The Patola Shahis were a Dynasty that ruled the region of Gilgit and were instrumental in the promotion and spread of Buddhism in Central Asia and Tibet.
Shyok : The River of Death
The name of the Shyok River in the local language means the “River of Death”. True to its name its still as wild and furious as it used to be. This is the story of the Shyok and its notorious reputation.
When Two Great Gamers Met in High Asia
When two of the great Great Gamers from each side, Younghusband from the British Empire and Grombchevsky from Tsarist Russia met on the high Mountain wilderness on the other side of the Himalayas.
The Best of Kashmir in Pics
A Collection of great pics from Kashmir showcasing why exactly this most exalted of all Himalayan Valleys is referred to as “The Paradise” on Earth.
The Junction of the Three Mightiest Mountain Ranges
Jaglot near Gilgit is the point where the Three Mightiest Mountain Ranges of the world the Himalayas, the Karakorams and the Hindu Kush meet at the confluence of the Gilgit River with the Indus River
The Case of Aksai Chin
Aksai Chin a high altitude desert which lies between the Karakorams and the Kun Lun is a disputed territory between India and China in the Trans Himalayas. Here is the story.
The Blog Archive for Kiki on Travel the Himalayas
The Index / Archive for Articles / Notes posted by Kiki on Travel the Himalayas.
Vittorio Sella's Himalayan and Karakoram Classics
Vittorio Sella was an Italian photographer and mountaineer, who took photographs of mountains which are regarded as some of the finest ever made. He did extensive Photography in the Himalayas and the Karakorams.
Humans of the Himalayas : The Wakhi People
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.
The Tibetan Mastiffs Business
The Story of one of the largest Dog Breeds in the World, the Tibetan Mastiffs who have protected people and live stock for centuries on the Tibetan Plateau.
Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum of Central Asian Antiquities
The Munshi Aziz Bhatt Museum of Central Antiquities which holds a priceless treasure of Items and Objects which were once traded on the legendary Kashmir to Yarkand Silk Route via Ladakh.
The Gilgit Manuscripts
The Gilgit Manuscripts discovered in the early 1900s in Gilgit are one of the oldest Buddhist Manuscripts discovered in India. Believed to be one of the most revered Buddhist scriptures, it represents the discourse delivered by Buddha towards the end of his life.
Kashmir Stone and Bronze Sculptures from Antiquity (SPS Museum)
The Sri Partap Singh Museum in Srinagar, Kashmir holds an exquisite collection of Kashmiri Stone and Metal work from the ancient times. We take a look at some of these great works of Art.
The Karakorams in India
The Karakorams are the most vertical of all the Mountain Ranges in the World. A large part of the Karakoram falls within India but most people are unaware of it. We explain.
The Tengpora Durga : From Kashmir to Manhattan to Germany !
The Story of the of the highly revered idol of Tengpura Durga which went missing from Kashmir in the early 1990’s during the Militancy and later appeared at an Antiques showroom on Manhattan in New York and then onto a renowned Museum in Germany and finally back home to India and Kashmir.
The Potatso National Park in Yunnan
The Potatso or Pudacoa National Park In China was the first National Park of China and is situated at an altitude of an average 3400 m. The Park contains dense forests, Lakes and Wetlands. Its also a part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Area World Heritage Site.
The Great First Bend of the Yangtze River
The Great First Bend of the River Yangtze is situated near the town of Shigu in North Western Yunnan. It is the point at which the Yangtze (called the Jinsha at this stage) takes a u turn and heads north and goes onto become the heart and soul of the Chinese Civilization. And it all starts at this bend.
The Ganden Sumtseling Tibetan Monastery in Yunnan
The Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery, also known as Sungtseling and Guihuasi is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery situated 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city of Zhongdian at elevation 3,380 metres (11,090 ft) in Yunnan province, China. Built in 1679, the monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan province and is sometimes referred to as the Little Potala Palace.
Herodotus's Legendary Fox Sized Gold Digging Ants
Herodotus was a famous Greek historian of the ancient times who lived around 500 BC and he was born in Asia Minor in the Persian Empire. He was referred to as the Father of History as he wrote a lot of history and tales of the unknown from lands far off. One of his most intriguing account was the one of the legendary Gold digging ants, as big as Foxes, which lived in the high Himalayas in a land he called Dardae.
Kashmir Collection at Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Metropolitan Musuem in New York is one of the largest Art Museums in the World. The Museum has a great collection of Kashmir Art.