:

On the forehead of Time, I write and erase,

and I sing a new song.

The message is extraordinary: we are not merely victims of circumstances. We can write our response to what happens to us.

The poem moves from brokenness → pain → determination → renewal. 

2. ऊँचाई — Height

This is one of my favourites for its humility.

Vajpayee asks God not to give him such heights that he becomes incapable of embracing others:

मुझे इतनी ऊँचाई कभी मत देना,

गैरों को गले न लगा सकूँ।

Meaning:

“Never give me such great heights

that I become unable to embrace others.”

What a remarkable definition of success!

For him, true height is not position, wealth or power. If climbing higher makes us look down upon others, that height is actually a fall.

This  speaks equally to a child, a professional, a leader and an elderly person. 

3. मौत से ठन गई — I Have Come Face to Face with Death

This is Vajpayee's defiant poem about mortality.

He addresses Death almost as though challenging an opponent:

तू दबे पाँव, चोरी-छिपे न आ,

सामने वार कर, फिर मुझे आज़मा।

Meaning:

“Don't come secretly, tiptoeing in the shadows.

Come openly and strike me—then test me.”

It isn't simply bravado. There is a deeper message:

Death is inevitable; fear of death need not make us afraid of living.

Vajpayee himself faced serious illness and mortality, and this poem gives a remarkable glimpse into his attitude towards death. 

4. कदम मिलाकर चलना होगा — We Must Walk Together

This is Vajpayee's poem about collective effort.

The central idea is:

कदम मिलाकर चलना होगा।

“We must walk together.”

Even when difficulties come, the answer is not to abandon the journey. The poem speaks of storms, fire and obstacles, but insists that the journey must continue together. 

It is particularly relevant to family, society and nation-building.

5. गीत नहीं गाता हूँ — I Do Not Sing

This is almost the opposite of Geet Naya Gaata Hoon.

Here the poet sees hypocrisy, broken relationships and uncomfortable truths:

बेनकाब चेहरे हैं,

दाग बड़े गहरे हैं।

Meaning:

The faces have been exposed;

the stains are deep.

And he says:

गीत नहीं गाता हूँ।

“I do not sing.”

But there is an interesting literary connection: in Geet Naya Gaata Hoon, the poet eventually rises from this despair and declares that he will sing a new song.

So the two poems together almost tell a story:

Disillusionment → pain → courage → renewal. 

6. पहचान — Identity

Another beautiful Vajpayee thought is that human worth cannot be measured by external status.

He begins:

आदमी न ऊँचा होता है, न नीचा होता है...

The idea is that a person's real identity is not determined simply by social position, wealth or rank.

This fits beautifully with ऊँचाई: a person may rise very high in the world and yet remain small in humanity; another may occupy a humble position and possess immense dignity. 

What makes Vajpayee's poetry special?

Hope — Courage — Humanity — Humility — Truth — Renewal

And perhaps that is why his poetry remains so popular. He doesn't write philosophy in difficult philosophical language. He takes an ordinary human experience—failure, loneliness, ambition, death, disappointment or success—and turns it into a simple thought that stays with you.

His Geet Naya Gaata Hoon is particularly powerful because its central philosophy could almost be a life motto:

Something may break.

Dreams may fail.

Pain may remain.

But the journey does not have to end.

Sing a new song.

His poetry has enough depth for us to take one poem at a time, explain the Hindi, give the English meaning, and then explore the philosophy behind it. That would suit your blog beautifully.

The poem is “हिन्दू तन-मन, हिन्दू जीवन, रग-रग हिन्दू मेरा परिचय”, by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is often also referred to as “मेरा परिचय”. It was published very early in Vajpayee's literary career, in Rashtra Dharma in 1947.

Yet another.

मैं शंकर का वह क्रोधानल

कर सकता जगती क्षार-क्षार।

डमरू की वह प्रलय-ध्वनि हूँ,

जिसमें नचता भीषण संहार।

English meaning

“I am the fire of Shiva's wrath,

capable of reducing the world to ashes.

I am the catastrophic sound of Shiva's damaru,

within which even terrible destruction dances.” 

But the meaning is deeper than simply saying “I am destructive.”

