The Entrance to the Sarai
The Chingus Sarai or Fort is an old Mughal era Sarai on the Mughal Road which connected Punjab with Kashmir over the Pir Panjals. The word “Chingus’ is derived from the Persian word for “Intestines”. It got this rather unflattering name after the intestines / entrails of one of the Great Mughals, Emperor Jahangir were buried here.
On the desolate Changthang region of the Tibetan Plateau lies the Village of Chushul. It lies close to the Border with China. And it was here that a Treaty was signed and Ladakh became a part of the Sikh Empire.
Our Guide on How to Catch a Snowfall !
The high Altitude Lake of Chuharnag is a home to various stories and legends. The most endearing one of the Newt of Chuharnag that people used to “kidnap” and hold till the Gods paid them back in the form of Rain.
The Ruins of the Murree Brewery in Murree.
The Murree Brewery was established in 1860 the fulfill the ever increasing demand of Beer for the British Troops in the British Indian Army. It did roaring business till it was reduced to ruins after being burnt down during the riots in the wake of the partition of the British India.
Reliquary(?) with Scenes from the Life of Buddha
Kashmir was at one time one of the great centers of Buddhist learning and it was from Kashmir that Buddhism spread Northwards into Ladakh and Central Asia and subsequently to Tibet and China. The Metropolitan Museum in New York has a fine collection of Kashmiri Buddhist artworks.
The Tiger Leaping Rock in the Middle of the Gorge, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan
The Tiger Leaping Rock in the middle of the Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is one of the deepest River Gorges in the world in Yunnan, forces the Jinsha or the Upper Yangtze through a narrow channel just a few meters wide. The result of a River which is almost a km wide being forced through a Channel just a few meters wide is indeed spectacular.
The Changthang is a part of the Tibetan Plateau which is located in the Western and North Western part of Tibet and it also includes Eastern Ladakh. Its a forbidding Plateau and is home to a number of Lakes like the Pangong Tso and the Tso Moriri. However it holds a large array of wildlife in its high altitude Wetlands. Its home to the Changpa People who are nomadic herders known to keep the best herd of Pashmina Goats.
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.
The vast flood plain where the Shyok meets the Nubra
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 Younghusband met Grombchevsky
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 Hazratbal Shrine besides the Dal Lake
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 Point where the Himalayas, the Karakorams and the Hindu Kush meet. At the confluemce of the Gilgit and the Indus Rivers.
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
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 Index / Archive for Articles / Notes posted by Kiki on Travel the Himalayas.
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.
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.
A Tibetan Mastiff in Tibet (Pic from Wikipedia)
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.
A decorated Mongol Horse Saddle
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.
A leaf from the Gilgit Manuscript
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.