Himalayas - Our Protector

It is a balmy 62 degree (16° Centigrade) this morning warmed by the air influx from Gulf packed with moisture - a far cry from 36 degrees (2° Centigrade) couple of days or so back. Weather in America can swing like pendulum, a la the mood swings of a woman.

It's not uncommon for the temperature in America to plummet drastically in a short time, as unlike India there is no Himalayas in North to protect the cold winds from the arctic blasting its way through. Similarly warm air from the gulf in South can suddenly make you feel like Spring in middle of winter. 

Unlike US which has a varying weather pattern, India has a distinct weather pattern - thanks to the Himalayas standing tall as a barrier in North protecting it from from the marauding Siberian chill, while the runt Rocky Mountains in USA hardly helps to prevent the cold intrusion from Canadian artic.

The High Himalayas, with its Mt. Everest at its highest point of 29,000 feet, runs East to the West, acting as a natural barrier to India from the bitter cold winds coming from Siberia and Pamir plateau. The tallest mountain range in the world gives India a unique geographical identity, keeping it warmer compared the other places in the world along the similar latitude.

It explains why Calcutta is warmer than Canton in China and Jaipur is warmer than Jacksonville, Florida - though they are in identical latitudes. The gigantic mountain range also keeps the monsoon restricted to the Indian subcontinent, providing ample rains during the summer months, while rest of the season it is mostly dry.

The benevolence of His Majesty, the High and Mighty Himalayas doesn't end there. It protected us from the evil eyes of Chengiz Khan from Mongol days who could have ravaged India like Shakti Kapoor does to his rape victims in Bollywood movies. Only due to limited access via Khybar pass we stayed better protected from many, if not all invaders. Persian, Turks, Afghans, Moguls in form of Taimur Lung, Mahmud of Ghazni, Ghori, Babar and Muhammad Shah et all looted or occupied us. British did the same, but came via the sea route.

Yet Himalayas has done its job of protecting us. Otherwise, half of us would be of Mongoloid origin, speaking Chinese today. In those days sans contraception, the Kings sired broods of bastards out of wedlock. It is said the biggest such contributor was Genghiz Khan, the marauder of Central Asia, who sowed his oats wide enough to be traced from the entire Eurasian Ukraine to the Middle Kingdom China. Thanks to the high mountains of Himalayas, his range of spread remained land locked, never crossed the barrier of the highest mountain chain of the world to reach Indian Subcontinent. Take a bow to our natural Northern frontier protector.