The Himalaya is the embodiment of divinity, of nature in its splendour and of culture in the deepest sense of the word. The Himalaya has been inextricably interwoven with the life and culture of India since time immemorial. It has been the repository of rich biodiversity, source of main river systems and glaciers and the symbol of India's spiritual and national consciousness. Notwithstanding the wide diversity of cultural patterns, languages, races and religious practices prevalent in the Himalayan region, it has numerous common factors like geographical contiguity, ecological adaptation based on uniform environmental features and a distinct pattern of hill economy. The imposing mountain barriers did not prevent this region from being a complex of cultural interaction, racial movement, overland trade and communication. Kashmir served as the gateway from where ancient Indian culture including Mahayana Buddhism spread to different countries in Central Asia, East Asia and beyond. Due to its unique geographical location at the crossroads of India and Central Asia and its salubrious atmosphere, Kashmir was the meeting place of various cultures and became an important centre of art, culture and scholarship through its long and chequered history.