Shankara's destruction is the destruction of adharma, evil and what has become corrupt. Shiva's tāṇḍava is simultaneously destruction and preparation for renewal. Vajpayee is therefore invoking the tremendous inner strength and fearlessness of the Hindu civilisational spirit.

The next powerful images are:

रणचण्डी की अतृप्त प्यास,

मैं दुर्गा का उन्मत्त हास।

मैं यम की प्रलयंकर पुकार,

जलते मरघट का धुआँधार।

Meaning:

“I am the insatiable thirst of the warrior-goddess,

I am Durga's ecstatic laughter.

I am the terrifying call of Yama,

the smoke rising from the burning cremation ground.”

And then:

फिर अन्तरतम की ज्वाला से

जगती में आग लगा दूँ मैं।

यदि धधक उठे जल, थल, अम्बर,

जड़, चेतन तो कैसा विस्मय?

Meaning:

“Then, with the flame burning in my innermost being,

I could set the world ablaze.

If water, earth and sky,

the lifeless and the living, were all to blaze—

why should that be a wonder?”

The refrain then returns:

हिन्दू तन-मन, हिन्दू जीवन,

रग-रग हिन्दू मेरा परिचय।

“Hindu in body and mind, Hindu in life;

Hindu is my identity in every vein.” 

But there is an important second half

What makes this poem particularly interesting is that Vajpayee doesn't stop with Shiva's destructive power. He moves into other dimensions of Hindu identity—fearlessness, sacrifice, compassion, spiritual strength and service.

So the poem is not simply a declaration of religious identity. It is an attempt to say:

“This is the civilisational spirit I inherit—

capable of tremendous strength,

unafraid before destruction,

but also capable of sacrifice and service.”

That is why the opening “मैं शंकर का वह क्रोधानल…” is so striking. Shiva is being used as a symbol of immense, controlled, transformative power, not ordinary anger.

many of the Sanskritic Hindi words—क्रोधानल, प्रलय-ध्वनि, रणचण्डी, अन्तरतम, जड़-चेतन—carry much more meaning than their literal English translations.

Mullu revisited.

 The opening image is:

“Mullu koneya mele mūru kereya kaṭṭi…”

“On the tip of a thorn, three lakes were built…”

The tip of the thorn signifies something unimaginably minute—the jīva, whose traditional description is often given through the analogy of repeatedly dividing the tip of a horse's hair.

The three lakes are then interpreted as the three coverings/bodies associated with embodied existence:

Sthūla śarīra — gross body

Sūkṣma śarīra — subtle body

Liṅga/Anādi body — causal or beginningless connection with embodiment, in the interpretation you have quoted.

The wonderfully paradoxical statement is that two lakes cannot be filled, while the third is not filled. It immediately turns the riddle from an amusing folk puzzle into a meditation on human life: we have the instrument for spiritual progress, but do not use it completely.

And then the chain continues.

The real beauty is in the transformation

Each stage asks us to look at ordinary objects differently:

Riddle image

Traditional interpretation

3 lakes

3 bodies

3 workers

Childhood, youth, old age

3 buffaloes

Wife, children, wealth

3 heaps of gold

Dharma, Adharma, inheritance/future

3 observers

Sanchita, Prārabdha, Āgāmi karma

3 villages

Sattva, Rajas, Tamas

3 potters

Rudra, Brahma, Vishnu

3 pots

Viveka, Vairāgya, Bhakti

3 rice grains

Sāttvika, Rājasika, Tāmasika bhakti

3 relatives

Mind, speech, body/action

3 rods

Past, present, future suffering

Final prayer

Grace leading to Sadgati/Moksha

What makes it especially powerful is that nothing is wasted. The answer to one riddle creates the next question.

For example:

The unused lake → the three workers → the useless stages of life → the three buffaloes → the three desires → wealth → karma → the three guṇas → the three potters → the three means of spiritual progress → bhakti → mind, speech and action → suffering → moksha.

So it is actually a spiritual map of human life.

The progression itself is extraordinarily clever:

thorn-tip → three lakes → three diggers → three buffaloes → three heaps of gold → three observers → three villages → three potters → three pots → three grains of rice → three relatives → three rods → Moksha.

