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The mighty Himalayan mountain range form the northern border of India. On one hand, these rugged mountains, that protect the northern border of the country, are ruthless, unfriendly, and dangerous, on the other hand they are so beautiful and attractive.
If you ever visit northern India, you should make it a point to see the mighty Himalayas. Not many countries have such enormous and high mountain ranges. If you are not too adventurous, or sporty, or you are physically incapable, I would recommend that you visit at least one hilly town (known as hill stations) in the Himalayas. Hill stations are scattered all over the Himalayas, but the more famous ones are concentrated in the northwestern and northeastern part of India. In the west, the popular tourist destinations - not including Kashmiri hill stations - are Kulu, Manali, Shimla (or Simla), Kufri, Chail, Kasauli, Dalhousie, Chamba, Dharamsala, Kangra, Dehradun, Chakrata, Mussoorie, Kausani, Nainital, Bhimtal, Ranikhet, Almora etc. Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri are places of pilgrimage and they are higher up in the mountains in the northwest in the state of Uttarakhand. These four pilgrimage places are collectively called Char Dham ("four sacred places"). Gomukh (or Gaumukh) glacier is a popular destination for the little more adventurous. This is the source of the great (and holy) Indian river Ganges (Ganga in Hindi). Gomukh (Gaumukh) is situated near Gangotri. The river Yamuna originates from a glacier near Yamunotri. Though most Indians visit Char Dham for the purpose of pilgrimage, any tourist, who want to experience the Himalayas, should find it worthwhile visting Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. In the east, the most popular hill stations are Darjeeling, Karseong, Kalimpong, Gangtok, and Shillong. The locals go to the hill stations to cool off in summer. The average elevation of most Himalayan hill stations from the sea level is between 4000 and 10,000 feet. The most popular hill stations like Darjeeling, Shimla, Dehradun, Mussoorie, Nainital etc. provide all tourist facilities including luxury hotels whereas the smaller and less traveled hill stations have only very basic amenities. But you will be closer to nature when you travel to a remote hill station with smaller population. If you are adventurous, and like activities like hiking, trekking or mountaineering, India offers innumerable choices at different degrees of difficulty. Just ask your travel agent. Your travel to the mighty Himalayas can be a very rewarding experience. The stress and strain of city life will be completely washed away. India has issued many stamps featuring the Himalayan ranges or some specific peaks of the Himalayas. For the sake of brevity, I shall show only a few stamps here that show the mighty Himalayas. Click on any stamp for more information and/or actual photograph(s).
Here are some links to tourism/trekking in the Himalayas:
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