The Himalaya is a combination of two Sanskrit words, Himá (हिम ) means snow and A-laya (आलय) which means home, abode, temple or dwelling. The Himalayas are a mountain range that separates the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The Himalayas range has many highest peaks on the Earth, including the highest Mount Everest in Nepal. The Himalayas range includes over fifty mountains exceeding 7,200 m (23,600 ft) in elevation, including ten of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks.
For centuries people here have developed a unique culture that weaves nature and people together into the same fabric of life. The region is the birthplace of the Buddha and is full of sacred natural sites such as secret valleys and high mountain lakes that predate ancient Hinduism.
