Himalaya

A journey to unfamiliar, unknown and undiscovered areas

Abstract

The impact of exploration upon the larger course of geography and associated events is so vast a discipline that only a hint can be given of its real and imagined journey. Whatever is recorded or forgotten in the mists of time, exploration has nearly everywhere prepared the way for expanding knowledge about other or new places and setting up new routes. It has been the prelude to discover land, cultures and lifestyles unknown to us and unfamiliar to the world. Himalaya has been attracting numerous visitors, tourists, and scholars specialized in various fields since long and had been fascinating for non-Himalayan folks. The geographical research looks to the records of explorations for the light that they can shed upon relationship between the processes and events of exploration, on the one hand, and the geographic environment on the historical study of geography, on the other hand. There exists a vast gap in reports and complete ground reality yet to be explored.
The present work is an attempt, in continuation of the first and second spell as IIAS Associateship, aims to highlight:
a) What specific geographic elements (wind, river, precipitation, distance, people, practices, perceptions, faith and fantasy) may support or hinder the process of exploration.
b) How people and communities settled and survived even under extremely different and difficult geographic and economic challenges
c) Having remained virtually cut off from the outside world and inaccessible for the outsiders, how the natives pursuing their deal of keeping themselves undisturbed, aloof and a sort of de facto independent.
Himalaya had experienced a long and rich history based on its geography before the arrival and influence of outside people and still contains many such rich areas unknown to the outside world.