And the striking feature is that each answer becomes the starting point for the next riddle.

The central idea.

School series 35

Himachal Pradesh — Mountains That Live

If Kashmir is a land of magnificent valleys held between mountains, Himachal is a land where mountains seem to become part of everyday life.

Villages cling to slopes. Roads wind around cliffs. Apple orchards climb the hillsides. Rivers cut deep valleys through the mountains. Shepherds move with their flocks, while in the higher reaches the landscape becomes almost stark and otherworldly.

Mountains to discover

Dhauladhar Range

The dramatic wall of mountains behind Dharamshala and Kangra. The name itself means “White Range”, referring to its snow-covered peaks.

Pir Panjal

This great Himalayan range continues into Himachal, creating some of the most spectacular landscapes around Manali and Lahaul.

Rohtang Pass

At about 3,978 metres, Rohtang is one of the famous gateways from the Kullu Valley towards Lahaul. Snow, glaciers and immense mountain walls make the crossing unforgettable.

Beas in the foreground. In this picture of today. 

Kulu cap and dress. With nawab 

Kinnaur

Here the mountains become sharper and more dramatic. The Kinnaur Kailash landscape is especially striking, and the Satluj has carved a spectacular valley through the mountains.

Spiti

A completely different Himachal. High, cold anddry, Spiti looks almost like another planet—bare mountains, deep gorges, monasteries and tiny settlements tucked into the landscape.

Great Himalayan National Park

Here the mountains are not empty wilderness. Forests rise from the valleys into alpine meadows, supporting remarkable Himalayan wildlife.

And the people?

This is perhaps what makes Himachal special.

The mountains are home, not merely scenery.

People have built villages on slopes, cultivated terraces, tended orchards and developed ways of living with snow, steep terrain and cold winters. In the higher regions, communities have adapted to an environment where even travelling between villages can be a formidable undertaking.

And the mountains have shaped their culture too—architecture, clothing, food, festivals, temples and monasteries all carry the imprint of the Himalayan environment.

Kashmir showed us mountains wrapped around beautiful valleys.

Himachal shows us people living, working and worshipping among the mountains.

Himachal is not just a place we know from photographs. We had been to Kullu nearly 45 years ago, when the mountains seemed quieter and the pace of life gentler. We stayed beside the Beas River, surrounded by alpine forests.

The river flowed beside us, the mountains rose around the valley, and the forests seemed to stretch endlessly. It was not an excursion to a famous viewpoint; it was simply living for a while in the embrace of the Himalayas.

So when we speak of the mountains of Himachal today, there is a personal memory behind the words. The Beas, the forests and the mountains of Kullu remain not merely places on a map, but a landscape stored in memory for nearly half a century.

Perhaps that is what mountains do. They remain where they are, while we move on—and years later, a river, a forest or a distant snowy peak can bring the entire landscape back.

Himachal is not just a place we know from photographs. We had been to Kullu nearly 45 years ago, when the mountains seemed quieter and the pace of life gentler. We stayed beside the Beas River, surrounded by alpine forests. The yak ride. The jeeps fitted with chains to help better grip and slip proof all come rushing back the long bus ride to the pass region, walking and playing on the snow covered mountains. 

The river flowed beside us, the mountains rose around the valley, and the forests seemed to stretch endlessly. It was not an excursion to a famous viewpoint; it was simply living for a while in the embrace of the Himalayas.

So when we speak of the mountains of Himachal today, there is a personal memory behind the words. The Beas, the forests and the mountains of Kullu remain not merely places on a map, but a landscape stored in memory for nearly half a century.

School series 34

Kashmir — The Mountains Behind the Valley

Kashmir is often remembered for its lakes, gardens and beautiful valleys. But look beyond them, and another Kashmir appears — a land shaped and guarded by mountains.

The Pir Panjal forms the great mountain wall to the south. The Zabarwan Range rises behind Srinagar. Farther into the valley stand magnificent peaks such as Harmukh and Kolahoi, while around Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg the mountains become increasingly dramatic.

Some have glaciers.

Some have forests and meadows.

Some are associated with ancient legends.

And some quietly give birth to the rivers that sustain the valley below.

