A teardrop-shaped island cast adrift in the Indian Ocean, Sri lanka is filled with cultural and natural treasures. Indians, Portuguese, Dutch and British have all left their marks here, making for a delightful mix of ancient cities, monuments and atmospheric colonial architecture.At the same time, palm-fringed beaches are never far away and lush mountainous greenery beckons inland. It’s clear to see why Marco Polo proclaimed Sri Lanka to be one of the best islands in the world.
However, its teardrop shape is not inappropriate and Sri Lanka has known its fair share of political turmoil and natural disasters in recent decades. Once the country became a Republic in 1972, serious conflict arose from the Tamil minority (occupying the north and east), who demanded a separate state. Terrorist activity by the Tamil Tigers has been prevalent ever since – apart from a shaky ceasefire in 2002, which sadly did not last much more than two years.
The country was also devastated by the 2004 tsunami, which killed more than 30,000 Sri Lankans and wiped out many coastal communities. While many tourists have been discouraged by the troubles, tourism is a healing force in this hard-hit country, and visitors will be guaranteed a warm welcome.
After a brief Japanese occupation in World War II, the Communist Viet Minh under the leadership of H? Chí Minh continued the insurgency against the French, with the last Emperor Bao Dai abdicating in 1945 and a proclamation of independence following soon after.
Swargarohini is a mountain massif in the Bandarpunch Range of the Garhwal Himalaya. It lies in the Uttarkashi District of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, west of the Gangotri group of peaks. It comprises four separate peaks; Swargarohini I is the main peak, and is the subject of this article. While not particularly high by Himalayan standards, and not the highest in the Bandarpunch range, Swargarohini I is notable for its dramatic local relief. For example, its north face drops 2,000 metres (6,560 ft) in less than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of horizontal distance, and its south face achieves the same drop in less than 3 kilometres (1.9 mi). This makes it a steep and challenging climb. Swargarohini I has two summits, east and west. The east summit is given an elevation of 6,247 m (20,495 ft), slightly lower than the west summit. However the first ascensionists of the west summit claim that that summit is the higher of the two.This snow-clad peak along is the source of the Tons River and along with the Bandarpunch massif it acts as a divider between the Yamuna and the Bhagirathi Rivers