The erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir was one of the most diverse State in the country in Ethnic, Religious and Lingual dimensions. The main "People" of Jammu and Kashmir and its different regions are briefly described in this Article.
Mahasu Temple Hanol
Mahasu Devta is the main Devta / Deity of the people living in the Jaunsar Bawar region of Uttarakhand as well as in the neighboring districts of Himachal Pradesh. The main Temple to Mahasu Devta is located in Hanol in Uttrakhand close to the border with Himachal Pradesh. Interestingly Mahsu Devta has a Kashmiri connection. We explore.
Humans of the Himalayas : The Wakhi People
Wakhi Girls
Living literally on the Roof of the World or the Bam-I-Duniya are the Wakhi people, who predominantly live in the Wakhan Corridor, the narrow strip of Afghan territory that traditionally separated the British Empire from Tsarist Russia in days of the old. Also called the Khik at present they live in the Wakhan of today's Badakhshan region located in northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan.
Amarnath Yatra pics from 1920 by Ralph Stewart
The Amarnath Cave Entrance in 1920
Ralph Randles Stewart was an American botanist who spent a lot of time collecting Plants and taking Photographs in the Western Himalayas in the early part of the 20th century. In 1920 Ralph went on the Amarnath Yatra and took pics of the same giving us a priceless treasure and a window into how things were in these Mountains a hundred years back.
The Curious Case of the Baltis of Dehradun
The story of Balti people, originally from Baltistan, who now live in Vikas Nagar near Dehradun. They operate seasonal Dhabas in the Kargil District both in Kargil and Drass. We find out how they ended up in Dehradun
Bulbulik Music School, Gojal Valley, Gilgit
The Bulbulik Music School in Gojal Valley, Gilgit is making efforts to revive musical traditions that are on the verge of extinction. Run by Gulmit Educational and Social Welfare Society, Bubulik is named after nightingales which are frequently mentioned in Persian and Urdu poetry. The school takes its name from Wakhi folk culture known as Bulbulik. Shepherds of lowland areas sing while they travel to the highlands to send messages back home. Taken from the Dawn
Humans of Himalayas : The Khampa
The Khampa as the people of Kham are called were the most warlike of all the Tibetan people. The Khampa Horsemen were greatly feared and their horses were in great demand. Infact some Khampas kept on fighting the Chinese well into the 70s. They were called the Buddha's warriors. They were aremed by the CIA and gave resistance to the Chinese in Tibet through their bases based in the Mustang region in Nepal.
Altai Himalayas
Altai Himalaya is a great Book by Nikolai Roerich about his Journey through high Asia.