Himalayas

(“abode of the snow”) Mountain range
that arcs across the northern border of
India, although the only Indian states with
significant Himalayan regions are Jammu
and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, and, further east, Sikkhim.
281
Himalayas
Panorama of the Himalayas in Nepal. Hindus consider the Himalaya mountains
sacred since they are believed to be home to the gods.
In a Hindu religious context, the
Himalayan regions in the first three
states are the most significant; the
mountains in these three contiguous
states are all part of an extended
Himalayan cultural region, fronted by
the Shiwalik Hills. They are considered sacred, both as the literal abode
of the Hindu gods (in particular Shiva,
who is believed to live on Mount
Kailas) and also as the source of
sacred rivers such as the Ganges,
Yamuna, and Indus. These high
mountains are also a traditional home
for Hindu ascetics wishing to
renounce the everyday world and
search for personal spiritual realization; the physical hardships these
ascetics must endure in the mountains are also believed to generate
spiritual power.
Given their religious importance,
the Himalayas are full of sacred
sites (tirthas); among the most important are Amarnath, Yamunotri,
Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, and
Nanda Devi.