'Land of Unmoving Snows', a state composed of a series of river valleys that straddle the ancient trade routes to Central Asia and the Indian peninsula. Himachal was historically divided between an often-warring collection of kingdoms whose wealthy rulers - rajas, ranas and thakurs - were generous patrons of religion and the arts. To the rich heritage of traditional village and tribal culture, they added many temples - small-scale buildings of wood and stone built in the charming and distinctive local style, and dedicated particularly to the Great Goddess in her many forms. The exquisite miniature paintings of these hill states, famous for their delicacy and subtle feeling, are another result of this royal patronage.

TO THIS variegated tapestry were later added two further strands that could hardly have been more dissimilar. First, in the middle of the nineteenth century, came the development of the hill-stations of the British Raj, places like Shimla, that have today a dilapidated and nostalgic charm, recalling the days when the British went to the hills to escape the summer heat of the plains. Then, escaping the brutal Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, arrived the baroque world of Tibetan Buddhism, with its myriad deities, powerfully atmospheric temple-monasteries, sumptuous polychrome art and esoteric ritual. We shall have a chance to experience this fascinating world in and around Dharamsala, where the two most prestigious Tibetan spiritual leaders, the Dalai Lama and the young Gyalwa Karmapa, are currently based.