A few mountains to look for

Harmukh — one of Kashmir's most striking peaks, rising above the landscape near the north of the Valley.

Kolahoi — the highest peak in the Kashmir Valley, rising to about 5,425 metres. Its glaciers are important sources for the Lidder River system.

Apharwat — the mountain above Gulmarg, reaching about 4,390 metres.

Pir Panjal — not one mountain but a major Himalayan range, forming a dramatic southern boundary to the Kashmir Valley.

Zabarwan — the range immediately associated with the Srinagar landscape, rising behind Dal Lake.

Thajiwas — the spectacular glacier-and-mountain landscape near Sonamarg.

And this is only the beginning.

We have looked at Kashmir's waters. Now let us look up at the mountains that surround them.

The lakes may make us stop and look down. The mountains make us look up. 

Kashmir — Mountains and the People Who Live Among Them

Kashmir is famous for its lakes and gardens, but look beyond the waters and you find a dramatic mountain world.

The Pir Panjal, Zabarwan, Harmukh, Kolahoi, Apharwat and the mountains around Pahalgam and Sonamarg are not merely beautiful scenery. They are living landscapes, home to forests, wildlife, shepherds and mountain communities.

The great mountains

Pir Panjal

This vast mountain range forms the southern wall of the Kashmir Valley. For centuries it was one of the great natural gateways into Kashmir. Its passes connected the Valley with the plains and with neighbouring regions.

Harmukh

Rising to about 5,142 metres, Harmukh is one of Kashmir's most magnificent peaks. It stands near the Gangabal area and has a special place in Kashmiri tradition. Its snow-covered summit, glaciers and alpine surroundings make it one of the Valley's unforgettable mountains.

Kolahoi

At about 5,425 metres, Kolahoi is the highest peak in the Kashmir Valley. Its glaciers feed streams that become part of the Lidder River system. It is sometimes called the Goddess of Light—a beautiful name for a mountain that catches the morning and evening sun.

Apharwat

Above Gulmarg, Apharwat rises to around 4,390 metres. Its upper slopes remain snow-covered for much of the year. In summer, the landscape changes completely, with alpine meadows replacing the winter snow.

Zabarwan

The Zabarwan Range forms the dramatic backdrop to Srinagar. From these mountains, the Valley opens out below—one reason Srinagar's landscape has such a distinctive character.

Sonamarg and Thajiwas

Here the mountains become more rugged and glacial. The Thajiwas Glacier lies amid high peaks and meadows, while the Sind River cuts through the valley.

And who lives in these mountains?

The answer is fascinating.

The Gujjar and Bakarwal communities have traditionally followed a seasonal way of life in the mountains. Many are pastoralists, moving with their sheep, goats, buffaloes and other livestock between winter and summer pastures.

When the warmer months arrive, families and their animals move upwards towards the alpine meadows. As winter approaches, they descend again.

Their lives therefore follow the rhythm of the mountains—snow, melting, grass, water and seasons.

They are friendly and tourist helpers they will guide you give you rides on their pony and show you important sights. They are tracking guides too and know the region well. 

But they are not the only inhabitants.

The forests shelter Himalayan black bears, brown bears, leopards, musk deer and Himalayan langurs, while the higher slopes provide habitat for remarkable mountain birds and other wildlife.

And then there is something even more beautiful:

The mountains themselves are part of the life of Kashmir.

Some mountains have caves and can accommodate nearly 300 goats during bad weather. 

They hold the snow that becomes water.

The water feeds the rivers.

The rivers feed the Valley.

The forests hold the soil.

And the meadows feed the animals.

So when we look at Kashmir's mountains, we are not looking at empty wilderness.

We are looking at a living world—with people, animals, forests, glaciers and rivers, all connected by the mountain.

When we visited Kashmir.

Sonamarg was something else altogether. Covered in snow, it did not look like an ordinary snow-covered landscape. Here and there, tiny patches of vegetation showed through the white, catching the light like little decorations scattered over a gigantic Christmas tree. The whole mountain seemed to sparkle in countless little places.

It was one of those sights that was easier to experience than to describe—a vast white mountain, yet delicate and almost festive in its appearance. Even today, the memory is clearer than any photograph could capture.