While on a visit to the mountain ranges of Himalayas, you’ll notice enormous variations in the tribes, cultures, economic patterns and lifestyles of the people. This is because the people living in the Himalayas are greatly influenced by the topography, economic pattern and the climatic conditions. According to the Hindu epics and Puranas the original inhabitants of the Himalayas were the Kinnars, Khasas, Darads, Kilinds, and Kiratas. But as of now there are only three different ethnic groups residing in the Himalayas comprising of the Negroids, Mongoloids and the Aryans. The settlement in the mountain regions is marred by the extreme climatic conditions which restrict movement and communication. But still the ethnic tribes residing in remote areas have stuck to their traditional cultural identities which get reflected in their way of living.

There are about 40 million people living in the Himalayan region with Hindus of the Indian origin mainly dominating the Sub Himalayan and the Middle Himalayan valleys. The Great Himalayan region in the north consists mainly of the Tibetan Buddhists while in the eastern Himalayas in India and nearby areas of eastern Bhutan people practice religion and culture similar to those living in northern Myanmar and Yunnan province in China.

In western Kashmir, Muslims with their cultures similar to that of Iran and Afghanistan are mostly seen. The inhabitants of Sikkim belong to ethnic groups such as Nepalis, Bhutiyas and Lepchas. Agriculture and animal husbandry is the main occupation of the people in Himalayan region but with trade and commerce there is a change in the lives of peoples living in Himachal, Ladakh, Kumaon and Garhwal villages.