Climatic Influence
The Himalaya is one of the most influential factors (other than the Monsoon) on the Indian climate. Blessed with the high altitude, length and location, they effectively intercept the summer monsoons coming from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, causing precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Besides, they prevent the cold continental air masses of Central Asia from entering India. In the absence of the Himalayas, the whole of India would have been a desert devoid of rain, and its winters would have been severe under the influence of cold air masses coming from Central Asia. Latest meteorological studies proved that the Himalayas are responsible for splitting the jet stream into two branches, and these in turn play a significant role in bringing the Monsoon to India.
Defence
The Himalayas have been protecting India from outside invaders since early times, thus serving as a defence barrier. However, the Chinese aggression against India in October 1962 has reduced the defence significance of India. Despite the advancement in modern warfare technology, the defence role of the Himalayas can not be neglected.
Source of the Rivers
The Himalayas act as a huge reservoir of water for the north Indian rivers. Almost all the great and perennial rivers of India originate from the Himalayan mountains or glaciers. Abundant rainfall, vast snow fields and huge glaciers are the feeding grounds of the mighty rivers of India. Snow melt in summer provides water to these rivers even during the dry season, and hence, these are perennial rivers. Himalayan rivers are the lifeline of the north India. Ganga, which is one of the most important rivers of northern India, originates from one of the biggest Himalayan glaciers Gaumukh.
Fertile Soil
We know that the Himalayas are the formation of the sediments deposited in the Tethys Sea. This sediment is carried by the Himalayan rivers and deposited in the northern plain in the form of fertile soil, making the plain one of the most fertile lands in the world. It has been estimated that the Ganga and Indus carry 19 and 10 lakh tonnes of silt per day, respectively, and the silt carried by the Brahmaputra is even more. It is, therefore, often said that the great plain of north India is a gift of the Himalayas.
Hydroelectricity
Deep valleys in the Himalayas are the best location for the construction of dams. The Himalayan region offers several sites which are suitable for the production of hydroelectricity. There are natural waterfalls at certain places, while dams could be constructed across rivers at some places. However, the construction of big dams on the Himalayas is disturbing the isostatic equilibrium of the Himalayan region, which is responsible for the earthquakes. Huge reservoirs of water formed with the dams are affecting the climate of the local area adversely (like excess rainfall). Sustainable development of dams in this region is the need of the time.
Forest wealth
The Himalayan Ranges are very rich in forest resources. In their rising altitude, the Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetal cover from the tropic to the Alpine. The Himalayan forests provide fuel wood and a large variety of raw materials for forests based industries. Besides many medicinal plants grow in the Himalayan region, several patches are covered with the grass offering rich pastures for grazing animals.
Agriculture
The Himalayas do not offer extensive flat land for agriculture but here slopes are terraced for the cultivation. Rice is the main crop on the terraced slopes. The other crops are wheat, maize, potatoes and ginger. Tea is a unique crop which can be grown on the hill slopes only. A wide variety of fruits such as apples, peaches, grapes, pears, mulberry, walnut, cherries, apricot, etc are also grown in the Himalayan region.
Tourism
Himalayas provide a huge scope of tourism due to their scenic beauty and healthy environment. Beautiful landscapes in the Himalayan mountains offer a great tourist spot. The hilly areas in the Himalayas offer a cool and comfortable climate when neighbouring plains are reeling under the scorching heat of the summer season. Millions of tourists from different parts of the country as well as from abroad, throng the Himalaya tourist centres to enjoy their natural beauty and to escape from the summer heat of the plains. The increasing popularity of winter sports and the craze to enjoy snowfall has increased the rush of tourists in winter. Some of the famous tourist spots in the Himalayas are Mussorie, Shimla, Kulu, Manali, Nainital, Chamba, Ranikhet, Almora, Darjeeling, Mirik, Gangtok, etc.
Pilgrimage
The Himalaya is the abode of the Gods. Apart from its beautiful scenery and its significance as a tourist place, the Himalayas are proud of being studded with sanctified shrines. Mount Kailash is mentioned as the abode of Lord Shiva in the Veda. Every year, thousands of pilgrims trek through the difficult terrain of the Himalayas to pay their reverence to these sacred shrines. Kailash, Amarnath, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Tungnath, Vaishnu Devi, Jwalaji, Uttarakashi, Gangotri, Yamunotri, etc, are some of the important places of pilgrimage.
Minerals
As we know that the Himalayas are the creation of sediments which was deposited by the rivers in the Tethys sea. Along with this deposition, thousands of fossils also get buried, which today exist in the form of minerals. The Himalayan region contains many valuable minerals. There is vast potential for mineral oil in the tertiary rocks. Coal is found in Kashmir. Copper, lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, antimony, tungsten, gold, silver, limestone, semi-precious and precious stones, gypsum and magnetite are known to occur at more than 100 localities in the Himalayas. Unfortunately, the extraction of minerals from the Himalayan ranges is not a feasible activity because of their complex terrain, and it will also make the Himalayas more unstable as they are still young mountains.
very very good significance you have given
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