Trekking and Climbing in the Indian Himalaya


Book Description

Authored by India's guru of Himalayan exploration, this essential guide book covers 25 sensational treks and 12 inspirational climbing peaks in the mountains stretching from the Siwalik Hills to isolated Ladakh near the high, dry Tibetan plateau.




Plant Ecology of Indian Himalaya


Book Description

This book discusses plant invasions and environmental impacts on the Himalayas through a novel procedure, and helps to understand the influences of climate, physiography, soil, and disturbance on plant richness in mountain systems. Assessing invasion risks to mountain space under future climate change scenarios is highly significant for appropriate preparedness, and this book details analytical and modeling techniques to assess the conditions of mountain ecosystem and ecology to better inform our preparation for future environmental challenges. The book presents the state-of-the-art understanding of the species-environment relationships in a global biodiversity hotspot, relatively unexplored areas for the Himalayan life-form richness. The book provides not only the academic but also the professional community and policymakers a review and update on modeling applications for determining interactions of the plant species with the environment of a subtropical mountain ecosystem across a climatic gradient. Currently, there is no book in the market addressing the implementation and applications of modeling in the Himalayan plant and environment continuum, and most of the existing books cover the species richness pattern along the elevation gradient and basic ethnobotanical features of a mountain system. Since the book covers the applications of novel methods and modeling for ecological analysis of mountain ecosystems, it will also be significant for the professional market. Therefore, the book aims to fill the gap between scientists and professionals in the use of modeling strategies to monitor biodiversity in mountain systems for the formulation of conservation, adaptation, and mitigation principles.




Indian Himalaya Footprint Handbook


Book Description

Revered the world over, the Indian Himalaya provide a unique experience and stunning backdrop for any explorer and have been capturing the imagination of travelers for centuries. The 3rd edition Indian Himalaya Handbook will help travellers get the most from this diverse and sometimes demanding region. Footprint's completely updated travel guide to the Indian Himalaya is indispensible to visitors who want to be wowed by rugged beauty and inspired by the unique culture of the people that live here. • Great coverage of responsible travel and the Himalayan Environment Trust Code of Practise, as well as essential advice on the best time of year to travel • Loaded with information and suggestions on how to get off the beaten track, from trekking and climbing to cycling and yoga • Includes comprehensive listings from From Garhwal and Kumaon in Uttar Pradesh, to the Himalaya in Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Zanskar, to Darjeeling and Sikkim, in the Eastern Himalaya. • Plus all the usual accommodation, eating and drinking listings for every budget • Full-colour planning section to inspire travellers and help you find the best experiences Fully updated, Footprint’s Indian Himalaya Handbook is packed with all the information you’ll need to get the best out of this spectacular region.




Indian Himalaya


Book Description

If you want to travel the Indian Himalayas but arent sure where to get started, then this guidebook is for you. For ages, the Indian Himalayas have been a playground for backpackers and other adventure seekers from throughout the world. Despite the hardship of mountain travel, the area offers spiritual serenity and beautiful views at an affordable cost. Many have been spellbound by its untouched beauty, including Kirit Rindani, who shares breathtaking photos and traveling tips gleaned over more than one hundred visits to different areas over a span covering almost fifty years. Youll get inside information on Uttaranchal, Himachal, Sikkim, West Bengal, Ladakh, and other areas so you can plan family trips, adventures with friends, romantic getaways, and vehicle safaris over Himalayan roads. As a bonus, youll get details on more than 275 guest houses and hotels to fit any budget. The Himalayas continue to serve as a constant source of inspiration for Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and others throughout the world. See their majestic beauty in this pictorial guidebook that will inspire you to see them firsthand.




High Resolution Palaeoclimatic Changes in Selected Sectors of the Indian Himalaya by Using Speleothems


Book Description

This thesis encompasses a study of past precipitation patterns based on six cave stalagmites from different parts of the Indian Himalaya. This is the first speleothem study in the Indian Himalaya that shows a direct relationship between past precipitation and the collapse of civilization. The stalagmites examined were KL-3 from Jammu and Kashmir; TCS and BR-1 from Himachal Pradesh; and DH-1, SA-1 and CH-1 from Uttarakhand. Based on the high-resolution palaeoclimatic reconstruction (35 U/th dates, 5 AMS dates, 1,500 samples for δ18O and δ13C values) obtained for the duration of the Pleistocene–Holocene transition (16.2–9.5 ka BP) and Mid-Holocene–Present (ca. 4.0 ka BP–Present), three major events were identified, namely the Older Dryas (OD), Bølling–Allerød (BA) period and Younger Dryas (YD) at ca. 14.3–13.9, 13.9–12.7 and 12.7–12.2 ka BP, respectively. The study showed a gradual reduction in the precipitation from 4 ka BP onwards for about a millennium with a peak arid period between 3.2 and 3.1 ka BP. According to the findings, the LIA (Little Ice Age) covers a time span from 1622–1820 AD, during which the climate was wetter than that in the post-LIA period (1820–1950 AD). In addition, this thesis supports the assumption that the WDs (Western Disturbances) contribute significantly to the total rainfall in the Himalaya region.




