What is the religious value of the Himalayas?

The
Himalaya Mountain range carries religious significance on many levels.  For Hindus, the mountain
range is where Mount Kailash exists, the home of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati.  The Himayala
Mountain range represents the domestic realm of Shiva and Parvati.  Along these lines, one of
the 12 Jyotirlingas, Amarnath, is formed out of ice during each year and attracts many devotees
to the Himalayas.  For the Vaishnavites in Hinduism, the temple of Badrinath is of extreme
devotional importance.  Additionally, the Himalayas hold the source of the Ganges River, and
thus is the home of Ganga.  For Hindus, the Himalayas is of vital religious value.

Buddhists also place much importance on the Himalaya Mountains.  There are many
Buddhist monasteries located in the Himalyas.  The Himalayas are vitally important to the
Buddhists, as they represents both the home of and the escape route for the Dalai Lama in
escaping the Chinese.  The Buddhist notion of renunciation is emphasized in the Himalayas'
geography emphasizing a focal point of unity with the world around the individual and loss of
self.  In this, the Himalayas serve as a point of extreme religious value for multiple
religions.