India, Oct. 31 -- The Living Himalaya, co-written and co-edited by Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal, is a rich exploration of Himalayan culture, spirituality, ecology and ethnography. Bringing together research with the voices of those who live, work and journey through these mountains, it reveals a landscape that is vibrantly alive. Through essays, stories, reflections and visual narratives, the book journeys across the many worlds of Himalayan life: epic texts and folk legends, music and food, deities, rocks and rivers, environmental crises and human struggles. Among the many treasures of this book is a retelling of the legend of King Gesar, poet Gulzar's account of his journey through Chamba and Bharmour, Shekhar Pathak's moving story of the women of Reni whose courage transformed the Chipko movement, and explorations of the ancient animistic faiths whose practices continue to resonate across the mountains. Nicholas Roerich's mystical landscapes complete this por-trait of a region where nature, culture and the sacred remain intertwined....