The Himalayan Mountain Range extends over almost 1,500 miles in length. Mount Everest, towering upward over 29,000 feet on the border of Nepal and Tibet, is the highest of all the mountains in the world. Persians, Indians, Tibetans, and Chinese all have written about the grandeur and beauty of these mountains.

Swami Rama in Living with the Himalayan Masters writes about the sacred Himalayas: “The word Himālaya comes from Sanskrit words hima, meaning snow, and ālaya, meaning home – the home of snows.” The Himalayas are not merely home of snow but the mountains are also a stronghold of yogic wisdom and spirituality for millions of people, regardless of their religious beliefs. This ancient and rich tradition still exists there today as these unique mountains continue to whisper their spiritual glory to all who have an ear to hear.

The Himalayan system, which includes outlying sub-ranges, stretches across six countries: Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. They are the source of three of the world’s major river systems, the Indus, the Ganga-Brahmaputra, and the Yangtze. The Himalayas separate the Indo-Gangetic plain from the Tibetan plateau. The bulk of the mountain range lies in Nepal, Bhutan and the states of Jammu and Kashmir (parts of which are disputed between Pakistan and India), Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in India. The outlying parts of the range lie in Tibet, Pakistan (some in disputed territories) and Burma.

… sacred places in the mountains …

… flora and fauna …

The king of all the Himalayan flowers is the Himkamal or Snow Lotus,  a very rare flower.

Source:
Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalaya