Tibet Himalayas

Tibet lies in Trans Himalayan region. It is covered by the Himalayan range in the South, Kunlun range in Central Asia and Karakoram range in the West. The Himalayan region in the Southern part of Tibet includes some of the highest mountains of the world.

Namcha Barwa (7,756 m) and Gurla Mandhata (7,728) are the two Himalayan mountain peaks located in Tibet. Chargoding Pass located at an altitude of 5,885 m above sea level is the highest pass in Trans Himalayan Tibet.

Tibet is also known as the 'Roof of the world' as even the lower areas of Tibet are higher than mountain peaks in other regions of the world. Himalayas in Tibet is the source of some of the biggest snow fed rivers of the world. Yangtze, Indus, Ganges, Salween and Yellow river are some of the rivers which originate from Tibet Himalayas.

Himalayas in Tibet has got attractive landscape. It is home to the world's highest glaciers which are found on the Northern slope of Himalayas and still remain unexplored by human being.

Climate of Tibet Himalayas

Himalayas in Tibet has the harsh climate. In summers it remains cool but in the winter season it becomes freezingly cold. The period of summers is very short and winters start from the month of October. The months of July and August are best to visit Tibet.

Flora and Fauna of Tibet Himalayas

Himalayas in Tibet are a habitat to various species of flora and fauna. The region boasts of around 790 species of vertebrates, 2000 species of plants, around 1000 herbal plants and 488 species of birds, 125 species of rare animal species and more than 2000 kinds of insects.

Bear, leopard, wild sheep, wild deer, Bengal tiger, wild yak, snub nosed monkey and wild ass are some of the species which are found in the forests of Tibet Himalayas.

Attractions in Himalayan region of Tibet

There are a number of tourist attraction destinations in Tibet. The plateau is a home to a number of beautifully decorated Buddhist monasteries, snow fed streams, lakes and hilly terrains.

Lhasa

Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet, located in the Central Southern part. It is also nicknamed as 'Sunlight City' and is situated at an elevation of 3,658 m above sea level. A number of Buddhist monuments can be seen in the capital city which was once the home of His Holiness Dalai Lama before exile. Lhasa is flocked by the nature lovers from different parts of the world to catch the glimpses of nature's magnificent creation and to know about the Buddhist culture of the region.

Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash is the holy pilgrimage of Hindus and is known by the name of Khang Rinpoche. It is located in Tibet Himalayas in Western part of the country. Every year a large number of Hindu pilgrims from India visit Mount Kailash, which they consider as abode of Lord Shiva.

With an altitude of 6.675 meters above sea level, Mount Kailash has remained a place of pilgrim from the past hundred of years. The beautiful Mansarovar lake is also located in Mount Kailash, which is also considered holy by both Buddhists and Hindus.

Shigatse or Xigatse

Shigatse is one of the major towns of Tibet Himalayas located in South-West at an altitude of 12,600 feet, where Yarlung Tsangpo river is joined by Nyangchu River. It is the main centre for distribution of animal husbandry and agriculture products.

It is also famous because of the location of one of the age old beautiful Buddhist monasteries. One can purchase Tibetan handicrafts, corals, turquoise, daggers, Yak butter and Chinese porcelain from the local market.

Zhangmu

With an altitude of 7,000 feet above sea level, Zhangmu is also known as Khasa by local Tibetans. The hilly terrains of Zhangmu are heavily wooded by different species of high altitude trees and a number of gushing waterfalls make this Himalayan region in Tibet one of the most enchanting places to visit. It witnesses heavy snowfall in the months of winter.

For more information on Himalayas and Tibettan Culture visit: http://www.travel-himalayas.com/ and http://www.ladakh-kashmir.com

By Sanjeev Verma