Uttarakhand 27
mountains because in prehistoric times what was sea bed sud-
denly came out on the surface as the longest and highest
mountain range on earth where peaks crowd on peaks as far
as eyes can see with a crumpled confusion of rock, snow and
ice surrounded by deep gorges and valleys which have sheer
drop of thousands feet liius making them unapproachable and
inaccessible. At places, peaks have become so rugged and
pointed due to continuous wind and avalanche that they pie-
rce straight into the sky, particularly between the altitudes of
14000 ft. to 16000 ft. It seems as if they are in the process of
fragmenting and gradually breaking down and I suppose (the
geologists may agree) that a few centuries later, they may be
reduced to gentle sloping hills and with the passage of time
vegetation may grow on them. This gradual process can be
seen in the Arwa valley and lower Millam valley of central
Himalayas (Uttarakhand).
The Himalayas starting from Brahmaputra in the east stre-
tch westward through Bhutan and Sikkim where snow peaks
ranging from 20000 ft. to 25000 ft, soar into the sky shedding
golden light when the sun sets behind '^them. Further towards
west, along Sikkim and Nepal lie the fabled giants of mountai-
neering ranging from 20000 ft, to 29000 ft. including the tall-
est among the mountains, the Everest, locally known as
Chomolungma, the mother Goddess of the earth. A little ahead
lies the sacred most among the divine—'Kanchenjunga* and the
awe-inspiring 'Makalu' and further west, in the interior
of Nepal lies "Dhaulagiri" or "Dhawalgiri" meaning
sparkling white. A little ahead lies Mansa and the maguifipent
group of Annapurnas. The .main range snails past Nepal and
moves northward into the beautiful land of Kumaon and Garh-
wal which is known as Uttarakhand. Here lies the magnificent
group of Nanda Devi, with its camel shaped 25645 ft. dome
which is suriounded by a garland of Rishi Ganga on the three
sides and Gori Ganga on the other side. These two rivers lie
spread round the neck of Kumaon-Garhwal Himalayas and
fall below the towering shoulders like the beautiful hairs of a
lovely maiden. Such is the beauty of Himalayan peaks and
rivers which I had occasion to visit and watch from different
places at different time and season of the year. The other