18 Abode of Gods
rana which divides Himalayas in five parts out of which
Uttarakhand has been described as a country of 'Kedarkhand*
and 'Manas Kband.' The contemporary name of all the peaks,
glaciers, rivers and places are derived from this monumental
work of great antiquity.
The Buddhist missionaries were the first trekkers who voyaged
into far and distant lands defying the airless, dreary and dese-
lated heights. After crossing high \ imalayas and traversing
the great mountain barriers they reached Tibet and from
there moved on to Mangolia, China and Central Asia. In fact,
it was Buddhism which brought Huen-Tsang, Itsing and Fa-
Hien to India unmindful of the risks which were involved.
They travelled hundreds of miles to witness the magnificence of
the land where once Buddha dwelled and delivered the gospel
of truth Dhammachakra Pavattanasutta or the wheel of law.
Indian classical Sanskrit literature is full of the episodes
from the lives of the pioneers who lived and meditated upon
the heights of Himalayas.
The Sanctim-Sancterus
In the Hindu mythology, the name of Jagadguru Sankara-
charya ranks very high because of his lasting contribution of
evolving the system of four Dhams---Kedarnath, Badrinath
Dwarka and Jagannath. Sankaracharya strode through the
rocky terrain of "Uttarakhand and established the famed dhams
of Kedarnath and Badrinath and thetirathas of Yamunotri and
Gangotri. He became Jagat Guru by constant striving. Eversince
multitudes of people flock to these distant places drawn by an
insatiable desire to have a darshan of the Gods and Goddesses
defying the vagaries of nature. This and other factors have
played significant role in making trekking a part of human life
in the form of pilgrimage.
Early beginnings of trekking as a sport in India
Trekking untenanted lands without religious sanctity was not
acceptable to Indian thinking. They have lived and believed in
pilgrimage. The modern concept of trekking and mountaine-
ering came to India with the Britishers who were pioneers in
the survey work. They brought science at the service of man-