Kailash Manasarovar yatra: An ablution steeped in mysticism
The mighty Himalayas Geologists believe that about 225 million years ago, India was a large island situated off the Australian coast. The Tethys Sea separated India from the Asian continent. Then, around 200 million years ago, the Pangaea broke apart and India began its epic forge northward. 80 million years ago, India was located roughly 6,400 km south of the Asian continent and was still moving northward at a rate of about 9 m a century. When India rammed into Asia about 40 to 50 million years ago, its northward advance slowed down by about half. The collision and associated decrease in the rate of plate movement have been interpreted to mark the beginning of the rapid skyward uplift of the mighty Himalayas. This immense mountain range, formed by tectonic forces and sculpted by an unceasing denudation processes of weathering and erosion, is virtually the water tower of Asia. It supplies freshwater to more than one-fifth of the world population, and accounts ...