India and Nepal are countries of great splendor, beauty, mystery, culture and devotion. Words alone fail to describe these wonderful places however, I am hopeful that my descriptions will transmit their special meaning, inspiring you to experience them for yourself.

The State of Uttaranchal, formerly a part of Uttar Pradesh, is considered to be the Heartland of India. The regions of Garhwal and Kumaon in India formerly belonged to the Gorkha rulers of Nepal. In 1742 King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha invaded the Kathmandu valley, and after a twenty-five year war he finally won the valley and unified the country. Subsequently, all inhabitants became known as Nepalis (a title that used to belong only to those who inhabited the Kathmandu Valley).

Following the great conquest of the Valley, the Gorkha's continued to move into India, conquering more land. In the early 19th century Garhwal and Kumaon were overrun by Amar Singh Thapa. As a result there is much Nepali craftsmanship in some of the temples found in these northern Indian regions. A temple at Gangotri was built in the early 1800's under the order of Amar Singh Thapa to replace an older existing one. In 1816 the Treaty of Segauli stripped these lands from the ever-expanding Gorkha Empire and established Nepal's eastern and western borders where they still remain today. The prowess of the Gorkha soldiers was renowned and they were feared as enemies. As a result, the Country of Nepal was never colonized by the British — a large claim for being so small and landlocked.

For many the Garhwal Himalayas embody that which is Holy — divine mountains, ancient temples and the two most sacred rivers in the entire country, the Ganga and Yamuna. The high elevation of the peaks in Uttaranchal and the precarious terrain kept these areas relatively inaccessible for thousands of years, enabling many local customs to survive and flourish.

In the 9th century, the great South Indian Saint Sri Adi Shankara came to Garhwal. His was the earliest recorded journey to these mountainous regions. Shankaracharya was a great Advaita Vedantin (non-dualist) and a strong opponent to the then flourishing Buddhist philosophy of the North. His ability in discourse and to debate his opponents was unparalleled, and responsible for bringing much of the local population into the Hindu fold. He established the char dhams (four holy pilgrim sites) of the North, and the majority of the trekking routes today are based upon ancient pilgrim routes connecting these sites.

While almost 90 percent of the Nepalese population is Hindu, one is struck by the pervasiveness of the Tibetan Buddhist culture which accounts for a mere five percent. Its influence is so concentrated and far reaching that it draws people from all over the world. Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns in the Gompas (monasteries) are surrounded by a thriving Tibetan community in and around Kathmandu, as well as the surrounding Himalayan regions.

Kathmandu is home to Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas — a sacred mound of earth, layered with centuries of plaster which makes a large hemispherical dome marking Buddhist Holy Places — in the world. The distinctive symbols displayed on a stupa are the eyes of the Buddha surveying the four cardinal directions and the number One, representing Universal Unity.