Deep in the Indian Himalaya


Book Description

A collection of true stories written by an American woman living in a remote village in Pauri Garhwal, India. A colorful cast of characters takes readers beyond the superficial glimpse of conventional travel narratives, lending humanity to the otherwise nameless faces outside tour bus windows, while giving readers a profound, multifaceted introduction into the unique character and traditions of the Garhwali people: Their deep faith in god, primitive village conditions, the family, Hindu worship ceremonies, tantra-mantra rituals, small-terraced farming, humility, animal husbandry, focus on the group (as opposed to the individual), elaborate weddings, patience, a strong work ethic, ghosts, poverty, complex funerary rites, animal sacrifice, curses, the caste system, adherence to custom, restricted education & employment opportunities, soothsayers, god possessions, an intimate relationship with nature, fortitude, friendliness and immense respect for elders, ancestors & guests.




Art and Devotion at a Buddhist Temple in the Indian Himalaya


Book Description

A study of a set of sixteenth-century wall paintings at the Gyapagpa Temple in Nako, a village in India’s Himachal Pradesh state. Sixteenth-century wall paintings in a Buddhist temple in the Tibetan cultural zone of northwest India are the focus of this innovative and richly illustrated study. Initially shaped by one set of religious beliefs, the paintings have since been reinterpreted and retraced by a later Buddhist community, subsumed within its religious framework and communal memory. Melissa Kerin traces the devotional, political, and artistic histories that have influenced the paintings’ production and reception over the centuries of their use. Her interdisciplinary approach combines art historical methods with inscriptional translation, ethnographic documentation, and theoretical inquiry to understand religious images in context. “A meticulous and discerning piece of scholarship, one that is skillful in employing multiple methods—visual, linguistic and ethnographic—to create a fuller picture of a region we knew little about. . . . [A] pleasure to read.” —Pika Ghosh, author of Making Kantha, Making Home: Women at Work in Colonial Bengal “Emphasizing the visual as primary evidence in the study of history, especially religious history, Kerin moves Buddhist art from the arena of museum displays, art markets, and aesthetics to the arena of dynamic interdisciplinary discourse, thus reaffirming the significance of in situ study. . . . Recommended.” —Choice “A forceful study on the specificity of Gyapagpa’s painting.” —South Asia Research/DESC> Indian art;south asian art;religious art;buddhist art;Indian history;south asian history;tibetan buddhism;buddhism;religion;indian buddhists;temple art;nako;gyapagpa;social history;political history;painting style;painting tradition ART019020 ART / Asian / Indian & South Asian ART035000 ART / Subjects & Themes / Religious HIS062000 HISTORY / Asia / South / India * REL007050 RELIGION / Buddhism / Tibetan 9780253010032 Patterns of War—World War II Larry H. Addington




The Land of Flying Lamas & Other Real Travel Stories from the Indian Himalaya


Book Description

Beyond the hill stations, the mall roads and the 'points' is the 'other Himalaya'. A Himalaya where flowers bloom in the green rolling meadows, the streams are bubbly, no pedal boats ply in the lakes, the glaciers can be felt and the passes crossed to more magical lands (where you might find flying lamas too). It's the real Himalaya and it's the real stories from the travels of people like you and me in this Himalaya that make this book. The grand plan is that the next time you are looking for a family vacation or an adventure trek or a soul-searching solo trip, these stories from different regions of Indian Himalaya will provide you a few more options to choose from. There is also a special chapter by Rujuta Diwekar, India's top fitness professional, on why you must trek, the physiological benefits for your body and what to eat to get the best out of your Himalayan trek.




Himalaya Bound


Book Description

Following his vivid account of traveling with one of the last camel caravans on earth in Men of Salt, Michael Benanav now brings us along on a journey with a tribe of forest-dwelling nomads in India. Welcomed into a family of nomadic water buffalo herders, he joins them on their annual spring migration into the Himalayas, a superb adventure that explores the relationship between humankind and wild lands, and the dubious effect of environmental conservation on peoples whose lives are inseparably intertwined with the natural world.The migration Benanav embarked upon was plagued with problems, as government officials threatened to ban this nomadic family—and others in the Van Gujjar tribe—from the high alpine meadows where they had summered for centuries. Faced with the possibility that their beloved buffaloes would starve to death, and that their age-old way of life was doomed, the family charted a risky new course, which would culminating in an astonishing mountain rescue. And Benanav was arrested for documenting the story of their plight.Intimate and enthralling, Himalaya Bound paints a sublime picture of a rarely-seen world, revealing the hopes and fears, hardships and joys, of a people who wonder if there is still a place for them on this planet.




Environmental Change and Development in Ladakh, Indian Trans-Himalaya


Book Description

The Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh has witnessed important changes linked to its geo-strategic importance, the rapid development of means of communication with other parts of India, socio-economic transformation processes and the effects of climate change. The sixteen chapters document these key changes, ranging from melting glaciers and extreme weather events to the exponential increase in infrastructure, tourist and military activities. The book examines the impact these changes are having on the environment and on the socio-economics and identity of Ladakhi communities. The book also attempts to evaluate the likely direction of future changes, identify some of the main environmental challenges faced by Ladakh in the 21st century, and provide perspectives for sustainable development of the high mountain region.